My Manufactured Spend Habits

Accounts you will need to have to take advantage of these ideas.  Continue on to learn more about each one:

1. Serve
2. American Express Blue Preferred
3. Bank of America Platinum Privileges Credit Card
4. American Express Fidelity

I try to only post about stuff I actually do.  If I don't have personal, reliable information, I don't think it's usually worthwhile to write about.  There are plenty of other sites out there and I assume that most of my readers are reading them so they will probably read about it.

This is why you won't see me taking about the Nationwide Visa Buxx (see Frequent Flyer Book for more information) even though it is a pretty cheap way to manufacture spend if you have it.

The first thing you should know about me is that I have a full time job.  I don't have time to make a trip to the store to make $6.  I try to have a high earnings to time ratio.  Some of my friends might find that statement laughable (I'm looking at you JF), but everyone's line of time to money is different.

I also have no access to Walmart without the trip taking over an hour so I avoid going to Walmart.

So here goes my usual Manufactured Spend Habits.

•  American Express Gift Cards
• Lately, this has been my manufactured spend of choice since I can sometimes get as much as 5.8% cashback after fees (currently closer to about 4.5%). I never know how the portal deals will change.
• Minimum $24,000 a year since I can use Amazon Payments for $24,000 a year to get the money back.  I also use them for my regular spending since 5.8% cashback is better than I get on almost any card.
• Net gain about $1,100 annually

• Visa Gift Cards at the Grocery Stores - 4.8% cashback after fees. American Express Blue Preferred
• $12,000 a year - my wife and I both have cards.
• $150 bonus for signing up
• Net gain about $1,000 annually after annual fees

• Visa Gift Cards/Paypal Reload cards at Gas Stations - think slurpies - Bank of America Privileges. 3.3% after fees.
• $12,000 every year ($6,000 per account and I have two accounts).
• Net gain about $400 annually

• Serve - Free online credit card loads
• $24,000 per year - $1,000 every month.  Both my wife and myself have cards.
• If you sign up phone for ISIS Wallet, you can increase your limit to $1,500 a month.
• Net gain - about $480 annually (2% cashback with Fidelity American Express)

That's $72,000 of reliable manufactured spending a year, which nets me about $3,000 a year - not too shabby - I am going anyways to the grocery store and everything else except gas stations can be done online. 


This does not include category 5% bonuses or the automatic annual $240 I get from my 2 Bank of America Better Balance Cards.