It all begins with an emergency fund. I keep 3-6 months expenses on hand in a HYSA so the cash can gain more interest than in a traditional savings account. I use Marcus by Goldman Sachs.

I use two brokerage firms to invest. Betterment is the OG firm I started with when I was still unsure wtf I was doing. I love them! They make it so easy and guide you along. Such a great way to invest! The other brokerage I use is Vanguard. They offer great fund options with low fees.

I’m sure you’ve heard about diversifying your portfolio before, but WTF does it mean? It means you can invest your money in more than just the stock market. One option is investing with Fundrise to get started in the real estate game. Another is using Coinbase or Nexo to invest in cryptocurrency.

This travel card has a welcome bonus of 60,000 points, which equals about $1,000. The spend requirement is $4,000 within 3 months of account opening. Annual fee is $95, but let’s look at how this card pays for itself!

10% anniversary points boost

$50 annual hotel credit

Complimentary DashPass on DoorDash

5x points on Lyft rides

5x points on travel purchased through Chase

2x points on all other travel purchases

3x points on dining

3x points on online grocery purchases

5x total points on peloton bike & tread purchases

There are two airline cards I love. To decide which is best for YOU, consider how much you travel and what’s important to you when traveling. The first one is location specific & I use it due to flying out of ATL as my home airport. (There is definitely a family bias for this airline just in general and my husband already had the card). The other airline card is one I love if the first card isn’t your airport’s main airline and you travel a ton! So let’s break it down:

Airline Card #1:

Welcome bonus is 60,000 miles & 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles. Spend requirement is $5,000 in 3 months. Annual fee $550.

$550 annual fee card:

$100 back in statement credit for US restaurant purchases in first 3 months

Companion pass certificate upon renewal for First Class, Comfort+ or Main Cabin (1x/year)

Complimentary lounge access & 2 guest passes annually

Upgrade Priority

Main Cabin Priority Boarding

First Checked Bag free

Complimentary Centurion Lounge Access

3x points on Delta purchases

1x points on all other purchases

Airline Card #2:

This card is great for those who love to travel a lot since you can work your way to a companion certificate for a year. To achieve this companion pass you need 100 qualifying flights or 125,000 points within this airline’s rewards program.

Welcome Bonus is 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 in 3 months. Annual fee $149.

7,500 points every anniversary

2x points on hotel & car partners

2x points on rideshare

2x points on internet, cable, phone and select streaming

1x points on all other purchases

25% back on inflight purchases

4 upgraded boardings per year when available

$75 annual travel credit

SO which do you choose?! I’d consider if it matters to you whether you want lounge access (or can get it from another CC) as well as the companion pass options. Airline Card #2 is the best travel card overall in my opinion, my family just has a bias towards Airline Card #1 and we’ve redeemed a lot of good use out of it with traveling!

This hotel card has a welcome bonus offering 3 free nights, which is equivalent to up to 150,000 points. The spend requirement is $3,000 in 3 months. Annual fee is $95, which proves to be worth it because you’re getting 3 free nights!!

Earn up to 17x points for every $1 spent at hotels in their Bonvoy program

Automatic Silver Elite Status

Annual free night award (redemption level up to 35k points)

2x points on all other purchases including other travel purchases