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Cash Back Rewards

Earn Hundreds Of Dollars in Cash Back Rewards In Just 60 Seconds a Week

July 10, 2015
By Brock Kernin
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earn extra, extra income, side hustle

 

Image courtesy of posterize at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My wife and I are Costco executive members, and also have a Costco Anywhere Visa by Citibank.  When I first got the card, I was worried that it may result in overspending. Of course, I could have gone in the exact opposite direction and not use the card at all, missing out on the perks of having the card.

I found an easy way to earn hundreds of dollars in cash back rewards.

Buy Life Essentials

First, I buy two things that I need to buy each and every week. The key here is to stay on budget. I MUST stay on budget.

Gasoline : Traditionally, I fill our van and car with gasoline Friday morning. I’m officially moving my gas tank fill up to Saturday morning. Our weekly budget is $75 which almost always tops off the tanks of both vehicles. Spending $75 a week for the entire year, with 4% cash back on gas with my Costco Anywhere Visa By Citibank results in the following equation:

$75 (per week) x 52 (weeks in a year) x 0.04 (4% cash back) = $156

Groceries : Saturday morning is when I go grocery shopping. After filling up both vehicles with gas, I’ll head to the grocery store. With a 1% cash back rate on everyday purchases, my grocery spending gets me the following cash back:

$150 (per week) x 52 (weeks in a year) x 0x01 (1% cash back) = $78

Weekly Payment

As soon as I return from the grocery store, I make a payment that covers both the gas, and the groceries I purchased that morning. I won’t wait for the statement therefore there will be no opportunity to keep the cash and let the balance grow. There shall be NO interest payments!

By using my Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi instead of my debit card to pay for these two essentials on Saturday morning, then spending 60 seconds to make an online payment, I’ll earn $234 in cash rewards for the year.

I don’t trust myself to use credit cards for random purchases. I need my credit card usage to be  planned, purposeful, and part of a process. By following these simple steps I’ll earn a nice sum of money in cash back rewards.

Do you have a credit card that has cash back rewards? How much do you earn in cash back rewards each year? How to you ensure that you don’t overspend?

Brought to you courtesy of Brock

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Image of Clever Dude writer Brock Kernin.

About Brock Kernin

Brock Kernin is a software engineer and personal finance writer who paid off more than $100,000 in credit card debt through disciplined budgeting and debt-management strategies. Drawing on that experience, his BA degree and years of practical writing, he contributes clear, actionable money guidance to CleverDude focused on everyday financial decisions, frugal living, and long-term stability.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ali @ Anything You Want says

    July 10, 2015 at 9:01 am

    I use cash back credit cards for everything. Generally I don’t have a problem overspending, but sometimes when I open a new card that has a minimum spend I get a little carried away. I find that making sure I’m only buying what I’ve budgeted for helps keep spending in line.

    Reply
  2. Brock says

    July 27, 2015 at 11:47 pm

    @Ali – It takes a lot of self control to swipe the card AND stay within the budget. Kudos to you for making it happen. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

    Reply

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