I’m relaxing at home, thinking about traveling [big surprise]! I decided that I’m going to use this avenue to share a little more of my personal life, along with photography.

Most of you who know me [and even those who don’t personally, but have seen my instagram feed], know that my heart beats for travel. Anything and everything to do with experiencing new places gets me excited! One of my big deal-breakers when I met Matt was–do you like to travel? Thankfully, yes, he loves it too. We’re so blessed to have been able to travel as much as we have in our 3 short years of marriage! We’ve visited California, Puerto Rico, NYC, Chicago, Florida, London, the South of France, Northern Italy and Hawaii. I thought I would share a few tips I have learned while researching and planning for a trip.

1. We try to use cash as often as possible for every day expenses. This allows us to save and build up the leftover change. We put all of our spare change in a cute little decorative suitcase. A few days before our trip, we trade that change in for euros, pounds etc to take with us and use it for activities there.

2. Be flexible on what city you fly into. Check all airports in the city you would like to go to. There was a $500 difference to fly into Milan instead of Rome.

3. I’m not a total advocate for credit cards, however, if you are going to have one, choose a credit card that gives you travel points. We’ve used miles for a free plane ticket to Puerto Rico and Maui! Some of the hotel cards [ie the Citi Hilton Visa] have no annual fee.

4. Join the points programs for different hotel chains. It’s free, and you get points when you stay there. Hotel point systems are a better deal than airline miles. You get more for your money.

5. Check online ahead of time for things that are free to do. A lot of museums in Europe are free to the public.

6. Get lost in the city you’re in. It’s free, and it’ll most likely be your favorite day!

7. Buy tickets online, ahead of time. Some activities are expensive so be sure to check online first for deals and steals!

What are some places you’ve been that we should go next? What’s on your bucket list?