The "Ghetto Blessing" That Taught Me About Credit Card Rewards 

"Something you had no business pulling off somehow works out... and you just sit there like 'Thank you, Jesus!'"

That's a ghetto blessing. And if you know, you know.

Mine happened in 2018. 

My mama had a 7-day cruise to Hawaii already booked and paid for. She was all excited, packing her cute little outfits. 

Then, three days before departure, the person who was supposed to go with her backed out.

So my mama called me.

And I told her, "I'm coming."

Then I hung up and started doing the math on what a last-minute flight to Hawaii was about to cost me. 😅 

Because of course I'm going. But also — Lord, this is going to hurt.

I pulled up my credit card account to book the flight. And right there on the screen, just sitting there like it had been waiting for me:

A points balance I didn't even know I had.

Years of spending. Groceries, gas, random dinners, one vacation I took back in 2014. 

I'd been earning rewards on every single swipe for literal years and not once sat down to look at what I'd built.

That day, I cashed in $650 worth of points on my flight to Hawaii, and had the time of my life.

I cried on this trip. 

Not because of the money (though $650 was a serious chunk of change for me at the time.) 

I cried because of what it represented.

Left: Helicopter tour of Kauai | Right: Certified hula dancers (don't test us) 💃🏾

We took a helicopter over Kauai. 

We laughed. 

We ate every meal together. 

We did a hula dancing course on the ship and got actual certificates of completion. (Yes, they're framed.)

I spent 7 days watching her laugh at things she hadn't laughed at in years. 

And the only reason I could say yes — on three days' notice, no panic, no "I can't afford it" — was because of a system I didn't even know was running in the background of my own life.

That's the Fundable Life. Not the trip, but the access. The freedom to say yes when your mama needs you, without panicking about the cost.

So today, I'm breaking it all the way down. 

How points actually work.

Which cards build balances the quickest. 

And how you find the money that's already sitting in your accounts right now.

Most people think of credit card rewards as a nice little bonus — like finding a dollar in your skinny jeans you haven't worn in 10 years. 

But that framing is costing you thousands of dollars a year!

Think of it this way instead: 

Rewards programs are not a bonus. They are a source of currency. 

And the people who understand that are flying first class, staying in luxurious 5-star hotels, and funding vacations on points they earned buying groceries or growing a business.

Let's break down how the system works.

The simplest form. You spend money, you get a percentage back — usually 1%–5% depending on the category. 

Cash back cards are great for beginners because the reward is straightforward. You get money in your pocket in exchange for spending on the card vs a competitor.

The downside is that cash back rarely stretches as far as points do when it comes to travel.

Points are the most flexible currency in the rewards world. 

You earn them on purchases, and you redeem them for flights, hotels, gift cards, or statement credits. 

The value of a point varies by card and how you redeem — which is where the magic (or the missed opportunity) happens. 

On average, 1 point = 1 cent. 

But when you transfer points to airline or hotel partners? That same point can be worth 2–3 cents or more.

Airline miles work similarly to points but are tied to specific airlines or airline alliances. 

Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, American AAdvantage — these all operate independently. 

The trick is knowing which programs partner with which airlines, so you can maximize your redemptions across multiple carriers.

💡 Truth Moment

When I redeemed my $650 for that Hawaii flight, I was using a cash-back-style redemption. But, if I had been using a travel rewards card with airline transfer partners, that same balance could have potentially covered a $1,200–$1,500 flight or a first-class upgrade.

I didn't know then. But, I know now the difference between knowing the system and passively participating in it.

Every time you swipe your credit card, you earn points based on the purchase category. Here's how most cards structure it:

Standard Earning Rates (What to Look For)

• Dining & Restaurants: 3x–5x points per dollar
• Groceries: 3x–6x points per dollar
• Travel (flights, hotels, rideshare): 2x–5x points per dollar
• Gas: 2x–3x points per dollar
• Everything else: 1x–2x points per dollar

This means your everyday spending (aka the money you're already spending) is building a balance. The problem is most people never check it. They earn for years and never redeem. 

That's what happened to me, and it's happening to you right now.

Not all credit cards are created equal when it comes to travel rewards. The right card depends on your spending habits, your credit score, and your travel goals. Here's what you should know:

If you're newer to credit or still building your score, start here. These cards have lower barriers to entry and still earn meaningful rewards:

What to look for in a starter travel card:

• No annual fee (or a low one under $95)
• A sign-up bonus of at least 10,000–20,000 points
• 2x points on everyday categories like dining or groceries
• No foreign transaction fees (if you plan to travel internationally)

Once your score is in the high 600s to low 700s, you start unlocking mid-tier cards with significantly better earning rates and more valuable sign-up bonuses. This is where travel rewards start to feel meaningful.

Cards in this tier typically offer:

• Sign-up bonuses of 50,000–80,000 points — worth $500–$1,000+ in travel
• 3x–4x points on dining and travel — your biggest spend categories
• Annual travel credits — $100–$300 back on travel purchases, which often offsets the annual fee
• Transfer partners — the ability to move your points to airline and hotel programs for higher value

This is where I was when I booked Hawaii:

A mid-tier card with a points balance I had been ignoring for years.

The $650 I redeemed was just what had accumulated from normal everyday spending. No strategy or focused optimization. Just swiping a card I already had for things I was already buying.

I only imagine what I could have done if I had actually been paying attention...

This is where the game completely changes. 

