It is undeniable that daily life can be expensive. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. households spend $77,280 a year, including housing, transportation, and food.
Thankfully, there is an easy way to make your spending work for you by charging you a reward credit card.
This is what seems ordinary today’s expenses can unlock rewards for you and your loved ones.
Daily expenses
Every week, month or year, we incur many ongoing expenses for the often inevitable basic items such as rent, utilities, groceries and gas. Many of these purchases are easily collected on credit cards. Even better? Many popular cards offer additional cashback or bonus points on select purchases.
For example, if you are a commuter who has a lot of gas every week, consider getting a card for purchasing fuel rewards. Or, if you are a busy parent of busy grocery bills, the goal is to provide more points for grocery bills at the supermarket.
And, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, even though housing costs usually account for the largest portion of daily expenses (almost one-third of the average household spending), there are even ways to earn rental rewards these days.
This is not limited to essentials. Disbursements can also really improve your reward balance. Maybe you want to earn a bonus when you visit your hometown favorite dining venue or want to make the most of the extra rewards you buy from your travel. Some cards even allow you to customize the bonus category.
Additionally, you can purchase a card that offers reliable rewards across all purchases. In fact, there are several options that offer you a 2% cashback, without even an annual fee.
In short, everyone has a card, no matter where you spend money.
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Related: Why There Are No “Best” Credit Cards
Additionally, you can adopt some simple strategies today that can expand your reward potential.
Double dip sauce
Getting rewards by swiping the right credit card is great in itself. But did you know there are many ways to earn points, miles or cash back in both plans to make the exact same purchase? This is called a double dip – it’s a great way to earn more on your daily expenses.
For example, you may not be aware of the various dining plans offered by airlines and hotels. If you sign up and link to your preferred credit card, you will automatically receive a reward when dining at a participating restaurant with that card.
This allows you to refresh your Chase Sapphire Priority® Card (See rates and fees) and along with bonus miles with Marriott Bonvoy, with United Airlines or bonus points.
Read more: Airline and Hotel Catering Rewards Program: Which is the best for you?
Online shopping portals are another way to go down in both directions. These sites work with various online retailers, then start with the portal and click on the brand you like (rather than visiting the brand’s website directly), and you can take home the extra rewards.
For example, TopCashback is an online shopping portal that provides additional cash back on purchases made with certain merchants. I use it frequently when I place pickup orders on the local total wine, which gives me an extra 5.05% cashback when published.
Finally, be sure to take advantage of existing relationships between brands, many of which take the “set and forget it” approach to double immersion. This includes chasing partnerships and collaborations on the streets of Marriott.
For additional tips, check out our guide for double immersion.
Discounts and offers
Almost all credit card issuers have a proprietary platform that allows you to activate target discounts through a variety of merchants. Plans such as Chase offer allow cardholders to save on hotel accommodation, air tickets, streaming subscriptions and even back-to-school purchases.
These offers seem small, but they do add up.
For example, I opened Chasing for Freedom® (See rates and fees) Accounts in December 2023. Since then I have saved $245.45 just by activating the purchase offer I’m already making. These include:
- My daughter’s clothes at the children’s residence $8
- My monthly YouTube TV subscription for $20
- From the airport to our hotel in New Orleans for $15 discount
- $11.05 off for multiple jerseys Mike’s orders (I’m that hot pepper fool)
Every few weeks, I log into my credit card account and check if any new offers have been added. I then make sure to activate everything that works for my case.
Saving money from these purchases means I have more spending on other purchases, which is a powerful way to make your card suitable for you.
Safety and peace of mind
Using your credit card is more than just a reward you can earn. This is also one of the safest payment methods you can use every day.
Credit card issuers and networks that process transactions have invested billions of dollars in security over the years, and they support customer-friendly policies such as $0 fraud liability, extensive purchase protection, and the ability to freeze my account immediately when the bad actor gets my personal information.
Recently, someone charged a small Facebook ad acquisition from a credit card of my wife, a method called small fraud in which the fraudsters “tested” the account with small transactions. It is immediately reversed and the card is frozen to prevent additional expenses. Within 48 hours, my wife had a new card on hand.
Earlier this year, I purchased tickets for my experience in London, but the provider went out of business before our show (after posting it to my account after a fee). Chase immediately returned the money so I didn’t have to line up behind other creditors in the company who wanted to be the entire creditor.
If a hacker gains access to my bank account or steals my wallet, my cash will disappear – there is little hope of recovery. However, every time I use a credit card (either online or in a brick and mortar store), I know I am protected.
Bottom line
No matter how you spend money on a given week, month, or year, a credit card can be a sure way to unlock daily purchase rewards. As long as you master your own means and repay the balance on time, you can turn today’s grocery bills into tomorrow’s family and friends, or today’s gas collects cash in your pocket.
Perhaps most importantly, these transactions run on a secured network, and you usually have no responsibility for any fraudulent activities, giving you a valuable mindset.
If you are not currently earning rewards on your daily expenses, check out some of our favorite cards for action.
