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Sally French | Budget Travel & Money Tips

@savewithsally

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🎙️Cohost @smarttravelpod
✈️ Travel more than you think you can afford
🌍 Credit card hacks & budget tips
✍️Formerly @wirecutter @nytimes @marketwatch

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Welcome to Save With Sally! 👋

Hi, I'm Sally French, travel writer, points and miles obsessive, and firm believer that you don't have to be rich to travel well. You just have to be smart about it.

By day, I'm a lead travel writer and spokesperson at @NerdWallet, where I cover everything from cruise lines to credit cards to the best ways to squeeze value out of your loyalty points. I also co-host the @SmartTravelPod with my colleague @mileswithmeghanco, where we break down the latest in travel news and rewards strategy every week.

This page is where I share the stuff that doesn't fit neatly into an article: the food finds, the budget hacks, the reviews, the destinations worth your time and the ones that aren't, and the occasional reminder that a well-timed credit card signup bonus can enormously change the math on a trip you thought you couldn't afford.

A little about me: I'm based in San Francisco, I'm a certified fitness instructor and former competitive weightlifter, I'm a self-described Disney adult, a once-cruise-hater-turned-convert, and I hold an FAA drone pilot certification (yes, my side-side hustle is @TheDroneGirl). My husband Hamilton is my most frequent travel companion and photographer (he shoots photos of me, but has his own artistic street photography over at @hamiltonnguyen.

I previously wrote for news outlets including @NYTimes, @Wirecutter, @WSJ and @MarketWatch, where I learned about all aspects of finance, investing, how to do fair product reviews and reporting with journalist integrity, all skills I bring to this page today.

Whether you're trying to book your first trip on points, figure out which credit card is actually worth the annual fee, or just find the best cheap bakery in whatever city you're visiting - you're in the right place.

Follow along, ask me your burning travel questions, and, yes, PLEASE save the posts that are useful to you. And do me a favor and share this page with a friend who needs cheap travel tricks, too!

- Sally 🗺️

#TravelHacks
#TravelRewards
#PointsAndMiles
#BudgetTravel
#SmartTravel by @savewithsally

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3 months ago

A day in the life of NerdWallet’s Smart Travel Podcast host: @savewithsally 🎙️✈️

Remote work, coffee, podcast recording, travel research, loyalty program updates, airfare deals, gym break, snack runs, and a late-night Ninja Creami 🍦

Drop a ✈️ below if this is your dream workday

#smarttravel #travelpodcast #dayinthelife #remotework #traveltips by @savewithsally

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5 months ago

Want to buy a home in San Francisco through their BMR program, but worried about getting a raise?

I keep seeing people say you have to "stay poor" to keep your BMR unit. That’s not true! The income test is at purchase, not an annual check. Buy the affordable home, then take the raise. 💪

#SanFranciscoRealEstate
#SFRealEstate
#SanFranciscoHousing
#BMRHousing
#FirstTimeHomeBuyer by @savewithsally

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15 hours ago

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2 days ago

FIRST LOOK at Southwest’s new airport lounges 👀

This is the rendering for the Nashville location, set to open in 2027.

Ummmm, let’s just say it does NOT look like what I expected. I thought “distinctly Southwest” meant red, yellow and blue. LOL, my bad! I guess it was only me who envisioned a clown lounge.

These guys envisioned a lounge that’s classy, swanky, and kinda giving Chase Sapphire Lounge energy... not surprising because Chase is actually the one developing these with Southwest. 👀💅

What we know so far:
🏗️ Construction is underway at the first 4 Southwest locations: Austin, Nashville, Baltimore & Honolulu
📅 First ones expected to open late 2027
➕ More lounges planned, no details yet
💳 Access will require a new premium Southwest credit card (not yet announced)

I’m in Dallas ALL DAY at Southwest’s media event getting more details... so follow this account so you don’t miss my updates.

What do you think of this first rendering? And what do you want to see in an airport lounge? Tell me in the comments!

#SouthwestAirlines #SouthwestIcon #AirportLounge taken in Southwest Airlines by @savewithsally

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2 days ago

🚨Southwest Airlines just announced the biggest Rapid Rewards changes in years! If you have a Southwest credit card or you’re chasing Companion Pass, LISTEN UP PEOPLE!!! 🚨

Starting Jan 1, 2027:
✈️ A-List & A-List Preferred got new names: Silver, Gold...and a new tier, Platinum
🎟️ Platinum is now the ONLY way to get unlimited Companion Pass
🎁 New Milestone Rewards give you 3 individual Companion Pass trips along the way
💳 Every Southwest card (even the no-fee Plus card) finally earns toward status, woot woooot!
🛋️ More details on those new lounges!!!

