Travel has never felt more expensive, more confusing, or more designed to wear you down. The good news? You don’t have to be a full-time points hacker to save on your next trip.

In this episode, founder of From the Tray Table Zach Griff breaks down how you can start maximizing your travel rewards (including the opportunities most people aren’t aware of). You’ll learn when to book for the best deals, how to earn points faster, and when to redeem them. Plus, find out how to use AI to your advantage before the airlines use it against you.

Topics discussed:

00:00 Introduction

01:25 Zach’s entrepreneurial journey

03:36 The Points Guy to From the Tray Table

08:20 Where he caught the travel bug

11:09 The perks of travel hacking

14:00 Where to start with points and miles

17:09 When to book for the best rates

19:25 2026 travel trends

23:51 How to beat dynamic pricing

27:00 The CPP points framework

28:12 Autopilot travel tool

30:33 Growing an audience that engages

32:15 What brought you JOY today?

If you’re a writer who wants to take control of your finances, read Mitlin Financial’s Write Your Financial Future: A Financial Guide for Authors: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/insights/blog/write-your-financial-future-a-financial-guide-for-authors/

Resources:

• Sending your child to college will always be emotional but are you financially ready? Take the College Readiness Quiz for Parents: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/college-readiness-quiz/
• Doing your taxes might not be enJOYable but being more organized can make the process less painful. Get Your Gathering Your Tax Documents Checklist: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mitlin_ChecklistForGatheringYourTaxDocuments_Form_062424_v2.pdf
• Will you be able to enJOY the Retirement you envision? Take the Retirement Ready Quiz: https://www.mitlinfinancial.com/retirement-planning-quiz/

Connect with Larry Sprung:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencesprung/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_sprung/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceDSprung/
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/Lawrence_Sprung

About Our Guest:

Zach is a New York City-based travel and Lifestyle expert and Wharton MBA graduate with over a decade of experience in the industry. He founded From the Tray Table, his independent travel newsletter, which he pairs with a social media presence of 300K+ engaged followers. He spent nearly eight years covering airlines, credit cards, and loyalty programs at The Points Guy and has visited 67 countries. His insights have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and HuffPost, and he has appeared on CNN, CBS, Fox News, and BBC. Zach collaborates with leading brands, advises startups, and is a sought-after speaker on travel and loyalty programs.

Connect with Zach Griff:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_zachgriff/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachgriff
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/_ZachGriff
• Newsletter: https://newsletter.fromthetraytable.com/
• Website: https://fromthetraytable.com/

Disclosure:

Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.com

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Larry Sprung Host Mitlin

Lawrence “Larry” Sprung, CFP® is a husband, father, entrepreneur and mental health advocate.

Larry is the author of the Amazon Bestselling book “Financial Planning Made Personal” and the also host of the Mitlin Money Mindset™ a podcast that reminds you to ask yourself “What did you do today that brought you joy?®”

In 2004 he founded Mitlin Financial, Inc. naming the firm memory of Larry’s wife’s grandfather, Mitchell, and his mother, Linda. During his career, Larry has found that a lot of industry terms and concepts can seem confusing to outsiders. That’s why he works with the families he serves to break down complex financial topics into easy-to-understand concepts.

In recognition of Larry’s significant contributions to his profession, he has received quite a few awards. In 2021, Larry was named to the Investopedia 100 Top Advisors in 2021 and was even more humbled to make their Top Ten list for 2022.

Outside the office, one of Larry’s greatest passions is raising awareness for mental health. He spent over 12 years serving on the National Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and sits on its financial and investment committees. With his wife, Denise, he has raised more than $1.7 million for the organization through the Keith Milano Memorial Fund. The fund was created in memory of his brother-in-law.

Larry values his family tremendously and his desire to do right by his wife and two sons drives who he is in and out of the office.