✨ I Paid Nothing for My 20th Anniversary Trip… But I Gained Lifetime Bragging Rights
In my 3rd travel post, I write about how I make my money work for me...points are like minions.
Yes, you read that right. NOTHING. Zilch. Nada. ₹0.
But before you assume I faked our anniversary or won a lucky draw sponsored by the universe, let me walk you through how this perfectly orchestrated, luxury-drenched, envy-inducing trip happened.
🥂 Anniversary Goals: Set. Matched. Outscored.
It was our 20th anniversary. Most people throw a party, maybe host a pooja, and call it a day with leftover gulab jamuns. But not us.
We decided to:
Take a Mercedes to the airport (because if you can’t flex on your 20th, when can you?)
Breeze through the terminal with concierge service while others fumbled for boarding passes and lost toddlers.
Lounge around the actual lounge eating tiny hors d'oeuvres like royalty-in-transit.
Board our flight to Mauritius, all relaxed and massaged.
Spend 5 nights at a 5-star beachfront resort, sipping cocktails with names we couldn’t pronounce.
And then repeat the whole luxurious routine on the way back home.
Total cost? ₹0.
🧙 How Did I Do It? Jadoo nahi, jugaad hai.
Let’s break it down (and make you want to check your credit card statements immediately):
🪄 1. Points, Miles, and the Art of Being That Guy
Over the past few years, I became that person:
The one who pays for coffee with a credit card.
Books flights like a travel hacker.
Orders food through apps just to earn 3 extra points.
Every rupee I spent was a silent investment in this grand plan. Axis Magnus, HDFC Infinia, Amex Platinum—my holy trinity. I hoarded miles like my mother hoards takeout containers.
🧳 2. Business Class Vibes, Economy Price (aka Free)
The BMW to the airport? Points.
The concierge? Part of the card's perks.
The lounge access? Swiped my way in.
The business class flight to Mauritius? Points again.
My wife: suitably impressed.
Me: pretending this happens all the time
🏖 3. That 5-Star Resort? Paid in Karma Points (and actual points)
Booked via a loyalty program (Marriott). Used accumulated hotel points + a 5th night free offer. Room upgrade? Threw in a few sweet words and possibly a “it’s our 20th anniversary” nudge. (Also: status perks.)
And did I say, due to my status, I get breakfast and evening drinks and snacks included!!
🏡 4. Back Home With a Tan and an Ego Boost
Returned the same way we went—with style, smugness, and zero financial regret.
What did we gain?
Beach photos with flattering lighting.
Stories for dinner parties.
And most importantly… a lifetime of experience paid for by past groceries and fuel bills.
💡 The Big Reveal: You Can Do This Too!
You don’t have to be rich. You just need to be strategic. Like a wedding planner who knows which cousin to assign haldi duty to. Here is a broad outline of how I do it!!
1. Credit Card Points: The Desi Dream
Credit card points are like the Amul butter of travel finance: smooth, rich, and dangerously addictive. How to use credit cards effectively, requires a separate post…and yes it is coming!!
For now,
Sign up for reward-heavy cards like HDFC Infinia, Axis Magnus, or Amex Platinum.
For those who cannot get these cards, get HDFC Regalia, Axis Atlas, and/or Amex Travel.
Use them for EVERYTHING. Groceries, fuel, your cousin's wedding gift, that unnecessary foot massager.
Pay in full. Because debt isn’t exotic, it’s exhausting.
Bonus: Airport lounge access. So you can Instagram filter coffee before a budget flight to Colombo. That’s assuming you can get in past the queues!
2. Loyalty Programs: Not Just for NRI Aunties
Airlines and hotels want you to stay loyal. Finally, someone who does!
Enroll in Air India Maharaja Club, Taj InnerCircle, Marriott Bonvoy, and others and pretend you're royalty.
If you use an airline all the time, then get an associated Credit card.
Stack points, collect freebies, get room upgrades and perhaps even upgrades to Business Class. Basically live like a king on a clerical salary.
3. Timing is Everything
Book your tickets like you pick mangoes — patiently, and preferably on a Wednesday.
Use Google Flights or Skyscanner to stalk prices.
Flying shoulder seasons. It’s just like peak season, but with better deals and fewer people coughing next to you.
Summer holidays for kids in India - April & May is shoulder season for rest of the world. We travel other months within India. Plan plan plan!
Pro tip: Set fare alerts. You'll get emails more exciting than your boss’ meeting invites.
4. Cash or Card? Answer: Yes.
Carry both.
Use cards with a lower to zero forex markup (Axis Burgundy, HDFC Infinia if you’re feeling rich).
Always choose to pay in local currency at international POS. DCC = Daylight Currency Crime.
Prepared for every possible economic system.
5. Travel Insurance = Your Inner Amma
It may not be fun, but it’ll scold you lovingly when things go wrong.
Medical mishap? Lost bag? Trip cancelled? Insurance says, “Don’t worry, beta.”
Starts at ₹300. Saves your soul and your bank account.
Do Not Be The Points Pilgrim…no need to be the pointless pursuer!
Meet Rewards Ramesh. He’s on his honeymoon in Paris. Eiffel Tower in the background, fresh croissants in hand, a loving partner by his side.
Romantic, right?
Not for Rewards Ramesh.
Because he is busy calculating whether buying macarons with his Amex Platinum earns more points than the Visa Signature with the quarterly pastry bonus.
He walks 2 extra kilometers in Paris—past three perfectly good cafes—just to reach a Mastercard-affiliated bistro that offers triple points during moon cycles
At the Louvre, instead of admiring Mona Lisa, he’s asking the gift shop: “Do you guys take Diners Club? No? Okay, split the payment across three cards please.”
His partner is taking selfies.
Rewards Ramesh is taking screenshots of every receipt, emailing them to himself, and checking if the currency conversion fees are worth the miles.
Optimising vs Maximizing!! Find your balance.
Final Word: Travel Smart. Spend Smart. Flex Softly.
You don’t need a black Amex to fly business or a Swiss bank account to sip Swiss hot chocolate.
You just need:
a plan,
a points strategy,
and a sense of humour when your bag gets lost and returns with better stories.
Now go forth and travel like the desi jugadu you were born to be. And yes, carry khakra. Always.
Next week I write about the tools I use to make our travel easy!!!
If this post made you chuckle or saved you money, consider forwarding it to your travel buddy who still thinks Google Flights is a budget airline.
Great article. Humorous way of putting across the plan … As someone who has benefitted a number of times from the Taj seasonal discounts, I can completely feel the excitement you feel when you book from points and dont have to pay from your pocket. Love it. Happy travels.
Financial alchemy at its best! Happy wallet and happy wife 😀