If you’ve been following us, you know that redeeming (almost free) Travel Rewards is one of the core strategies to help us to travel the world for less than staying at home in the US. In this blog post, we’ll revisit the basics of travel rewards, share our 2025 earnings and redemptions, highlight the credit cards we opened, and show you how much we saved. We’ll also give you a peek at what we’re planning for 2026
In 2025, we earned about 612,795 rewards, redeemed about 222,800, used redemptions worth about $4,920, and ended the year with roughly $25,311.44 in remaining travel rewards.
The chart below shows the running lifetime total of rewards earned from the first month tracked in Nomad Purse through Dec 31, 2025, alongside the live rewards balance after redemptions, transfers, and adjustments. It is the fastest way to separate gross point generation from what was still available to spend at year-end.
The chart below shows the running lifetime total of rewards earned from the first month tracked in Nomad Purse through Dec 31, 2025, alongside the live rewards balance after redemptions, transfers, and adjustments. It is the fastest way to separate gross point generation from what was still available to spend by that point in time.
Intro to travel rewards
This report pulls together our 2025 calendar year of tracked reward activity so we can see how much value came from sign-up bonuses, referrals, normal spending, and redemptions. The goal is not to glorify points for their own sake; it is to measure whether the rewards side of the card portfolio actually produced useful travel value. Keep in mind that travel rewards only work if you pay your card balances in full, avoid unnecessary spending, and can handle temporary credit-score changes.
How to read these numbers
- Data comes from Nomad Purse (our free budget and travel rewards tracking tool).
- USD values are estimates based on stored reward program valuations as of each activity date.
- Ending balances are calculated from all reward activity up to Dec 31 of the selected year.
Our strategy in 2025 was simple: keep earning flexible points when the welcome bonus was strong, add airline-specific miles only when they matched likely future routes, and avoid chasing points just to make the balance look bigger.
We focused on rewards we could unlock through spending we were already planning to do. No manufactured spending, no buying things we did not need, and no opening cards unless the expected value was clearly worth the effort. The goal is not to collect the most points possible. The goal is to keep reducing the cost of flights and stays while preserving the flexibility that makes full-time travel easier.
This year also reminded us why we like having a mix of transferable rewards and airline miles. Flexible currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards give us optionality, while programs like United, American Airlines, and Flying Blue can be useful when a specific route lines up well with an award booking.
How to Maximize Travel Rewards
If you are new to travel reward, please check out our ultimate guide to Travel Hacking.
Reward Program Valuations Used
The USD estimates in this report use the following reference valuations, expressed in USD value per 1,000 points or miles.
| Reward program | USD value per 1,000 points | Valuation date used |
|---|---|---|
| Capital One Miles | $18.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| Ultimate Rewards | $15.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| United MileagePlus award miles | $13.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| American AAdvantage | $14.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| American Express Membership Rewards | $20.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | $7.60 | 2025-12-01 |
| Delta Skymiles | $11.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| Flying Blue | $10.00 | 2025-07-01 |
| Aeroplan (Canada) | $14.00 | 2025-12-01 |
| AsiaMiles | $13.00 | 2025-07-01 |
| Asiana Club | $14.00 | 2025-07-01 |
| Barclays Arrival Miles | $10.00 | 2025-07-01 |
| Rapid Rewards | $15.00 | 2025-07-01 |
| World of Hyatt | $18.00 | 2025-12-01 |
Annual summary
At the highest level, 612,795 of rewards came in during 2025, 222,800 went back out through redemptions as of Dec 31, 2025.
Let’s break down exactly how much we earned and redeemed in 2025 so you can see just how valuable this strategy can be in practice. Here is the overall summary
| Activity group | Points | Estimated USD value |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-on bonuses | 430,000 | $6,600 |
| Referral bonuses | 70,000 | $1,095 |
| Spend bonuses | 102,795 | $1,686 |
| Other earning | 10,000 | $180 |
| Redemptions | 222,800 | $4,920 |
| Transfers | +59,420 | +$715 |
| Adjustments (mostly refunds) | -32,883 | -$445 |
2025 Travel Rewards Earnings
Most of the upside this year came from Sign-on bonus, and United MileagePlus award miles was the biggest destination for tracked earnings overall.
