How awesome is it to find a great deal that you have happy feet? Pretty awesome, right? Then you realize the next week the same item is on sale. You feel like you just got punched in the stomach. That’s how I feel when I found out I left money on the table.
I’m not going to let that happen to you. Here is how I left money on the table. Don’t be the next victim.
- Chase Freedom: January to March category (Amazon and Gas Stations). I strictly used the Freedom card instead of my Amazon card. Smart move on my part +2% (5% from the Freedom versus 3% from Amazon card). I stupidly did not maximize the $1500 spend in this category. I spent $646.75 out of the $1500. I left approximately $43 on the table.
- Chase Freedom: April to June category (Grocery stores and Movie Theaters). Spent $509.25 left $50 on the table.
- Chase Freedom: July to September category (Restaurants and Gas Stations). Spent $643.50. Left $43 on the table
I just left $136, tax free in credit card points on the table. So how do you maximize this? Gift cards! For for the first quarter, I should have bought Amazon gift cards, instead of purcashing as I go. Second quarter? Instead of buying toilet paper that was on sale at the grocery store every week (our basement is overfilled with toilet paper), I should have bought gift cards! Your local supermarket probably has gas stations, Amazon, and plenty of other vendors. Third quarter, I learned my lesson, but I couldn’t see myself locking in $700 in Starbucks or Chipotle. I did have about $200 on my Starbucks card.
On Starbucks, if you are a frequent customer and haven’t registered your gift card, you must do it.Once you are a gold card holder, you get an award for your birthday. I would visit my building’s Starbucks every now and then, would have hit the gold card by the time September came. Instead I rushed all of September to ‘achieve’ the gold card in time for my birthday. With the new plan (effective October 16), you get a 1 free drink or 1 free food item after 12 stars. Stars are earned on a per transaction basis. To maximize on stars, just separate your orders. I realized the free items far outweighs than just paying your drink at $2.01 with the Freedom at 13 points. The $.50 refills at the time were 12 points.
Panera is another place with a rewards card. I’m still learning their rewards, but they gave me a pretty tasty cake for my birthday and I have a free espresso based drink ready for me to redeem.
Because of this expensive lesson, that is how I learned to use my Amazon card at Staple and buy that Home Depot gift card and use it that same day.
