A few weeks ago, I cited tools like the iBotta app, gift card promotions, shopping portals, and cash back credit cards. When cash back portals reduce payouts and I have no other options, I can always count on my cash back cards to help me off-set Visa gift card fees. In my post about eliminating … Read more
One of the first questions I get when I mention how I earn points and miles via manufactured spending is “what is this costing you?” After all, with a few exceptions, Visa gift cards carry fees. Not to mention, the money orders you have to buy to liquidate those Visa gift cards. If you’re buying … Read more
You know how I don’t like planning travel in advance? The same goes for webinars, apparently. After the previous webinars went so well, I promised there would be more. Well, this morning I woke up and saw a Facebook post from Help Refugees. Apparently there are still refugees living near the now-destroyed Calais Jungle. It’s cold, rainy and … Read more
It’s been a while since I’ve covered SwagBucks on this blog (Yazing’s cash back rates have generally been better). In fact, I had completely forgotten about SwagBucks until they turned up on CashBack Monitor while I was searching for a niche merchant. So I clicked through and found something interesting: SwagBucks Local is now offering … Read more
Over the past year I’ve been documenting my manufactured spending adventures on social media. If I purchased an especially large batch of gift cards or liquidated a massive number of money orders, I shared it with my followers on Snapchat. Sometimes if I came across a possible red flag, I would share it on Twitter. I figured … Read more
As part of a recent Apple promotion, I got a free pair of Beats Solo 3 wireless headphones with the purchase of a MacBook Pro. You may remember a few months back, I wrote about the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 noise cancelling headphones. Specifically about how noise cancelling headphones cause ear pain. These have long … Read more
I have my issues with American Express, but the fact is that Amex Offers is incredibly useful in saving cash and off-setting credit card annual fees. I easily earn hundreds of dollars worth of cash back from various Amex cards through these offers. If you’re unfamiliar with how Amex Offers work, it’s simple: Log into your … Read more
I constantly get asked about how I keep track of my manufactured spending activities. At the height of my gift card churning days, I was spending $300,000+ per month on gift cards, so it was crucial to have a very precise tracking system in place. I shared how I managed to keep track of gift … Read more
If you’re on the lookout for ways to offset manufactured spending fees, there’s a new app that helps you do that: iBotta. iBotta is sort of like a coupon app that pays out rewards when you buy specific products at participating merchants. Participating merchants include CVS, Best Buy, Safeway, Amazon, Target and (drumroll)…Walmart! The app lists … Read more
Postmates Unlimited is about to make food delivery even more affordable. I don’t know about you, but when I’m traveling I use food delivery services like Postmates (code NXNHB) a lot. It’s a convenient alternative to room service. Want a Shake Shack Burger at 11 PM but don’t want to walk two blocks from the Andaz 5th … Read more