It’s shaping up to be a busy Thanksgiving, with many families once again able to get together in ways they barely could over the past two holiday seasons. It means the airport is definitely packedalong with Thanksgiving dinner tables.
More than three-quarters of them surveyed this fall by market research firm IRI has reported that it plans to celebrate Thanksgiving just like it did before the pandemic. However, this year’s party will be more expensive: the cost of Thanksgiving dinner is expected to increase by more than 13% this year compared to 2021.
Real, Inflation is a top priority as many of us go to the grocery store to buy turkey, side dishes, drinks and desserts.
However, the cost of holiday meals will be reduced a bit if you take advantage of some of the perks and incentives the credit cards bring to you. main tourist benefits. And if you approach it strategically, the money you spend on the Thanksgiving spread can help you towards future free travel.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start writing your Thanksgiving dinner shopping list.
Use the card that makes the most money at grocery stores
Before you go to the grocery store, be sure to note down which card in your wallet earns you the most points or cashback on groceries.
Grocery store is a lucrative bonus spending portfolio for some credit cards. You can turn your $150 grocery bill into 600 points with a card like American Express Gold® Card, earn 4 Amex Membership Rewards® points per dollar at US supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year). The Citi Premier® Card likewise earn 3 Thank You Rewards points for every dollar of grocery purchases. Other cards on List of TPG’s Best Grocery Credit Cards can also help you to earn cash back.
In many cases, this could be a different card than the one you want to use on your computer. buy big holiday gifts just a few days later. So if you’re expecting a huge grocery bill coming up before the holiday, using a grocery-specific card can be a great way to diversify your points earned before the holidays. Gift shopping begins in earnest.
Restaurants too
Figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that inflation for food purchased at grocery stores is, by some metrics, outpacing inflation for restaurant food this fall. This may prompt more Americans to dine out this Thanksgiving.
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Even if you’re not planning on bringing the whole family out for Thanksgiving dinner, some restaurants offer Thanksgiving take-out options that you might want to take advantage of. For example, when my wife and I both had to work on Thanksgiving last year, we received a delicious Thanksgiving takeaway from a local restaurant near our home in North Carolina for $120. la, enough for us to have dinner and leftovers for days. Although cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a well-loved tradition, the food was so delicious that we considered cooking it again.
If some or all of your Thanksgiving dinner will come from a restaurant, be sure to pick a card in your wallet to earn most points, miles or cash back diningand tap on any dining credits you get for swiping your card at the restaurant.
Consider moving your grocery shopping online
Stay away from the packed aisles and potentially earn more points by shopping for your groceries online. With some credit cards, you will be able to earn a higher rate when ordering groceries online.
With Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, if you buy groceries in person, you will earn 1 point for every dollar. However, you’ll earn 3 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for every dollar spent on online grocery purchases.
So not only will you avoid having to search for parking, side by side with other customers trying to grab a pack of rolls, and waiting in a nasty line at the checkout, you’ll also earn triple points by knocking off your grocery list from the comfort of your couch.
Check out third-party websites online
While we’re on the subject of Thanksgiving online shopping, keep in mind that you may want to look beyond your typical, neighborhood grocery chain when shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. . It can be a way to redirect your spending so you can earn at a higher rate and even potentially accrue your income.
Tags like Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card for example, giving you huge profits when shopping on Amazon and Whole Foods. That means an Amazon Fresh delivery order can be a way to maximize both convenience and cashback.
If you Pursuit of elite status before the end of the year or hoping to earn enough miles to redeem your points soon, you can check Airline shopping portal to see if there are any offers that can help you fill out your Thanksgiving table.
These shopping portals can do more than help you stock up on household items or buy holiday gifts. There are many food and wine retailers on many of these sites. Some can earn you 2.3 miles or more for every dollar spent. If you don’t have a grocery (or everyday buy) card in your wallet, this could be a way to speed up your earnings.
You may not be able to buy every aspect of your spread, but it could be a way to buy pies, meat and wine, for example. Log into a portal and sort by “food and dining” to find options that might help.
If you pay for your purchases with a rewards credit card, this can be a way to accumulate income for Thanksgiving purchases.
Information about Amazon Prime Rewards and Amazon Rewards cards has been independently obtained by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Take advantage of credit card offers and benefits
Don’t forget about provided you get through your credit card gateway. These offers can help you get back some of the money you spend on a particular credit card in the form of statement credits. There are a lot of offers available now help you spend on vacation, and some coupons that can be useful to you when you go grocery shopping.
For instance, I have access to the American Express portal through one of my credit cards. Here’s an offer I’ve found that can be incredibly helpful for Thanksgiving: Get $35 back on purchases of $100 or more with Crowd Cow, an online meat and seafood delivery site, including whole turkey on Thanksgiving.
And there’s always wine. Right now, some members can get $50 back when they spend $100 or more at Macy’s Wine Shop through American Express – not to mention, you get free shipping on orders six or more bottles.
Offers vary from account to portal, so your best bet is to check your offers. Chances are there’s one thing that can help you offset the cost of your dinner. Just make sure to add any offers you want to use to your card before making a purchase.
Key point
Probably the easiest way to earn free travel (and in some cases elite status) is through a strategic approach to your ordinary spending. Such a strategy becomes all the more important as life’s major expenditures emerge, and for sure, Thanksgiving dinner is one of the biggest spends of the year for many of us. .
While inflation can make final tally a bit painful at checkout, knowing that you’ve done everything to cover the costs – or, at least you’re getting a good return on your spending – can May help reduce it a bit.