A 720+ credit score opens the door to premium travel cards (and premium travel cards open the door to a life most people think is only available to the wealthy.)

Here's what becomes possible:

First-class and business-class flights on points
Premium cards with airline transfer partners let you book $3,000–$8,000 seats for 50,000–80,000 points — sometimes less.

Luxury hotel stays for free

Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, Hilton Honors — these programs can get you into $400–$600/night rooms on points you earned from everyday spending (and even additional nights, late checkout, and upgrades for free).

Global Entry & TSA PreCheck covered

Most premium travel cards include a $100 credit every 4–5 years for Global Entry — which includes TSA PreCheck. Which means no more long security lines.

Airport lounge access
Cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum include lounge access worldwide. Free food, free drinks, comfortable seating, and a place to take a power nap—every time you fly.

Annual travel credits of $300+
These credits automatically apply to any travel purchase — flights, hotels, Uber, Airbnb. For many cardholders, the credit alone offsets the annual fee entirely.

The Credit Score + Rewards Connection

• Below 620: Limited card options, high APRs, minimal rewards
• 620–659: Some rewards cards accessible, mostly cash back
• 660–699: Better rewards cards, small sign-up bonuses begin
• 700–719: Mid-tier travel cards, 50K+ bonuses, transfer partners
• 720–759: Premium cards unlock, lounge access, large bonuses
• 760+: Best available rates + maximum rewards on every card

Every tier of credit score improvement translates into better cards, better bonuses, and better travel. 

This is why credit repair isn't just about qualifying for a loan. It's about unlocking a completely different quality of life.

Now we get to the part I'm most excited about.

Because somewhere between reading Part Two and Part Three, some of you started thinking.

You started thinking about that airline account you made years ago for one trip. 

About the cash back you haven't redeemed. 

About the hotel points from that work conference.

That's your money calling your name.

Here's exactly how to find it.

  ✈️ Your homework: The Points Audit

1. Log into every credit card account you have and check your rewards balance.
2. Log into every airline account you've ever created — yes, even the one from 2017.
3. Check every hotel loyalty program. Marriott. Hilton. Hyatt. All of them.
4. Look up any cash back you haven't redeemed.
5. Add it all up — then drop your total in the comments below!

I know how overwhelming it feels to dig through a bunch of accounts. So I put together a simple Smart Credit Travel Points Tracker to make this whole audit take less than 15 minutes. Enter your balances, watch your total grow, download it to keep, and screenshot us your results at [email protected] (we'd love to see it).

I want to hear from you. DM me on Instagram. 

I am not exaggerating when I tell you someone reading this right now has over $1,000. Maybe $2,000. Tell me what you found.

Finding your points is step one. Using them well is step two. Here are the most important rules:

This is where I left so much money on the table. Redeeming 10,000 points for a $100 statement credit gives you 1 cent per point. Transferring those same 10,000 points to an airline partner and booking a flight might get you $200–$300 in value. That's 2–3x more. 

Travel redemptions almost always beat cash back.

Cards like Chase Sapphire, Amex Gold, and Capital One Venture allow you to transfer points to airline and hotel partners. 

This is where the real leverage is. 

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to United, Hyatt, Southwest, and more. 

Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Delta, Hilton, British Airways, and others. 

Learn your card's transfer partners and you'll unlock redemptions that feel almost too good to be true.

The biggest gains in travel rewards don't come from everyday spending. They come from sign-up bonuses. 

A card offering 80,000 points after spending $4,000 in 3 months can be worth $800–$1,600 in travel depending on how you redeem. 

If you have a large purchase coming up — home renovation, new appliance, business expense — timing a new card application around that spend is a legitimate wealth-building strategy.

Airline miles and hotel points can expire, especially after 12–24 months of account inactivity. 

To fix this, make one small transaction on the account (buy a $10 gift card, transfer a small amount of points) to reset the clock. 

Set a yearly reminder to check your balances and keep your accounts active.

This is non-negotiable. 

Credit card rewards are only a wealth-building tool if you pay off your balance in full every month. 

If you're carrying a balance and paying 20–29% interest, the rewards you're earning are not offsetting what you're paying in interest. 

The Fundable Life is built on credit used as a tool, not credit used as a loan.

The Simple Version of Everything Above:

• Use your credit card for everyday spending you'd make anyway.
• Pay it off in full every month.
• Redeem for travel instead of cash back whenever possible.
• Chase sign-up bonuses when you have a big purchase coming.
• Transfer to airline/hotel partners for maximum value.

That's the whole system that sent me to Hawaii for $650.

When I think back to that call with my mama, I don't think about the money.

I think about the fact that I almost said no.

I almost said, "Mama, I can't afford it." And I would have been wrong. 

The money was already there. I just didn't know.

How many yeses have you missed because you didn't know what you had?

That's the question the Fundable Life is built around. 

Not just how to earn more, but how to see what's already yours.

Go do your audit. Use the tracker. Find your number. Then come tell me what you found.

You'll never know. The next trip may be closer than you think.

1. Take the Fundable Quiz — find out which of the 7 outcomes is closest to your reality: smartcreditcoach.com/quiz
2. Check every rewards account you have. Every card. Every airline. Every hotel program. Reply to this week's email with the total you find. You will shock yourself.
3. Get matched with a Smart Credit Certified Consultant who'll map your specific score-to-travel sequence: smartcreditcoach.com/help

Get personalized guidance, expert credit strategy, and a fundable roadmap built for your business.

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