Sign-on bonus
| Credit card or source | Holder | Program | Points earned | Estimated value | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Mrs. NN | Ultimate Rewards | 60,000 | $1,020.00 | 2025-01-23 |
| Chase United Explorer MileagePlus Card | Mrs. NN | United MileagePlus award miles | 60,000 | $660.00 | 2025-04-04 |
| American Express Gold Card | Mr. NN | American Express Membership Rewards | 100,000 | $2,000.00 | 2025-07-25 |
| BOA Air France KLM | Mr. NN | Flying Blue | 70,000 | $700.00 | 2025-10-26 |
| Capital One Venture X | Mrs. NN | Capital One Miles | 80,000 | $1,440.00 | 2025-11-22 |
| Chase United Business Card | Mrs. NN | United MileagePlus award miles | 60,000 | $780.00 | 2025-12-15 |
Referral bonus
We do earn a bit of referral bonus through this blog but for transparency you can see that it is not a massive amount. Though we are thankful for anyone opening the credit card we recommend through our blog!
| Credit card or source | Holder | Program | Points earned | Estimated value | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Mr. NN | Ultimate Rewards | 10,000 | $170.00 | 2025-01-14 |
| Chase United Explorer MileagePlus Card | Mr. NN | United MileagePlus award miles | 10,000 | $110.00 | 2025-03-10 |
| Venture X from Capital One | Mr. NN | Capital One Miles | 25,000 | $450.00 | 2025-08-01 |
| Chase United Explorer MileagePlus Card | Mrs. NN | United MileagePlus award miles | 10,000 | $110.00 | 2025-10-02 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | Mr. NN | Ultimate Rewards | 15,000 | $255.00 | 2025-11-10 |
Earnings by reward program
| Program | Points earned | Estimated value | Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| United MileagePlus award miles | 150,979 | $1,792.34 | 10 |
| Capital One Miles | 135,524 | $2,439.51 | 21 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 131,245 | $2,231.94 | 28 |
| American Express Membership Rewards | 115,793 | $2,315.86 | 7 |
| Flying Blue | 75,617 | $756.17 | 5 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3,637 | $25.46 | 3 |
The best earning opportunities in 2025 came from welcome bonuses, not everyday credit card spending. This is exactly what we expect, and why sign-up bonuses remain the core of our travel rewards strategy.
Our biggest single earning event was the 100,000-point American Express Gold Card bonus, worth an estimated $2,000 based on our stored valuation. We also picked up strong value from the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase United Explorer, and Bank of America Air France KLM offers. Together, these bonuses generated most of the year’s rewards.
Normal credit card spend still added useful value, but it was not the engine. Spend bonuses are nice. Welcome bonuses are where the real leverage is.
2025 Travel Rewards Redemptions
The redemption side was driven mostly by Redemption, based on the tracked point usage and the stored valuation at the time of redemption.
| Redemption | Holder | Program | Points used | Additional cash cost | Estimated reward value | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Flight Taipei – Geneva | Mr. NN | American AAdvantage | 35,000 | $30 | $490 | 2025-12-22 |
| Economy Flight Da Nang – Geneva | Mr. NN | American AAdvantage | 35,000 | $45.00 | $490 | 2025-03-08 |
| Economy Flight Da Nang – Geneva | Mr. NN | American AAdvantage | 35,000 | $45.00 | $490 | 2025-03-07 |
| Business Flight Ubud – Bangkok | Mr. NN | Aeroplan (Canada) | 30,000 | $72.40 | $850 | 2025-10-10 |
| Business Flight Ubud – Bangkok | Mr. NN | Aeroplan (Canada) | 30,000 | $72.40 | $850 | 2025-10-09 |
| Economy Flight Valencia – San Francisco | Mrs. NN | Capital One Miles | 23,000 | $165.00 | $414 | 2025-10-15 |
| Economy Flight Valencia – San Francisco | Mrs. NN | Capital One Miles | 18,800 | $165.00 | $338 | 2025-08-01 |
| One night at the Ritz Carlton in Wolfsburg – Upgraded to Executive Suite | Mr. NN | Marriott Bonvoy | 1x free award night | $0 | $822 | 2025-07-30 |
| Economy Flight Geneva – Valencia | Mr. NN | United MileagePlus award miles | 8,000 | $0 | $88 | 2025-06-02 |
| Economy Flight Geneva – Valencia | Mr. NN | United MileagePlus award miles | 8,000 | $0 | $88 | 2025-06-01 |
Our 2025 redemptions were more modest than in 2024, but they still delivered meaningful value. We redeemed 222,800 rewards for an estimated $4,920 in travel value, mostly across Ultimate Rewards, American AAdvantage, Flying Blue, and United MileagePlus.
The best redemption on paper was the 60,000 Ultimate Rewards redemption, valued at about $1,020. That is exactly the kind of flexible reward we like: simple to use, meaningful in value, and directly helpful for reducing our travel costs.
