I booked us to Hawaii on points.
He proposed on that trip.
I've been unstoppable ever since.

I'd been putting everything on a United card and watching the miles stack up. I booked my boyfriend and I our first big trip — Hawaii. All on points.

What I didn't know was that he was planning to propose on that trip. I came home engaged and completely hooked.

We had a two-year-old. We were living in San Francisco. My husband told me he didn't want to spend money on travel. The only way he was going anywhere was if we were flying first class. He's 6'4". He said it to end the conversation.

I took it as a challenge. I put everything on my United card, watched the miles build, ran the numbers, and booked us to Chile in first class with lie-flat seats. He has never complained about traveling since.

Our friend was turning 40 and wanted everyone to fly to his hometown in Ireland to celebrate. I'd always wanted to go. But how do you get a family of four to Ireland without spending a fortune?

Down the rabbit hole I went. I found someone who explained how to use code-share airlines and transfer Amex points to book flights for a fraction of the cost. I followed the steps and booked four one-ways to London for 47,000 points total. My mind was never the same after that.

Since 2022 our family has taken roughly 36 trips. All on points. Family trips. Girls trips. Couples getaways. First class flights. Hyatt properties. Experiences I genuinely never thought we could afford.

I'm a Gen X working mama of a 10 and 13 year old, based in Napa, CA. I'm not a financial advisor. I'm not a finance bro. I'm just someone who figured it out and can't stop talking about it.

I started Curated by Courtney because I kept having the same conversation with friends and strangers who had no idea what their points were worth. Figured I'd just make it a thing.