Zac Hood

About me

My name is Zac. I love to travel. However, as a non-profit director and teacher, it was hard to dream big when I wasn’t making the big bucks. So, I put my research and study skills to the test and began reaping the benefits of credit card rewards. In total my wife and I have earned over $100,000 in free travel using our regular monthly spending. We have no plans of stopping!

My background

I’m a pretty regular guy who loves to travel as much as possible. I grew up in Nashville, TN and have worked in education and non-profits most of my life. I have chosen lifestyle over profit in order to be of service to people and have flexibility for my family.

My passion for travel comes from my parents who sacrificed their travel budget to take my brother and me on some great family vacations when other parents may have gone on their own. I also traveled some as a college tennis player before a back injury abruptly ended that career. I travel often to Latin America for my non-profit work. It has all been extremely life-giving and eye-opening to see the beauty of the world, meet new people, and enjoy other cultures.

My family and I now live in Denver, Colorado. The domestic, family life has been more fun than I thought, but I still want to travel the world as much as possible.

My hope for Travel Freely

I started Travel Freely to help regular people to take epic dream trips they never thought possible. I learned to do this starting about 10 years ago. It’s been a life-changing knowledge that I want to pass on. There is truly an easy way to do this.

With Travel Freely, I want to be as ethical and helpful as possible. There are huge corporate sites that use slick marketing and data technology to mislead consumers.

It can be so hard to keep up with all this stuff! I am not good at staying organized. I honestly need Travel Freely to keep up with my own free travel desires. The email reminders and CardGenie™ were what I dreamed up to help myself and other people who need an easy system to follow.

I am committed to offering my site and service for free. I’m able to do this because I can earn commission on some of my credit card links. Unlike many other sites, these links do not influence my recommendations and opinions. They post offers that earn them a profit. I always post the best offers, even when I have do not earn a commission.

My favorite trips include getting in a great white shark cage in South Africa, proposing to my wife in Southern France, wandering the outskirts of the Roman Forum in Italy, journeying back thousands of years in Turkey, fly fishing in the daylight at 2am in Iceland, seeing the sunset in Santorini, and a super long honeymoon Hawaii. There are so many incredible places and people around the world.

A woman with long blonde hair is sitting on a rocky ledge, overlooking a vast landscape of terraced hills and mountains under a clear blue sky. She is wearing a black top and a turquoise jacket tied around her waist.

Podcast 1

2025-01-02

A man and woman are seated at a table set for a meal by a large window overlooking trees and the sea. The man is holding a piece of bread, and both are smiling. The table has menus, a napkin, and silverware.

Podcast 2

2025-01-02

A smiling couple takes a selfie on a bridge overlooking a river. In the background, theres another bridge lined with historic buildings under a clear sky.

Podcast 3

2025-01-02

And what we achieved.

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2 Round-Trip Tickets to France

To propose to my wife.

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Tour of Greece with a Business Class Ticket for $14

Almost free still counts.

Simple green line drawing of a pineapple on a black background. The pineapple has a lattice pattern and spiky leaves on top.

2 Round-Trip Tickets to Hawaii

For the honeymoon.

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2 for 1 Travel on Southwest

With their companion pass.

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2 Int’l Business Class Tickets to Peru

Traveling to Machu Picchu in style.

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Airfare and Hotels for a 10-day Trip to Iceland

Skál!

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Additional Domestic Travel To

Santa Barbara, San Diego, Seattle, Las Vegas, Santa Fe, Hawaii, Hilton Head Island, Charlotte, Nashville, and New York City.

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Additional Int’l Travel To

Turkey, Scotland, England, South Africa, Spain, France, Germany, Peru, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Iceland. Whew!

That’s over $5,000 worth of free travel earned every year.