087: Making Travel Easier with Credit Card Rewards with Sophia Mendel

In this episode of Saving With Steve, host Steve Sexton is joined by Sophia Mendel, a credit cards and travel rewards writer and travel expert with ValuePenguin.

It’s time to pack those bags and sort through that bucket list of dream vacations because nearly half of Americans are ready to hit the road this year. According to a recent ValuePenguin survey, Americans are planning to spend big on travel and many will be keeping their eyes peeled for travel rewards credit cards to help them offset some of the costs. The rise of remote work, as well as money saved during the pandemic, makes it easier than ever for many consumers to get away.

My guest today, Sophia Mendel, is an expert in the travel space, having visited over 40 countries and lived in five. Her work has been featured by ValuePenguin, Lonely Planet, Hostelworld, BootsnAll and Transitions Abroad. She joins us to discuss how nearly half of Americans are planning to travel more in 2022 in hopes of making up for lost time and seeing loved ones, with pent-up demand following two years of being cautious and dealing with travel restrictions. Sophia shares how to make travel easier by offsetting the cost of travel using a rewards credit card, and provides tips for finding your best travel credit card.

Sophia Mendel is a credit cards and travel rewards writer with ValuePenguin, an online financial information source with tools to help educate you on spending money, providing in-depth research and analysis on a variety of topics, from insurance to credit cards.

ValuePenguin provides in-depth research and analysis on a variety of topics, from insurance to credit cards. ValuePenguin and its parent company, LendingTree®, have a common mission: to empower consumers with tools, information and resources to help them make smarter, more informed financial decisions.

Sophia is passionate about travel, having visited over 40 countries and living in five. She studied Spanish and Communications at the University of Michigan, and her work has been featured by Lonely Planet, Hostelworld, BootsnAll, and Transitions Abroad.

Her induction into the points and miles world has completely revolutionized the way she travels.

Sophia is eager to share her ever-expanding knowledge to give others the opportunity to explore the world. She documents her worldwide travels on her blog, The Unbounded Traveler.