Credit Card Rewards

   When I was in college, I signed up for an American Express credit card. By putting all purchases on this card and not using my debit card at all, I have maximized the return for myself. I have received an average of $500 a year in cash back rewards. I usually put it towards paying the next credit card bill. A credit card that earns you points or cash back is a big way to save. If you earn travel points, that's less dollars out of your pocket when it comes time to book plane tickets and hotels. There are tons of credit cards out there with consumer benefits that will suit your needs. Just do the research!

  Although the Amex card earns us a lot of points which equals cash back, there are many businesses that don't take Amex. For this reason, we decided to get a second credit card that was a Visa. I did the research and found a Marriott Rewards Visa that would give us 2 free nights stay and 30,000 points just for signing up and keeping the card active for 6 months. Now that we have it, we only use it at places that don't take Amex, because it doesn't earn as high of a percentage on return - we earn 5% on almost all purchases with Amex and only 1-2% with the Marriott card.

   This weekend, we are cashing in our 2 free nights at the Fairfield Marriott near Universal to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. It's a small, conservative anniversary vacation, but it will have to do for now since we're in savings mode. When we reach our $10K goal, we'll see about a cruise to the Virgin Islands :o)
   If we had to pay for the 2 nights out of pocket, we would spend $220 plus tax just on the hotel. Not to mention the park tickets at $85 a pop. But since we are utilizing our credit card benefits, we are saving that $220.
   The key to putting all your purchases on a credit card to maximize your return is to pay off the credit card bill at the end of every month. Don't go into debt just to earn points on your card! The interest alone could set you back quite a bit. Spend responsibly!