Meet the Man Exploring Luxury Hotels for Free

Many of us dream of a luxurious vacation at a fancy hotel, but some people actually make it happen—in incredibly creative ways. Enter Chris from California.

Chris realized right after finishing his college education that he wasn't going to toil away just to fulfill his dream of traveling and enjoying life. "I started working at a bank and learned how banks make a lot of money," he recalls. "Every time you use your credit card, the bank earns money. The more you use it, the more they earn, which is why banks started offering points. If you gather enough points, you can pay for flights, food, expensive hotels, gas, and any other fun you have in mind."

"Almost every credit card gives you a bonus for spending, like supermarket purchases, gas, or travel. So, I started tracking every bonus I could get. I created a special spreadsheet where I filled in all the details and points accumulated from my cards, opening more accounts to get additional cards for even more points."

This method allowed Chris to save thousands of dollars, which he used to pay for his trips and family vacations. "Over the past 20 years, I’ve accumulated more than 12 million points on my credit cards, which equals about 250 flights or a thousand nights in a nice hotel," he says.

But don't think managing 10 credit cards from 20 different bank accounts in his name is easy. It's not, but persistence pays off. "Each year, I take a family vacation worth $20,000 without spending a single dollar from my pocket. The points cover it all." He and his wife have now seen half the world thanks to his unique system, all paid for by points. "My friends always say I’m crazy, but now they're asking how they can take amazing vacations using their points."

But here he warns of one pitfall many can fall into: "Credit cards are a double-edged sword. You can put yourself in massive debt if you don't know how to use them properly. But if you do, you can turn it to your advantage," he concludes.