Points for Change June 2026 Newsletter

I just got back from my friend’s wedding in Nantucket. I’m so glad to celebrate my lifelong friend and her new husband in such a scenic setting. Nantucket is only 218 miles from JFK - and I paid for my flight in points.

What does a flight to Nantucket cost on Delta Airlines? I spent 12,400 SkyMiles and $5.60 thanks to my Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card to get to Nantucket and 14,300 SkyMiles and $5.60 to get back.

I’m a perpetual overplanner so I booked these flights in December 2025, almost 6 months before the travel date. I’ll share more details about how I only spend $11.20 out of pocket below.

Welcome to the Points for Change monthly newsletter. If you’re new here, each month I’ll share:

• a seasonal personal finance topic

• a non-fiction book I’m reading related to psychology or finance

• a Points for Change monthly recap

Want me to cover a specific topic? Send me an e-mail lauren@pointsforchange.com.

People often get stressed about paying for travel, especially given rising fuel prices due to war and other geopolitical factors. I recommend preparing as early as possible so you don’t have to give up travel for staycations - though that can be fun too!

I typically avoid big trips in the summer because I work for myself and don’t have kids - lucky me! My favorite month to travel internationally is October - ideal weather, fewer crowds and better deals. That said, you don’t always have a choice of when to travel due to once in a lifetime events, like weddings.

After many years of hoarding over 1 million credit card points, I started using them as I earn them even if it’s not the best deal. You can spend a lifetime looking for the best deal. For this trip I transferred my AmEx points to Delta and spent only $11.20 out-of-pocket.

AmEx is currently the only transfer partner directly to Delta’s SkyMiles program. I directly earn SkyMiles with the Delta SkyMiles^® Reserve American Express Card and earn AmEx Membership Rewards® on my AmEx Gold Card.

I transferred my AmEx Membership Rewards® to my Delta account and spent 26,700 miles total. This route had limited flight times and airline options so it was pretty easy to book. That said, for more complex routes or if you have more flexibility, pointsyeah.com is one of my favorite resources! I use the free version, though they have a paid version too.

I read No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-day Guide to Saving Money, The Planet, and Your Sanity by Ashlee Piper. I loved the structure of this book - short chapters with small steps to implement each day for a month.

Buying physical stuff is so closely linked to finance and consumer debt. Even if you’re not overspending or buying physical things, this book can be a great reminder to stay focused on your values.

Here are two quotes that specifically resonated with me, especially in my work with clients:

“I saved around $36,000, both from not buying items and from selling stuff I had that I didn’t need. I paid off all my credit card debt—and I don’t say this from a moral high ground. In a capitalistic society that requires you to have a credit card to build, well, credit, debt is morally neutral in my book—but that doesn’t make it any less stressful or detrimental” - p. 6

“Secondhand clothing accounts for nearly 42% of the entire retail market and is expected to grow 127% by 2026.” - p. 213

If you have read this book too - feel free to share your favorite quotes and the impact that it had on you.

In addition to coaching work - I’m also a consultant. I love taking on part-time or fractional roles within my zone of genius. In my past corporate life - I was a Customer Success Manager, a Customer Experience Team lead and more. I started a new project in May!

I’m working with Projection Lab as their part-time Help Center Content Lead. I am excited to bring self-service support to their users for help with their tool that helps you plan for retirement and FI/RE (Financial Independence/Retire Early) - it’s pretty cool - has both a free and paid version. You can check out their 7 day free trial.

I also had the chance to coach clients on topics like building up business systems and completed an interview to be featured on another awesome Substack newsletter. More details and the link next month once it’s live!

I now have 5 open spots for new 1:1 coaching clients!

Whether you’re thinking about leaving your job to go all-in on your business, want to finally tackle that credit card debt, or just started a business and need help with the finance side—let’s chat. Book an intro call here.

Interested in coaching? Want to chat more about personal finance? Send me an e-mail to lauren@pointsforchange.com.