Minimalist rewards strategy?

[Open123]

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@leoment wrote:

My minimalist list goes something like:

1. Amex BCP - groceries & gas (unless quarter for IT/Freedom)

2. Citi Forward - restaurants and amazon

3. BOA Travel Privileges - 2.2% for everything else

4. Rotating Freedom/IT - only on rotation for 5% categories, otherwise sockdrawered

Despite the fact that I have 8 accounts, the top 3 are the ones that actually see some regular play.

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Nice set-up!  Works extremely well together.

[tornadoguy]

Well - I'm stuck in signup bonus spending mode - have my three months on the Barclays Arrival Fee version, and the EDP spend to meet - which is alot of my spend for the next few months.

My minimalist strat:

1) EDP - Groceries, Gas, enough small purchases to get 50% bonus.

2) Freedom - 5% categories - I think restaurants will be easier to hit than gas was, and I have a couple of lowes purchases I put off for this quarter.

3) Barclays Arrival - Util, everyday spend, foreign travel (no FTF for the win).

Don't currently have the UR option to move my points to useful programs, but accruing alot on the Freedom - Passed 40k points this past month, with the CSP later this year that will unlock. Pretty much no other additions to my strat other than that, PRG will be up for review around fee time owing to the EDP overlap (hoping AMEX update the PRG to new categories), probably just things I want for signup bonuses otherwise from then.

[milkshakes]

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@budugu wrote:

Just for Cash back

Fidelity Amex -> All USD 

Merrill+ -> All non-USD + non Amex 

For points

Chase Freedom

Chase Ink plus

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not a bad setup. when do you decide if you care more about cash back vs points? do you just go for 5x points or cash back?

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@yellowcake wrote:

My minimalist approach would be:

Restaurants and Fastfood: Cash+

Gas & Groceries: BCE

Everything Else: Barclays Priceline Visa (I got the 2% version)

But I have the Discover It and Chase Freedom, so that affects the lineup I actually carry.

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nice. must be easy to remember that cash+ is for eating out, BCE for gas groceries, then barclays for everything else.

[budugu]

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@milkshakes wrote:

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@budugu wrote:

Just for Cash back

Fidelity Amex -> All USD 

Merrill+ -> All non-USD + non Amex 

For points

Chase Freedom

Chase Ink plus

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not a bad setup. when do you decide if you care more about cash back vs points? do you just go for 5x points or cash back?

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Usually when i get a signup bonus i am all excited to hoard points and try to redeem them asap .... once done (with all the frustrations related to redeeming)  i fall back to cash back (usually over a period of 8 mo - 1 year)