How to Turn Your Bills into Free Travel with Shakeemah Smith (The Passport Abuser)

April 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Shakeemah Smith, known as The Passport Abuser, has traveled to nearly 100 countries and hasn't paid out of pocket for a flight in three years. She started while working a 9-to-5 job, putting flights on layaway and packing her own lunch. Her core insight is simple: your everyday bills and routine spending can be converted into airline miles without needing a premium credit card or a high income. "Your bills are your boarding passes," she says. The first 20 countries she visited cost her under $100 per flight, and she has flown to Japan three times for $6 each way.

The Mechanism: Bills to Boarding Passes

The key distinction Smith makes is between credit card points and airline miles. Credit card points come from the card issuer and can be used for many things. Airline miles come directly from the airline and are earned through partnerships airlines have with everyday companies. Airlines make money from your behavior even when you're not flying. For example, American Airlines gives three miles per gallon of gas purchased at Shell stations, regardless of how you pay. NRG Energy partners with American, United, and Southwest to give two miles per dollar spent on the supply portion of your gas and electric bill. American Airlines also gives three miles per dollar spent at CVS. Smith calls this "recycling the money you are already spending on your daily needs and flipping that in

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What you'll learn

1 (03:11) **From Layaway to Boarding Passes** - Shakeemah explains her "Bills to Boarding Passes" philosophy: your everyday bills are your ticket to free travel.
2 (07:57) **Airlines Profit From Your Daily Habits** - How airlines earn money even when you're not flying, and how you can earn miles from everyday purchases without a credit card.
3 (12:24) **Finding Flights Under $100** - Shakeemah’s strategy for getting to her first 20 countries for under $100 per flight.
4 (14:56) **No Credit Card? No Problem** - How to start earning miles without a credit card, including a specific tool most people don't know about.
5 (19:21) **The Catalyst for Solo Travel** - Shakeemah shares the personal story that pushed her to travel alone and the deeper realization it triggered.
6 (24:53) **Safety as a Black Woman Traveling Solo** - How race and gender impact the solo travel experience, both financially and in terms of personal safety.
7 (28:21) **"Why Am I So Afraid to Live Alone?"** - A powerful reframe on the fear of solo travel and the cost of waiting for the perfect circumstances.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

What if every bill you're already paying could get you closer to a free flight?

Today I'm talking to Shakeemah "Keem" Smith — founder of Bills to Boarding Passes, solo travel educator, and the woman her family literally nicknamed The Passport Abuser — to talk about how she's traveled to nearly 100 countries without paying out of pocket for a single flight in three years. And no, you don't need a high-limit credit card or a six-figure salary to do this.

Keem breaks down her Bills to Boarding Passes method, the airline partnerships most people have never heard of, why solo travel might be the most powerful thing you do for yourself this year, and the exact first steps to take this week, no matter your income, your debt situation, or your starting point. You’re gonna want to share this episode with a friend!

Ready to turn your everyday bills into free flights? Sign up for our FREE Bills to Boarding Passes workshop with Keem & Tori: ⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠

Compare the cheapest flights from all major airlines at ⁠Skyscanner.com⁠

Visit https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod to find our credit card recommendations and any other resources mentioned on our show!

00:00 Intro

01:36 Your Bills Are Your Boarding Passes

04:07 Airline Miles vs. Credit Card Points: What's the Difference?

07:05 How Airlines Make Money When You're Not Flying

09:32 Earning Miles on Your Utility Bills (NRG Partnership)

11:03 How Keem Got to Her First 20 Countries for Under $100

13:55 How to Travel for Free Without a Credit Card

16:22 What Started Solo Travel: A Friendship Betrayal in Amsterdam

19:10 Learning to Enjoy Your Own Company at 30

21:29 Traveling as a Black Woman — Safety, Research & Real Talk

28:24 Actionable Steps for the Woman Who Thinks She Can't Afford to Travel

31:44 Japan for $6 — Three Times (and Other Receipt-Worthy Receipts)

35:19 Treating Retailers Like You Treat Men: The 2-Out-of-3 Rule

38:44 Country That Surprised Me Most: Kuwait

39:31 The One Thing I Always Pack: A Carbon Monoxide Detector

41:27 Worst Travel Disaster: Saint Kitts Airport Scam

44:45 Best Flight Deal: $5 Flights as a Lifestyle

45:42 Most Underrated Solo Destination: Antigua and Barbuda

47:20 Final Message to the Woman Who Thinks Travel Isn't for Her

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