I’m literally in Texas right now walking into a Southwest media event to get more answers at this very moment. 👀

Drop your questions in the comments — I’m asking them today. Follow so you don’t miss my updates in stories + upcoming videos with the full breakdown.

#SouthwestAirlines #RapidRewards #CompanionPass taken in Dallas, Texas by @savewithsally

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2 days ago

@savewithsally says it is definitely not a flex to brag about 400,000 Delta miles. The truth: points don’t age like wine — the longer you hold them, the less they’re worth.

@mileswithmeghanco says never transfer credit card points to an airline before you’ve confirmed the award seat. Transfers are typically irreversible — you usually can’t move them back to your card, another airline, or a hotel, and if you can, the rates are poor. The right move: find that seat, transfer, and then book minutes later.

Save this tip for your next trip — and send it to a friend who has a ton of miles.

#travelhacks #creditcardpoints #travelmiles by @savewithsally

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2 days ago

Planning your very first trip abroad? Start here!

Taking your first international trip can feel overwhelming, but picking a destination with world-class transit, easy logistics and approachable travel infrastructure will make your trip far more manageable.

Swipe to see the four countries I recommend for first-time international travelers.

Oh, and I have an important credit card tip! Before heading overseas, double-check that your credit card charges 0% foreign transaction fees so you aren't paying an extra 3% on all those international purchases! There are plenty of great no annual fee credit cards that ALSO don’t charge foreign transaction fees! That’s one of the most easily avoidable expenses that too many people end up paying for!

What countries do you recommend for first-time international travelers? Tell me in the comments!

#FirstTimeTravel
#TravelForBeginners
#ItalyTravel
#CanadaTravel
#UKTravel by @savewithsally

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3 days ago

Can’t justify paying hundreds for an onboard open bar package? Here’s my favorite cruise hack on Norwegian Cruise Line: The Skyy® Vodka Ice Bar! 🧊
It’s available on certain ships, including the one I most recently went on, the NCL Getaway.

The cover is $15–$20 depending on the sailing, but it gets you two (and sometimes more!) drinks once inside. Plus, you get to bask in an actual bar made entirely of ice, complete with thermal ponchos and specialty vodka cocktails!
And yes, it is literally 17° Fahrenheit inside. Good luck surviving more than 20 minutes here!

Whether you’re skipping the drink package to save cash or you already have one and just want a hilarious memory, do NOT skip this on your next NCL trip! 🛳️✨

Have you ever tried an ice bar at sea? Drop a comment below! 👇

#NorwegianCruiseLine
#NCLCruises
#CruiseTips
#CruiseHacks by @savewithsally

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5 days ago

Hot take: My least favorite thing about Southwest is NOT that they now charge for checked bags
(though I don’t like that either). It’s that they serve drinks in these tiny cups!

I LOVE that they offer Cherry Coke Zero, but what’s with the toddler-sized serving?!?! The real
reason I dislike these: the wider opening makes me more likely to spill this (especially during
turbulence) vs a can.

I am aware that you can politely ask for a whole can and the flight attendants often give it to you,
but do I really want to be that person?

Leave your take on the Southwest controversy down below!

#SouthwestAirlines
#SouthwestAir
#SouthwestTips
#AirTravel
#TravelTips by @savewithsally

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6 days ago

Disney just announced an Encanto musical... but there’s only one way to see it…you’ll have to CRUISE!! (Cue screams from cruise haters now)

Disney Cruise Line did a big media blitz over the past week to reveal details about its newest ship, the Disney Believe, setting sail on its maiden voyage December 18, 2027 from Fort Lauderdale, FL.

One of the biggest headlines is that the world’s very first stage adaptation of Encanto is debuting exclusively onboard.

Normally, when Disney translates a blockbuster into a stage musical (The Lion King, Aladdin, Frozen), fans can buy a ticket on Broadway or wait for the national tour to hit their home city. But by making Encanto a cruise-exclusive, Disney may have found a clever way to tackle the cruise industry’s #1 challenge: converting first-time cruisers.

Once someone books their first cruise, the repeat booking rate is extraordinarily high. By making it so that the ONLY way you can see one of the most requested shows in recent Disney history is by cruising, Disney might have just generated a bunch of first-time cruisers.

Bookings open to the general public on October 19, 2026!

Would an exclusive Encanto stage show be enough to get you to book your very first cruise? Drop your thoughts below! 👇

#DisneyCruise
#DisneyCruiseLine
#DisneyBelieve
#DisneyTravel
#Encanto
#CruiseTravel by @savewithsally

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7 days ago

I won San Francisco’s affordable housing lottery! Today I’m answering the questions I actually get asked, rapid-fire style. Save this before your own lottery win. 🙋‍♀️

#SanFranciscoRealEstate
#BMRHousing
#SanFranciscoHousing
#AffordableHousing
#FirstTimeHomeBuyer by @savewithsally

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8 days ago