@ptatohed wrote:We spend about $2500/mo using our 3% AOD Visa Sig. Then maybe another $1500 - 2000/mo at 5% (rotators, citi CC, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.). Then there are the plethora of SWY spending offers. Last month spend $1000 online, get $250 (in points) so that's ~25% right there. This (and next 2) months, spend $60 five times, get $50/mo statement credit so that's approximately 16% extra (and I'll be making those purchases in gas so make that ~21%). There's been 10% extra on top of the 5/3% for gas/groc/dine so that's ~13-15%. 5% for $500 utility spend so ~6% back with the usual 1%. Etc., etc. Let's see..... my citi R+ gives up to an extra $100/yr on my citi CC (making it a 5.55% card up to the extra $100). My upgrade just gave me $25 for $500 spend making the net CB 7.2%. I use my citi R+ for small purchases a lot, making it up to, say, 10% for those two Jack in the Box 99c tacos.
I use shopping apps like SYW, Rakuten, Capital One, T-Mobile dining, even my acorns links to get additional CB (the other day I double dipped SYW and upgrade shopping links to get 5% extra from each at Submarina, plus the usual 2.2% = 12.2%). The Chase offers are far between but some are pretty good for extra CB. I'm sure I am missing some other greater than 5% strategies.
So, essentially, never less than 3% and sometimes up to 25%!
I really do need to do the math and calc the overall % back on a year's spend.
As for buying things I wouldn't otherwise, I'm sure I am guilty of it but I do like to think I am pretty diligent about that.
As for my time... it's a fun hobby so it's a pleasure, not an expense.
Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program, up to 15k LP bonus on hotel says, stacking simplymiles offers w/ shopping portal, shopping portal by itself and 3miles per gallon w/ Shell FRs. When booking a flight I get 13x w/ plat pro status and exec card.
Using 1.77 cents per aa mile TOTAL last month spend converted to CB was 24%. I just redeemed a domestic coach fare for 10k miles at 2.48 cents, no biz class for a jacked up redemption rate. Even if can get a 10% avg CB you would need to spend $2,480 for that airfare and I can get 10K miles with about $500 in spend, that's 49% (up coming hotel stay)
Even using the card for 1x it doesn't matter, I look at the overall spend to percentage not by transaction to transaction.
Plus Lounge access.
It seems the forum went from points/miles to mostly CB, oh those were the days, fun and action packed.
@redpat wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:We spend about $2500/mo using our 3% AOD Visa Sig. Then maybe another $1500 - 2000/mo at 5% (rotators, citi CC, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.). Then there are the plethora of SWY spending offers. Last month spend $1000 online, get $250 (in points) so that's ~25% right there. This (and next 2) months, spend $60 five times, get $50/mo statement credit so that's approximately 16% extra (and I'll be making those purchases in gas so make that ~21%). There's been 10% extra on top of the 5/3% for gas/groc/dine so that's ~13-15%. 5% for $500 utility spend so ~6% back with the usual 1%. Etc., etc. Let's see..... my citi R+ gives up to an extra $100/yr on my citi CC (making it a 5.55% card up to the extra $100). My upgrade just gave me $25 for $500 spend making the net CB 7.2%. I use my citi R+ for small purchases a lot, making it up to, say, 10% for those two Jack in the Box 99c tacos.
So, essentially, never less than 3% and sometimes up to 25%!
I really do need to do the math and calc the overall % back on a year's spend.
As for buying things I wouldn't otherwise, I'm sure I am guilty of it but I do like to think I am pretty diligent about that.
As for my time... it's a fun hobby so it's a pleasure, not an expense.
Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program, up to 15k LP bonus on hotel says, stacking simplymiles offers w/ shopping portal, shopping portal by itself and 3miles per gallon w/ Shell FRs. When booking a flight I get 13x w/ plat pro status and exec card.
Using 1.77 cents per aa mile TOTAL last month spend converted to CB was 24%. I just redeemed a domestic coach fare for 10k miles at 2.48 cents, no biz class for a jacked up redemption rate. Even if can get a 10% avg CB you would need to spend $2,480 for that airfare and I can get 10K miles with about $500 in spend, that's 49% (up coming hotel stay)
Even using the card for 1x it doesn't matter, I look at the overall spend to percentage not by transaction to transaction.
Plus Lounge access.
It seems the forum went from points/miles to mostly CB, oh those were the days, fun and action packed.
Are you only spending using the citi executive card or are other cards used?
Is the 10k miles you mentioned on $500 spend from booking through aa portal?
Whats the value of 10k points as a cash equivalent when used for flights?
