Holly Johnson and her husband Greg, founders of the blog Club Thrifty, took their children on a Mediterranean cruise funded, in part, with credit card points earned by paying off their home.
"Instead of funneling cash via paper checks or online banking, we charged our mortgage payments to a credit card," Johnson writes in GOBankingRates. And they didn't have to pay any fees or interest on the card, either.
By paying off the final $100,000 on their house in Noblesville, Indiana, with their Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard, they were able to earn 200,000 points, which were worth $2,000 when used on travel. Then, by using their card to pay for a portion of what it cost to build a new patio and family room, they earned even more points.
The average cardholder would have a hard time doing exactly what they did. The Johnsons were able to make use of advantages that aren't available to everyone.
Still, thanks to their creativity, the renovated home is now worth $250,000-$300,000 and they own it free and clear.