TAKING a sip of Champagne, Lauren Frost leaned back in the sky pool and looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows over London.
The 33-year-old mum-of-two admired the entire city skyline including Borough Market and St Paul’s Cathedral.
But she’s paid nothing for her mega-posh £1,000 hotel room – it’s all come off her loyalty card.
While many of us get excited when we earn enough loyalty points for a free coffee or muffin, Lauren from Eastbourne, East Sussex, has taken her passion for free points, discounts and coupons to another level.
“I am proud to have what I believe are the most loyalty points in the country,” she said.
“I nab points from my mates and family and only my husband, train conductor, James, 36, and I are allowed to enjoy them.”
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Lauren, who sells stationery, is mum to Teddy four, and Lily, two, and used her reward points to treat herself and her husband to a wedding anniversary they’d never forget.
“I cashed in my BA-Amex card loyalty points and used them to get a free deluxe stay at The Shard Hotel in London,” she said.
“It was a five-star luxury we could not afford in real life, but we enjoyed it for free thanks to my stop at nothing obsession with accruing club card points.
“It was our 10th wedding anniversary and we wanted it to be special. I used 117,200 loyalty points for a deluxe room with amazing windows, a mega bathroom and booze on tap.
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“We even got the top dinner for two at the hotel’s restaurant which cost £200 and I paid but I started earning even more points using my card towards our next treat.”
Lauren’s interest in loyalty cards turned to an obsession seven years ago.
“I’d always had different loyalty cards but never paid much attention to maximising them,” she said.
“I was undergoing IVF and we needed a credit card for possible expenses. I decided I wanted to work out the best way to benefit the most from card points because if we did have a baby, we’d need to save money, and this seemed like something I could help do with loyalty points.”
“In May 2016 I got a British Airways American Express credit card,” she said. “My husband and I decided that it would be the only card we had and I vowed to use it for everything we bought and pay it off in full each month.
“I knew we couldn’t have one unless we were responsible with it.”
Lauren had researched the card and learnt she’d earn one Avios point for every pound she spent on her card.
She also discovered on certain purchases made using her card you could turn one point into three, four or five points.
Avios Points are reward points you can collect whenever you fly British Airways or any of the other Avios partner airlines.
You can also collect Avios Points when shopping through partner retailer stores including Marks & Spencer and John Lewis.
But they’ve got a partnership with Nectar so you can convert Nectar points into Avios and vice versa. You can collect Nectar points from places including Sainsbury’s and Argos to eBay and Esso.
“I was really focused on how I could amass a large number of points and then use them to do a grocery shop or pay for a super posh hotel,” she said.
Lauren started using her American Express card for all her purchases.
She kept track of them, so she knew just how much she’d have to keep in her bank account to pay off the card at the end of the month.
She made sure every purchase from petrol, to groceries and even second-hand clothing bundles for Teddy, bought on eBay or Vinted, were bought using the card and earnt her loyalty points.
“It was a thrill knowing own brand 35p packet of chocolate bourbons, a pack of sausages for a barbeque and even bin liners helped add to my points,” she said.
“I’m obsessed with ensuring I get single points or double down on the points by using a card and a store loyalty card to increase my ‘wealth’ – although I always ensure I am responsible.”
Lauren even bought stuff for her family, then asked them to give her the money back in cash.
She also saw a hen do for her brother’s bride-to-be as a chance to up her loyalty card tally.
“I told the six other women going I’d put it all on my card,” she said. “I sounded super generous, but they all gave me the money. I nabbed the points and my Avios points skyrocketed.”
Lauren now doesn’t make a purchase unless she can earn a loyalty point.
By the start of this year Lauren had amassed a staggering 300,000 points or £3000.
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“I don't understand people that give up the chance to earn loyalty points,” she said. “A little bit of effort means you can live a millionaire’s lifestyle for absolutely nothing.”
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The risks of credit cards
Although credit cards can offer some great benefits there are some things you should never do with them.
- Don't pay for everyday items on your card unless you can pay it off at the end of the month to avoid paying interest.
- Don't use your card to pay for monthly or annual payments like energy, water bills or mortgages.
- ATM cash withdrawals will bring a charge and show up on your credit report.
If you’re finding yourself with unmanageable debts or being unable to pay all your monthly bills it’s important you speak to the relevant creditors or service providers as soon as possible to see if they can help.
James from Experian said: "You may also find that debt charities such as StepChange and National Debtline can offer valuable guidance or support on appropriate options to get back in control.”
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