Summer vacation expenses got you thinking about dipping a toe in travel hacking? As this neophyte is finding out, the rewards can come surprisingly quickly. Here are a few takeaways from my experiences since taking the plunge last month.

Yearning to visit a bucket list destination, but held back by the exorbitant price tag? Travel hacking might be just the ticket. This new art/science allows even not-so-frequent flyers to earn valuable travel perks - without investing a lot of time, resorting to nefarious means, or risking their creditworthiness.