@redpat wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:We spend about $2500/mo using our 3% AOD Visa Sig. Then maybe another $1500 - 2000/mo at 5% (rotators, citi CC, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.). Then there are the plethora of SWY spending offers. Last month spend $1000 online, get $250 (in points) so that's ~25% right there. This (and next 2) months, spend $60 five times, get $50/mo statement credit so that's approximately 16% extra (and I'll be making those purchases in gas so make that ~21%). There's been 10% extra on top of the 5/3% for gas/groc/dine so that's ~13-15%. 5% for $500 utility spend so ~6% back with the usual 1%. Etc., etc. Let's see..... my citi R+ gives up to an extra $100/yr on my citi CC (making it a 5.55% card up to the extra $100). My upgrade just gave me $25 for $500 spend making the net CB 7.2%. I use my citi R+ for small purchases a lot, making it up to, say, 10% for those two Jack in the Box 99c tacos.
So, essentially, never less than 3% and sometimes up to 25%!
I really do need to do the math and calc the overall % back on a year's spend.
As for buying things I wouldn't otherwise, I'm sure I am guilty of it but I do like to think I am pretty diligent about that.
As for my time... it's a fun hobby so it's a pleasure, not an expense.
Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program, up to 15k LP bonus on hotel says, stacking simplymiles offers w/ shopping portal, shopping portal by itself and 3miles per gallon w/ Shell FRs. When booking a flight I get 13x w/ plat pro status and exec card.
Using 1.77 cents per aa mile TOTAL last month spend converted to CB was 24%. I just redeemed a domestic coach fare for 10k miles at 2.48 cents, no biz class for a jacked up redemption rate. Even if can get a 10% avg CB you would need to spend $2,480 for that airfare and I can get 10K miles with about $500 in spend, that's 49% (up coming hotel stay)
Even using the card for 1x it doesn't matter, I look at the overall spend to percentage not by transaction to transaction.
Plus Lounge access.
It seems the forum went from points/miles to mostly CB, oh those were the days, fun and action packed.
I'm still trying to figure out why you quoted my post @redpat . ? I listed my cash back strategy, you listed your travel "points/miles" strategy. Two separate, unrelated strategies. That's not only not comparing apples to apples, it's not even apples to oranges. It's apples to pandas. You tried to compare your value to mine. "Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program...." Not sure what you are trying prove. If my cards gave me "99x miles" for every dollar I spent, I would not know what the heck to do with the "miles". I can count on 2 hands the number of times I have flown in my 4X years. I have never been in a lounge. I stay at a cheap hotel 1, maybe 2 times per year. I have no use for miles no matter how high a "cash equivalency" you want to (subjectively) assign to them. I do have a use for cash, however. 
@ptatohed wrote:
@redpat wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:We spend about $2500/mo using our 3% AOD Visa Sig. Then maybe another $1500 - 2000/mo at 5% (rotators, citi CC, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.). Then there are the plethora of SWY spending offers. Last month spend $1000 online, get $250 (in points) so that's ~25% right there. This (and next 2) months, spend $60 five times, get $50/mo statement credit so that's approximately 16% extra (and I'll be making those purchases in gas so make that ~21%). There's been 10% extra on top of the 5/3% for gas/groc/dine so that's ~13-15%. 5% for $500 utility spend so ~6% back with the usual 1%. Etc., etc. Let's see..... my citi R+ gives up to an extra $100/yr on my citi CC (making it a 5.55% card up to the extra $100). My upgrade just gave me $25 for $500 spend making the net CB 7.2%. I use my citi R+ for small purchases a lot, making it up to, say, 10% for those two Jack in the Box 99c tacos.
So, essentially, never less than 3% and sometimes up to 25%!
I really do need to do the math and calc the overall % back on a year's spend.
As for buying things I wouldn't otherwise, I'm sure I am guilty of it but I do like to think I am pretty diligent about that.
As for my time... it's a fun hobby so it's a pleasure, not an expense.
Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program, up to 15k LP bonus on hotel says, stacking simplymiles offers w/ shopping portal, shopping portal by itself and 3miles per gallon w/ Shell FRs. When booking a flight I get 13x w/ plat pro status and exec card.
Using 1.77 cents per aa mile TOTAL last month spend converted to CB was 24%. I just redeemed a domestic coach fare for 10k miles at 2.48 cents, no biz class for a jacked up redemption rate. Even if can get a 10% avg CB you would need to spend $2,480 for that airfare and I can get 10K miles with about $500 in spend, that's 49% (up coming hotel stay)
Even using the card for 1x it doesn't matter, I look at the overall spend to percentage not by transaction to transaction.
Plus Lounge access.
It seems the forum went from points/miles to mostly CB, oh those were the days, fun and action packed.
I'm still trying to figure out why you quoted my post @redpat . ? I listed my cash back strategy, you listed your travel "points/miles" strategy. Two separate, unrelated strategies. That's not only not comparing apples to apples, it's not even apples to oranges. It's apples to pandas. You tried to compare your value to mine. "Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program...." Not sure what you are trying prove. If my cards gave me "99x miles" for every dollar I spent, I would not know what the heck to do with the "miles". I can count on 2 hands the number of times I have flown in my 4X years. I have never been in a lounge. I stay at a cheap hotel 1, maybe 2 times per year. I have no use for miles no matter how high a "cash equivalency" you want to (subjectively) assign to them. I do have a use for cash, however.
