Look What I Got . . .

Back in September, I wrote about an offer from Bank of America and Alaska Airlines Credit Card.

The offer gave me a $15 gift card to my choice of store, if I used my credit card to pay for a monthly reoccurring bill. To complete the offer, I paid a portion of my cell phone bill in October. However, I forgot about the offer until earlier this week, when this letter arrived:

The letter contained an awkward letter and my $15 Starbuck's gift cards:

Here is a copy of the letter:

The letter is awkward for two reasons:

   1) Its not personalized. In the age of mail merge, your can do this easily

   2) The second paragraph is not appropriate. This letter should be a simply thank you, nothing
        else.

Overall, thank you Bank of America for keeping your promise!


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4 Ways To Maximize Chase Sapphire 3X First Friday's Promotion

On the first Friday of each month in 2013, Chase Sapphire cardholders can earn an extra point per $1 spent at restaurants for a total of 3 points per $1.

This can be a lucrative offer if you play your cards correctly. Last month, I earn 700 bonus points from this promotion.

I strategically held a luncheon for some realtors on the first Friday, so I could bank extra miles. However, it got me thinking, what other things can we do to maximize this promotion?

1) Eat Out

     - The obvious answer is to plan to eat out on the first Friday of the month. Schedule a client
        lunch for this day (like I did). Take the family out to dinner. Pick up leftovers for the weekend.

2) Purchase Gift Cards

      - Go to a specific restaurant or restaurants frequently. Why not purchase gift certificates to
        those restaurants on the first Friday? The rest of the month, you will be earning 3x per $1
        on your dining out. Look back at your previous bank/credit card statement and see where
        you ate last month. My guess is there will be a trend.

     - Purchase Restaurant GCs to restaurants for gifts. You always need gifts for colleagues, friends,
        teachers. Why not buy them restaurant gift cards on the first Friday of the month?

3) Pick-Up Lunch for the Office

      - No, I am not suggesting paying for everyone's lunch in the office. However, that's one way of
        earning massive points + win some friends. Everywhere I have worked, Friday seems like
        the day people order out for lunch, as a group. Why not be the person that picks up lunch and
        pays the bill? Coworkers can give you cash to pay for their meal.  One way to guarantee your
        the one that picks/pays for lunch is to bring small bills to make change.

4) Prepay for upcoming events

     - Hosting a brunch/luncheon/dinner at restaurant, ask them to charge your deposits on the first
       Friday. Even better, pay for the event ahead of schedule. Very few restaurants will turn you
       away from pay for your event ahead of time. It guarantees them payment ahead of an event.

Are you using Chase Sapphire's First Fridays?

Are there other ways that you use this promotion that I failed to mention?

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1st Anniversary Giveaway

In celebration of the 1st Anniversary of Do It For The Points, I am clearing out my prize closet.

I am giving away 7 different prizes. One of my favorite game shows was and still is Let's Make A Deal. On the show, a contestant is offered a choice of curtains, boxes or envelopes containing a prize.

Sometime the prize is amazing and other times its a zonk!

I promise there are no ZONKs among my prizes. Like the old adage, "don't judge a book by its cover," I suggest you don't judge the prizes by what they look like. I may have hidden extra prizes inside.

Here are the prizes:

Prize #1 - Toiletry Travel Bag (min. value: $35)

 Prize # 2 AA First Class Travel Kit (min. value: $25)

Prize # 3 - Fairmont Moleskine Notebook (min value $10)

 Prize # 4 - Go-Go Wireless Travel Kit (min value: $14)

Prize # 5 - Delta Ipad Case (min. value: $??)

Prize # 6 - Stack of Gift Cards (min. value $25)

Prize # 7 - Tumbler Cup (min. value $2)

The minimum values of all the prizes add up to over $100, but I promise there is over $400 worth of prizes.

Dates: Monday August 26th until Friday August 31st @ 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Winners will be chosen and notified next weekend.

How to Enter: You can earn one entry for completing the following tasks (up to eight entries total):

                1) Liking Do It For The Points on Facebook

                2) Follow Us on Twitter

                3) Tweeting out the giveaway (once a day)

                4) Leave a comment on the "craziest way you earned points."
                              - If you have only earned points by flying or using a credit card - say that

Please use the rafflecopter widget below to enter.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Full Disclosure: I paid/earned most of the prizes. Some of the prizes were given to me as part of my swag bag from the BAcon conference, which were donated by various corporations.


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 Follow us on Twitter @doit4thepoints! Have a question for me? E-mail me at jd@doitforthepoints.com