Former Wall Street trader shares a secret hack for couples to score a free honeymoon

Wedding expenses can get out of hand if a wedding is not planned meticulously. But then, newlywed couples have to draw in a budget and make plans for their honeymoons as well. Finance expert and author Vivian Tu, who goes by @your.richbff on Instagram and regularly shares tips and tricks to help people get financially secure, made an interesting video that can benefit newlywed couples. In her video with over one million views, Tu shared the secrets of bagging free flights and hotel stays while you are on a honeymoon with your spouse.

All an individual needs to do is open a new travel credit card as soon as they start planning for their wedding. "My boo and I made a wedding planning mistake that's gonna cost us thousands of dollars and I do not want you to make the same mistakes," Tu stated at the beginning of her video. "After you get engaged and start the planning process, I am begging you to open up a new travel credit card. These cards will offer you major point bonuses that are equal to hundreds and thousands of dollars when you spend a certain amount within the first three or six months of opening."

She also shared something for people who are reluctant to spend a lavish amount in a short period to get credit card bonuses. "An average American wedding cost 29 grand last year," Tu announced while showing a bunch of statistics on American wedding expenses in the backdrop of the video. Tu advises couples to use that new credit card to pay for wedding dresses, tuxedos and other necessities for the wedding. "Your wedding spending will then get you that welcome credit bonus that you can then use to get free flights or hotels on your honeymoon. The best part, after the wedding, you can always downgrade the credit card to a no-fee card. It's too late for me but I hope it's not too late for you," Tu said, concluding the video.

Tu also had a chat with Newsweek where she revealed that "many credit cards offer different perks and incentives, so you must find the one that rewards you in a way that you value." "Typically, these cards provide the highest points multipliers for things like booking flights and hotels," she told the outlet. "With these points and rewards, you can then redeem them for free travel or hotel stays. Certain airlines and travel providers are partnered with these credit card companies and you can convert those points over and then redeem them for travel. It's just a great way to manage your everyday spending so that you can then get some free travel out of it too."

Tu also reminds couples not to casually overspend on their wedding and end up in debt. "I know, there's a lot of emotion involved and you're allowed to want what you want on your special day but always try to balance that with being smart and mindful of your financial future going forward," Tu said. The Instagram community watching her video was a bit divided over how effective her hack was. 

@eeelexa remarked, "Ok, but the most expensive vendors charge a 3% fee when using a CC versus a wire transfer. I’ve done the math and this doesn’t make it worth the extra fee. Also, what if you already have a travel card (like the Sapphire Reserve) - does it make sense to open another one?" @marisaklovullo shared, "I did this!! The travel rewards allowed me to only spend $3 on the plane tickets to Hawaii for our destination wedding and honeymoon." @pointstowonderland added, "I tell people this ALL the time! Just make sure you can pay that balance off every month because if you’re paying 26% interest on your wedding costs those travel points aren’t nearly as valuable!" 

You can follow Vivian Tu (@your.richbff) on Instagram for more videos on financial advice.