I've Earned Thousands of Dollars in Extra Credit Card Rewards for One Simple Reason

Could this technique work to help you earn more rewards too?

Credit card rewards can be very valuable, especially if you tend to charge a lot of the purchases you make. The ability to earn cash back is one big reason why I use credit cards whenever I can, and I've earned a substantial amount of money over the years simply by opting for a card that pays me to use it. 

Because I really value the rewards that credit cards provide me, I've actually implemented an approach that allows me to maximize the rewards I've earned over time. My technique has helped me earn thousands of dollars in extra rewards, all of which I've deposited into investment accounts to help me build wealth. 

Here's how I've earned tons of extra credit card rewards

The technique I've used to maximize the credit card rewards I've earned involves making sure that I'm always using a card that is optimized to my spending patterns. 

See, many people sign up for a credit card and then just stick with the status quo since they get comfortable with using it and it seems like a lot of hassle to explore other options. But I made a conscious choice not to do that, as I realized early on that my habits change over time so my card's rewards program should change with it. 

When I was younger, for example, I generally spent a lot of money on traveling and dining out because I didn't have kids yet and those were the leisure activities that I enjoyed. But as I got older and had two children, it became more difficult to take long and expensive trips -- and then COVID-19 basically put a halt to traveling and dining out for a long period. And this is just one example of many shifts in life circumstances that have occurred over time.

To make sure I always have the right credit card to earn the optimum rewards, I pay attention to where the bulk of my spending is. Budgeting apps that categorize purchases have made this really easy. When I notice my spending habits have started to change, I know it's time to look for a different credit card that's better suited to my current needs.

Since I've applied for several cards with differing rewards programs, I've made sure that I'm always able to earn a minimum of 2% cash back on most purchases -- and, in most cases, I can earn much more than that. The extra rewards I've earned over time have totaled in the thousands because I've been smart about which cards I use. 

Optimizing your credit card rewards is well worth the effort

As long as you have a good credit score and aren't ridiculous about the number of credit cards you sign up for in a short period of time, there's little or no downside to switching credit cards as needed to make sure you're always using a card with a rewards program that's a good fit. 

Optimizing credit card rewards can be well worth it due to the ease and simplicity of doing so, as there's no reason to leave extra money on the table.