amex Archives

Browsing Tag

amex

Redeem AIR MILES for Everyday Purchases

Archive By Jill Amery December 11, 2014 Tags: air miles, Air Miles Cash, amex, Big White Ski Resort, featured, money, Organization and Finance, Safeway, Savings, slider, starbucks, toys r us No Comments

Redeeming AIR MILES for Everyday Purchases The reality is setting in. December has arrived and the holiday to-do list is longer than my children’s wishlist for Santa. (Which is saying something). I haven’t started to shop for gifts, haven’t chosen cookie recipes and my pantry is bare.

This year, our family has also undertaken the enormous task of chairing a Family Ball for 450 adults and kids to raise funds for mental health. The event is on December 7th, and I think a whole big bunch of my angst stems from having slightly too many things to do. But just as I was about to have a panic attack, my AIR MILES American Express Card fell out of my wallet and the inspiration hit me.

I have always been so wise in using both my AIR MILES Collector Card as well as my Amex AIR MILES Credit Card to get twice the miles on purchases, and now it’s time to be rewarded for my efforts. Let’s see just how many AIR MILES I can redeem and how much money I can save this year while purchasing the items I need to buy anyway…

I chose from one of my many list-making apps and came up with a cunning plan. Every 95 reward miles redeemed equates to $10 off of the bill at participating stores if you are an AIR MILES Cash Collector, so I will attempt to end up with the smallest credit card bills I’ve ever seen this coming January! My plan:

1. Redeem AIR MILES for eVouchers at Toys R’ Us toward Minecraft toys to use as silent auction donations that will appeal to kids at the Family Ball. While there, with the miles available for redemption, I’ll add a few stocking stuffers for my kids and find games for the cousins.

2. Redeem AIR MILES while filling up the gas tank at Shell before our family trip to Big White Ski Resort in mid-December. Actually, I’ll also add in a couple jugs of windshield wiper fluid while at the gas station to combat the dirt from snowy roads!

3. Make a quick visit to the movie theatre and coffee shop during next week’s soccer practice to redeem my AIR MILES for movie tickets for the teachers, coffee for the mail carrier and other eVouchers for both as part of another silent auction prize. DONE.

4. Groceries. I can never quite fathom how long the holiday list is. This year I am going to calmly analyze the recipe books and make sure I only have to do a big shop once. I will take into account the brownies-in-a-jar mix we are gifting to neighbours, extra hot chocolate for snow days and plastic containers to replace the ones whose lids have miraculously disappeared. My local store participates in AIR MILES Cash redemption… wouldn’t it be incredible if I did my whole holiday shop for $17?

5. After realizing that all of our children’s fever medications are expired, I need to head to the drugstore. Beginning a new year without a proper first aid kit is not a wise move. Not only will I redeem some AIR MILES Cash balance for the new medicine, but I may treat myself to some holiday makeup with a touch of glitter.

I’d love to hear how you make out – and especially which everyday spending you choose to tackle with your AIR MILES Cash over this busy holiday season!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.

Five Tips for Maximizing your AIR MILES

Canada, International, ROAM By Jill Amery November 30, 2014 Tags: air miles, american express, amex, canada, featured, free flights, international, More air miles, slider, Travel, USA No Comments

The weather becomes crisp and you’ve finally finished filling out mounds of paperwork for kids’ activities and school. Photos are done, pumpkins composted and you sit down for a steaming cup of orange pekoe when it hits – you need a holiday. But with the bustle of December looming, a holiday will have to wait. Panic rises from somewhere in your belly that you haven’t exercised in a while and deep breaths don’t seem to impact a racing mind that is compiling to-do lists faster than a room full of monkeys can type.

Calm yourself. This year it will be different. You’ve got a secret weapon that constantly reminds you of travel to come. This holiday season my family is using our five tips for maximizing your AIR MILES so that we can get away together in 2015.

This year I plan to do my usual over-the-top holiday décor – three themed spruce trees, a minimum of 5 holiday squares and cookies at the ready and way too many vegetables at Christmas dinner. The light at the end of the tunnel for me is always travel, and the collection of AIR MILES for my family helps facilitate our trips – either by using our reward miles for flights, or helping the budget by getting cash redemptions at AIR MILES Cash Sponsors.

My mantra? More travel = more educational opportunities. More savings = less stress!

We have a few tricks for maximizing the AIR MILES we earn and I want to let our readers in on the secrets!

1. Check the fliers at your local grocery store that issues AIR MILES on purchases. Better yet? Get on their email list so that you always know when you can earn bonus miles on the items you have to buy.

2. Ensure your spouse and any other family member who wants to help the cause have a duplicate AIR MILES card in their wallet. Sponsors always ask if you are a Collector, so you won’t miss any chance to accumulate miles! Our whole family uses the same account for flexibility and ease.

3. Use an American Express AIR MILES Credit Card alongside your AIR MILES Collector Card at Sponsors to earn double the miles. Earning twice is always much more nice.

4. Use that same credit card to earn rewards miles on all of your everyday purchases. I use the American Express AIR MILES Reserve Card to earn one mile for every $10 I spend at AIR MILES Sponsors but I also earn one mile for every $10 spent at other eligible stand-alone grocery stores, gas stations, and drugstores in Canada and one mile for every $15 spent everywhere else.

5. The AIR MILES website is full of special offers and promotions. When you need to rent a car, do the things that keep every family afloat on a weekly basis, be sure to check the bonus offers, as you can accumulate hundreds of bonus AIR MILES by being a savvy shopper.

American Express is currently hosting their #MoreAIRMILES contest to let AIR MILES members answer the question, “What would you do with more AIR MILES?”. Once answered, you’re entered into a draw for a weekly prize. Invite a friend and each one who participates in the contest lands you an additional entry.

Remember: AIR MILES + Amex = MoreAirMiles and You + Daily Entries + Your Friends = More chances to win! Check out the contest here.

Are you ready to dream? To save? To eliminate holiday stress? I’d love to hear about the holiday that your family is working toward throughout this holiday season! Bon voyage!

This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.

Maximize your Rewards this Hallowe’en

Uncategorized By Jill Amery October 24, 2013 Tags: air miles, airmiles, american express, amex, budget, Budgeting, family budget, featured, rewards No Comments

Ahh. October. Just when you’ve eaten your fill of turkey, forked over a ton of cash for organic pumpkin pie ingredients and filled your house with harvest décor, you realize that Hallowe’en is only two weeks away. Or maybe one. (Your calendar is still covered in gravy splatter.) The turkey coma is replaced by the end-of-October panic attack. You create a list. Lists are fun! Until you realize that you have not one thing checked off yet.