Rewards left to spend as of Dec 31, 2025
As of Dec 31, 2025, the tracked rewards balance across all included programs was about 1,740,372, worth roughly $25,311.44 using the latest valuation reference available inside the report window.
| Program | Balance | Valuation used | Estimated cash value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Miles | 372,192 | 1.80¢/point (2025-12-01) | $6,699.46 |
| Ultimate Rewards | 429,835 | 1.50¢/point (2025-12-01) | $6,447.53 |
| United MileagePlus award miles | 322,044 | 1.30¢/point (2025-12-01) | $4,186.57 |
| American AAdvantage | 224,269 | 1.40¢/point (2025-12-01) | $3,139.77 |
| American Express Membership Rewards | 115,803 | 2.00¢/point (2025-12-01) | $2,316.06 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 129,674 | 0.76¢/point (2025-12-01) | $985.52 |
| Delta Skymiles | 70,988 | 1.10¢/point (2025-12-01) | $780.87 |
| Flying Blue | 75,567 | 1.00¢/point (2025-07-01) | $755.67 |
| Aeroplan (Canada) | 0 | 1.40¢/point (2025-12-01) | $0.00 |
| AsiaMiles | 0 | 1.30¢/point (2025-07-01) | $0.00 |
| Asiana Club | 0 | 1.40¢/point (2025-07-01) | $0.00 |
| Barclays Arrival Miles | 0 | 1.00¢/point (2025-07-01) | $0.00 |
| Rapid Rewards | 0 | 1.50¢/point (2025-07-01) | $0.00 |
| World of Hyatt | 0 | 1.80¢/point (2025-12-01) | $0.00 |
Recommended credit cards for earning travel rewards
Ranked by estimated welcome bonus value divided by minimum spend required.
| Card | Reward program | Bonus | Minimum spend | Days | Estimated bonus value | Value per $1 required spend | Annual fee | Referral link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Freedom Flex | Ultimate Rewards | 20,000 | $500.00 | 90 | $410.00 | 0.8200 | $0.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited | Ultimate Rewards | 20,000 | $500.00 | 90 | $410.00 | 0.8200 | $0.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase United Explorer Card | United MileagePlus award miles | 110,000 | $4,000.00 | 90 | $1,485.00 | 0.3713 | $95.00 | Open referral link |
| American Express Gold Card | American Express Membership Rewards | 100,000 | $6,000.00 | 180 | $2,000.00 | 0.3333 | $325.00 | Open referral link |
| Capital One Venture X | Capital One Miles | 75,000 | $4,000.00 | 90 | $1,087.50 | 0.2719 | $395.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase United Gateway Card | United MileagePlus award miles | 20,000 | $1,000.00 | 90 | $270.00 | 0.2700 | $0.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card | Ultimate Rewards | 75,000 | $6,000.00 | 180 | $1,537.50 | 0.2563 | $0.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve | Ultimate Rewards | 60,000 | $5,000.00 | 90 | $1,230.00 | 0.2460 | $795.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase United Club Infinite Card | United MileagePlus award miles | 90,000 | $5,000.00 | 90 | $1,215.00 | 0.2430 | $525.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase United Quest Card | United MileagePlus award miles | 70,000 | $4,000.00 | 90 | $945.00 | 0.2363 | $250.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | Ultimate Rewards | 90,000 | $8,000.00 | 90 | $1,845.00 | 0.2306 | $95.00 | Open referral link |
| Chase United℠ Business Card | United MileagePlus award miles | 75,000 | $5,000.00 | 90 | $1,012.50 | 0.2025 | $150.00 | Open referral link |
| Capital One Spark Business 1.5X Miles Select | Capital One Miles | 50,000 | $4,500.00 | 90 | $725.00 | 0.1611 | $0.00 | Open referral link |
| American Express EveryDay Preferred Credit Card | American Express Membership Rewards | 15,000 | $2,000.00 | 180 | $300.00 | 0.1500 | $95.00 | Open referral link |
| American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card | Blue Cash Rewards | 25,000 | $2,000.00 | 180 | $250.00 | 0.1250 | $0.00 | Open referral link |
| American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card | Blue Cash Rewards | 30,000 | $3,000.00 | 180 | $300.00 | 0.1000 | $95.00 | Open referral link |
Bottom line
The biggest travel rewards lesson from 2025 is that a quieter year can still be a very good year.
We earned fewer points than in 2024, but still added over 600,000 rewards, redeemed 222,800, and ended the year with roughly $25,000+ in estimated travel rewards left to use. That is a lot of future flights, hotel nights, and flexibility already sitting in our accounts.
For us, travel rewards are not about luxury for luxury’s sake. They are one of the tools that make our nomadic lifestyle more affordable and sustainable. When used carefully, they help us travel farther, stay flexible, and keep proving that life on the road can cost less than staying in one place.
If you are new to travel rewards, start simple, pay every card in full, avoid unnecessary spending, and focus on one strong welcome bonus at a time. Done right, this strategy can quietly pay for a meaningful part of your travel life.
Happy safe & free travels,
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