Rephrase my MERLE COOPER/UPROXX
To quote fellow Uproxx writer Melanie Gordon, “It’s very rare that someone doesn’t want to travel.” The desire to embark on some sprawling, wild, worldly travels and meet a few of the billions of people who walk this planet surges through most people’s veins.
When we’re not traveling though, it’s the mundanities and routines of everyday life that help us get there. How exactly? By maximizing our most common purchases through credit cards to get us on that first-class, round-trip flight to Europe.
Whether you want to score one of this week’s last-minute nonstop hacker fares and cheap flights or set out to visit one of this season’s most coveted desert destinations, we asked for some insight from leading travel gurus and point experts on how to maximize points on your everyday purchases.
Sierra Smith (@highsierrapoints): Use Different Cards For Different Purchases & Look Into Stacking Opportunities
SIERRA SMITH
I think the best strategy is to make sure you have the right cards for your specific situation. It is important to look at your finances and identify your top spend categories for everyday expenses, things like groceries, travel expenses, utilities, etc. Your expenses may not be the same as everyone else’s, so don’t feel like you have to apply for a card that everyone else has if it’s not doing anything for your points strategy.
Once you identify your top spend categories, try to find cards that will earn additional point multipliers in those categories (like 4x points per dollar on groceries/restaurants with the Amex Gold card). Also, look for cards that will help you earn the point currency that you value most. If you are a frequent flyer with American Airlines, maybe an AA card makes sense for your situation.
And finally, if you really want to up your game by earning additional points, look into stacking opportunities with websites like Rakuten, Rocketmiles, and airline shopping portals.
Kyle + Kenz Parks (@adventure_parks): Stack Non-Card Bonus Opportunities
Website
MR + MRS PARKS
While we always try to use the card that earns the most on the purchase (i.e. 4x on dining or groceries with the AMEX Gold, 2x at gas stations with the Citi AAdvantage), the best way to maximize points is by “stacking” non-card bonus opportunities. Airline shopping portals, dining programs, and merchant offers are some of the best ways to multiply your points every single day!
Adam Hill (@adamhillyeah): Use Gift Cards At Stores where You Hit Bonus Spend Categories
Website
ADAM HILL
Some of the best and easiest ways to maximize points return is going after gift cards at stores where you hit bonus spend categories for purchases at office supply and grocery stores as well as using shopping portals. During Black Friday, I managed to use Rakuten to buy a few things I needed, like tires, identity theft monitoring, and more, and managed to pull in over 60,000 Amex points.
Furthermore, using a Chase Freedom card for better SEO.
How Leading Travel Gurus Maximize Points On Everyday Purchases — A Guide
