Do you have a credit card that gives you cash back, points, miles or another reward? I recently signed up for a credit card that lets me earn miles toward flights—and just earned my first free flight! The trick, I’m figuring out, is getting the most value out of your points possible. When shopping for the ticket, my available miles were enough to get a free ticket to Chicago one day, and not enough the next. Yep, many rewards can change in value from day to day. Here are a few ways to ensure you get the most out of those precious rewards:

1. Choose cash. Credit card issuers may alter the amount of points or miles needed to purchase something specific, but the value of cash can’t be altered. For that reason, experts say that cash rewards are generally the most stable. That said, if you are a big-time car commuter or fly constantly, choosing a card that caters to those items is another smart strategy.

2. Track your rewards. I check my points constantly, ready to redeem them the second I can afford what I want, but apparently lots of people out there lose track of what they have and forget to use what they have earned. For me, having an online account set up where it’s easy to check my points and spent them works perfectly.

3. Spend frequently. The longer your rewards sit unused, the more likely they are to shift in value. Spending them when you have enough to purchase something you want lowers the risk.

As we all know, opening numerous card accounts in a short time can lower your credit score, so running out and signing up for a bunch of rewards cards today is not a good idea. But if you have a rewards card or are shopping for one, these tips can help. For more on selecting the right credit card for you, click here.

This past November, my old boss and mentor (Don) reminded me that he has a rental apartment in Marbella, Spain that would be available the a few weeks in January. Don said that if we could pay our way to Spain, he would let my boyfriend and I stay in the apartment for free. Sometimes, when life hands you an opportunity, you figure out a way to grab it without going too far outside of your means. Here are some ways that we managed to enjoy Spain on a shoestring budget:

• Frequent flyer miles: We both travel for work, so we used earned airline mileage to fly from San Francisco to Spain for about $125 each! It took us almost 30 hours and three different flights. But, we just enjoyed our “quality time” together on the airplane and caught up on some sleep and reading.
• Other rewards programs: We also used rewards points we’d earned for renting cars in the U.S. to get a free car during our stay—including a free upgrade and insurance coverage. Our only costs were gas and taxes.
• Homemade picnics: We kept food costs to a minimum by making sandwiches with good bread, cheeses and Spanish hams (yummy!) from a local grocery store. We also packed some portable snacks from the states like dried fruit and nuts, crackers and chocolate bars.
• Sightseeing for free: Exploring nearby towns by foot, sitting by a beautiful fountain, watching families play at the park and visiting a beautiful church were all free and gave us a connection to and understanding of Spain’s culture and lifestyle.
• Selective spending: It’s a good idea to agree on a daily budget per day that includes one meal out. On our trip, we took advantage of a “fixed” menu during the lunch hour and enjoyed an a la carte dinner instead of eating out.

Bottom line: a dream vacation can happen with a realistic spending plan. Check out these tips from the U.S. State Department and from travel expert Rick Steves, and enjoy your travels.

A friend from high school visited me last weekend and we got to talking. Her salary is solid but not high in comparison to some of our other friends. She loves what she does and she’s great at it. And despite making a somewhat modest salary, she has a cute apartment, a cool wardrobe and the lifestyle she wants. How does she do it?

• She lives in an affordable city. My city, on the other hand, is pretty cha-ching. We compared notes and she pays $500 less in rent than I do for about the same square footage. Wow.
• She takes good care of her car. A special fund for ongoing car maintenance keeps her older bmw on the road. No monthly payments on a shiny new model for her. And since it’s older, her insurance is lower too.
• She gets a produce box and cooks in. She found a community produce organization that sells organic weekly produce boxes for cheap. Each week, she uses the goods to make large batches of soups, curries, pastas and stirfrys—then she takes them to work.
• She hits up cafés instead of restaurants or bars. A $5 mocha may seem like pricey, but it’s nothing compared to dinner and drinks.
• She chooses fun carefully. Hey—between motorcycles, weekend getaways, big shows, spa days—the girl still lives it up. She doesn’t skimp on the things that are important to her; she just chooses carefully.
• She saves every receipt. At the end of the week she reviews them to see how much she’s really spending on lattes and shows.

So, whether you’re a student on a practically non-existent budget, or making the biggest salary you ever have—save yourself some scrilla. You’ll have more for the things that really matter to you.

Every year, I pride myself on having a nice list of New Year’s goals done by December 31st. This year, it didn’t exactly happen on time but I figure it’s never too late to jot down a few goals for the new year.

I usually narrow it down to 3-5 specific goals in a few key areas of my life. My experience has been that it never hurts to write down all of your dreams and goals, but if you can focus on just a few achievable goals under each category you are more likely to accomplish them. Here are the goals I’ve set for myself this year:

• Work: Retain current clients and add 1-2 more throughout the year. Update resume and launch website.
• Finances: Refinance house, make more money and keep saving for retirement.
• Travel: Research for a future trip to Cambodia; book work travel as needed.
• Personal: Attend an upcoming writing conference, keep writing novel, de-clutter office and continue working out.

I also think it’s important to put the goals somewhere you can see them every day. I write my goals down on a dry erase board in my office. Every morning when I sit down to work, I am reminded of the goals I have set for myself this year.

An alternative to writing down your goals is to create a vision board for yourself. Grab a few old magazines and some glue or tape, and start cutting out pictures and words that inspire you or represent something you want. If you need additional help or motivation to get started, check out this list of some of the top goal-setting websites.

Happy New Year and I hope all your goals and dreams come true!