Recap: Redeem Amex Offers, Legoland Discounts, False Allure of Miles and More

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1) Don’t forget to redeem your Best Buy Amex offer (spend $250, get $25 credit). It expires at the end of the month, so there isn’t much time left. This is a pretty decent deal and I made sure to take advantage of it. If you need to get stuff from Best Buy anyway, that’s the easiest way to redeem this offer. Otherwise, you will need to buy gift cards. The terms this year exclude e-giftcards:

The first thing I do when taking advantage of this type of deal is determine which of the gift cards sold on BestBuy.com are the easiest for me to utilize. Then I look at Giftcardgranny and check what they go for. That’s how I ended up buying Netflix and Wendy’s gift cards on Best Buy website.

I also saw that iTunes gift cards were on sale (buy one, get second one at 20% off), so I got a few of those as well. Other good options for you to consider: Disney and eBay, because it’s relatively rare to find a discount on those. I’ve noticed that I got two separate charges, so I really hope my $25 credit shows up. The terms do say “$250 in one or more transactions.” Might be safer to buy only one type of gift card, just in case.

2) The (false) allure of 30 points per dollar by Wandering Aramean. This is an excellent reminder on how a seemingly good deal is, in fact, quite mediocre.

Here is the thing. I’m glad those promos exist because they can be a great way to top off an account for a specific award. I’ve bought magazines via Alaska Air portal when there was an offer of 40 miles per dollar. I like to read Time anyway, so this was a win-win. But you have to be very careful not to change your purchasing habits and not to spend money just to get miles or points.

3) On a related note, if you are planning to do a ton of shopping and need specific mileage currency, check this round-up on DoC listing some bonus opportunities. 

4) Nick at PFDigest has found a pretty good online discount on Legoland Florida (see his review of the park). You can buy 14-day Legoland Florida pass for $55 per person (he managed to pay only $42, but the listed price is higher now). It looks like the rate fluctuates, so mark that website and check it periodically. You may also want to consider combining it with ticket to Kennedy Space center:

5) New Chase Freedom 5% categories for first quarter of 2018 have been announced:

Hat tip Reddit

6) Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta Review by TravelingMom. This all-inclusive resort is bookable for 20,000 Hyatt points per night, which you can transfer on 1:1 basis from Ultimate Rewards. Children under the age of 3 don’t incur an additional charge.

 

Click here to view various credit cards and available sign-up bonuses