Who knew life could be so rewarding?

Hi, my name is Keith, and I’m a pointaholic.

A few years ago, I switched careers, and got into sales.  It involved a little bit of travel, maybe ten trips a year.  I started looking at rewards credit cards; what they offered, and how they worked. It took time to refine how I do it, but when I did, the rewards were fantastic!

Now I may not spend as much as some of the other reviewers out there, nor travel globally in the elite business class suites.  I wanted to share how the “every day Joe” can make the most with the way they spend, and how they want to be rewarded.

When I first started talking about getting the points, my girlfriend (now wife) thought I was nuts.  Too much talk lead to another dollar in the douche jar. It didn’t take long for her to get on board. A free dinner here.  A free plane ticket there. A free weekend hotel.  Now with her on board, we’re getting all the more points.

First things first.  Getting the points is all about maximizing the return off of every dollar you spend.  This being said, if you’re going to get a credit card that earns rewards, you need to pay off your balance every month.  Each month you pay interest minimizes your return.  If you are going to carry a balance, you are better off with other means of credit with lower interest rates.

Secondly, you need to figure out how you want to be rewarded.  This could be travel, dining, cash back, credit towards your favorite store, etc.  What I prefer may not be the way you want to be rewarded.

Lastly, this is not the end all, be all for earning rewards.  I just want to share what I’ve learned, and how I have earned, and used my points.

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