It's for others to compare that travel rewards can give them a better value than cashback. The same offers you use for CB are available for miles and other travel points.
BTW, reward strategies are related if someone is spending dollars they might not know about miles and their value vs. the value of getting CB.
Lol, your vacations must suck.....JK.
@redpat wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:
@redpat wrote:
@ptatohed wrote:We spend about $2500/mo using our 3% AOD Visa Sig. Then maybe another $1500 - 2000/mo at 5% (rotators, citi CC, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.). Then there are the plethora of SWY spending offers. Last month spend $1000 online, get $250 (in points) so that's ~25% right there. This (and next 2) months, spend $60 five times, get $50/mo statement credit so that's approximately 16% extra (and I'll be making those purchases in gas so make that ~21%). There's been 10% extra on top of the 5/3% for gas/groc/dine so that's ~13-15%. 5% for $500 utility spend so ~6% back with the usual 1%. Etc., etc. Let's see..... my citi R+ gives up to an extra $100/yr on my citi CC (making it a 5.55% card up to the extra $100). My upgrade just gave me $25 for $500 spend making the net CB 7.2%. I use my citi R+ for small purchases a lot, making it up to, say, 10% for those two Jack in the Box 99c tacos.
So, essentially, never less than 3% and sometimes up to 25%!
I really do need to do the math and calc the overall % back on a year's spend.
As for buying things I wouldn't otherwise, I'm sure I am guilty of it but I do like to think I am pretty diligent about that.
As for my time... it's a fun hobby so it's a pleasure, not an expense.
Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program, up to 15k LP bonus on hotel says, stacking simplymiles offers w/ shopping portal, shopping portal by itself and 3miles per gallon w/ Shell FRs. When booking a flight I get 13x w/ plat pro status and exec card.
Using 1.77 cents per aa mile TOTAL last month spend converted to CB was 24%. I just redeemed a domestic coach fare for 10k miles at 2.48 cents, no biz class for a jacked up redemption rate. Even if can get a 10% avg CB you would need to spend $2,480 for that airfare and I can get 10K miles with about $500 in spend, that's 49% (up coming hotel stay)
Even using the card for 1x it doesn't matter, I look at the overall spend to percentage not by transaction to transaction.
Plus Lounge access.
It seems the forum went from points/miles to mostly CB, oh those were the days, fun and action packed.
I'm still trying to figure out why you quoted my post @redpat . ? I listed my cash back strategy, you listed your travel "points/miles" strategy. Two separate, unrelated strategies. That's not only not comparing apples to apples, it's not even apples to oranges. It's apples to pandas. You tried to compare your value to mine. "Well I do the same thing with the Citi AA exec card and do a lot better than your CB, 10x, 5x, 4x, 5x dining program...." Not sure what you are trying prove. If my cards gave me "99x miles" for every dollar I spent, I would not know what the heck to do with the "miles". I can count on 2 hands the number of times I have flown in my 4X years. I have never been in a lounge. I stay at a cheap hotel 1, maybe 2 times per year. I have no use for miles no matter how high a "cash equivalency" you want to (subjectively) assign to them. I do have a use for cash, however.
It's for others to compare that travel rewards can give them a better value than cashback. The same offers you use for CB are available for miles and other travel points.
BTW, reward strategies are related if someone is spending dollars they might not know about miles and their value vs. the value of getting CB.
Lol, your vacations must suck.....JK.
Ok. It just seems to me you could have just as well, if not better, made your point about lucrative travel redemption by hitting Like (or not) on my post and starting your own new one. I don't see the need to try to compare two totally different strategies and imply that yours is better than mine. Yours is good but by no means better or not better than mine. They are two different strategies. I'm glad yours works for you. For me, I have no interest in 'points' or 'miles'. I have no idea what those terms mean! What are they worth?? I do know exactly what a % cash back is worth.
No need to worry about our vacations! We enjoy and do just fine driving (using a car, and getting 5%+ CB on gas, lol ). Tomorrow we are taking the kids to Idyllwild for some snow play. Next weekend, we are going to the Majave Dessert Kelso Sand Dunes for sand sledding. We camp in Fallbrook, we go to the beach in San Diego, hike at the Santa Rosa Plateau, Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, Six Flags in Valencia, Sea World in San Diego, summer cabin in Big Bear, Las Vegas during spring break, summer road trips, etc. Not to mention I enjoy being home! I spent a lot of money (in part, from cash back? lol) making my house the way I like it. Dedicated home theater, garage workshop, play room for the kids, outside BBQ, etc, etc. No need for 'miles' here!