How I’m spending $3,000 in three months

When I signed up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, I knew I’d have trouble meeting the required spend to get the 50,000 Ultimate Rewards points. For some people this would be a breeze, but for a small spender like me, it presented quite a challenge*. Even if I charged every single expense I had that takes credit cards (gas, groceries, restaurants, cell phone, internet, water bill, car repairs, gifts, clothes, miscellaneous stuff), it wouldn’t come to $3,000. *I pay off my bill in full every month.

Plus, during the first two months I was still trying to spend $3,000 in four months to get 50,000 Aadvantage (American Airlines) miles from Citibank (there was a two month overlap). So I knew I needed to get creative. Initially, I thought I’d just buy some Visa gift cards at the grocery store. This would require me to take money out of my savings to pay the initial credit card bill and then “pay myself back” over time. I didn’t really want to do that.

Then I read how some bloggers were using rebates. Stores like Staples, Fry’s and newegg.com often offer software and other items for free after rebate. To date, I’ve bought about $550 of products and submitted 24 rebates. Whenever possible, I used a coupon as well, to help offset the sales tax, since rebates don’t refund the sales tax. I now have more photo paper and anti-virus software than I know what to do with!

My rebate goodies (minus a couple items that are in the mail)

Since most rebates take anywhere from four to eight weeks to send the check, I always purchase stuff at the beginning of a new statement cycle. That way the bill wouldn’t be due for two months, giving enough time for me to receive and deposit the rebate checks.

I realize there is some risk involved in rebates being that companies sometimes find various bogus reasons to deny them or my own human error could cause a denial.

I’m also participating in a few hotel promotions, one that provides a $75 mail-in rebate card and three others that will net me more than 100,000 hotel points to use in the future.