(Crossposted from paid 1M Skool community) Recently, there have been a lot of posts in the community on the concept of “ballin’ on a budget”. It’s about treating yourself to high-level experiences without derailing your long-term goals. I took this to heart during a nine-day trip to northern Italy, and I wanted to share how I used credit card points and rewards to make it happen. My Italian Adventure: Flights and Hotels Flights: - To Milan: I booked Air France business class from the U.S. to Milan via Paris using 39,000 credit card points and $290 in taxes and fees (booked via Virgin Atlantic). Retail cost? $4,500. - Return Home: Egyptair business class from Milan to the U.S. via Cairo for 63,000 points and $90 in taxes (booked through Avianca). Retail cost? $3,500. Hotels: I opened the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card last year, which came with 5 free night certificates (worth up to 50,000 Marriott points each). - 4 nights in Milan: Stayed at a luxury hotel near the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Retail: €520/night (~$570). - 1 night near MXP airport: Perfect for catching my flight home. Retail: €300 (~$330). - Paid in cash for the last 3 nights near Venice. This stay ran me €325 (~$360). Total Savings: - Flights: $8,000 - Hotels: $2,500 - Grand Total: $10,500 USD This was my first time flying in long-haul business class, and while I did enjoy it immensely, it is still not something I would have paid for out-of-pocket at this point in my life. However, with travel points, I was able to enjoy these experiences for pretty much free and keep more money in my pocket to invest in my personal growth. Why Do Banks Offer These Perks? Now, if you’re skeptical about banks just giving away these deals, let’s talk about the business strategy. Every time you swipe your credit card, merchants pay interchange fees to payment processors like Visa, Mastercard, and Amex. Part of these fees goes to the bank that issued your card. To incentivize you to use their card, banks pass some of this profit back to you as rewards—points, cashback, miles, you name it.