These Are My 4 Favorite Credit Cards. Here's How They Help Me Maximize Everyday Purchases

My history with credit cards isn't great. In my days of living without emergency savings and living paycheck to paycheck, credit cards were my go-to method to handle unexpected expenses. Thankfully, I've improved my relationship with credit cards since paying off all of my balances last year, and I'm now using these four cards to pay for most of my everyday expenses -- and earn the highest rewards possible on my spending.

1. A card for grocery purchases

Other than my rent and my health insurance premiums (which I cover in full, because I'm a freelancer), my biggest monthly expense is groceries. Food is a part of my life where I like to spend freely when I can (such as taking the occasional trip to Trader Joe's and splurging). So when I first learned about the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express last year, I knew I had to have it -- it pays 6% back on grocery purchases of up to $6,000 per year (Terms apply). The card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. (see rates and fees). I've already earned a whopping $178.80 back on groceries in just the first half of 2023.

• Apply now for the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express.

This American Express card also offers a generous 3% back on gas (Terms apply.), but this is of less interest to me personally -- I work from home, and on a recent road trip, I encountered multiple gas stations that didn't accept American Express cards. I do use it for gas when I can, though. And I get $7 per month back as a statement credit for subscribing to the Disney Bundle (which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+) and paying for it with the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express. (Terms apply; enrollment may be required).

2. A card for Amazon buys

I'm a frequent Amazon shopper. In fact, rarely a week goes by when I don't order something -- in 2022, I made 105 orders. My purchases include travel gear, toiletries, bulk paper goods, and plenty of gifts for others, but I always use the same payment method for them. I got the Prime Visa a few years ago, and the 5% cash back I earn on Amazon purchases helps me pay for future Amazon purchases.

The Prime Visa has no annual fee, unless you count the required Amazon Prime membership to become a cardholder (that'll run you $14.99 a month or $139 per year). So far this year, I've earned $74.08 back on my Amazon purchases.

3. A card for other online shopping

The oldest of my four favorite cards is one that lets you choose the spending category where you want to earn the highest cash back (3%). I have my Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card set to pay me 3% back on online shopping. While I do spend a lot of my online shopping money at Amazon, I shop other sites (and buy a lot of my cat food/supplies online, in particular), and this card is perfect for it. I've earned $43.45 back from the card this year so far. And hey, no annual fee!

• Apply now for a Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card.

Having the option to change spending categories is also really handy. In the past, I've had my 3% category set to gas purchases (long distance relationships are expensive), and I have the option to change categories once per month. Besides online shopping and gas, the other categories available for 3% are dining, travel drug stores, or home improvement/furnishings. I'm planning to buy a home soon, so I might switch my category to that last one when it's time to move, to make the most of having to shell out money to get my new house set up.

4. A card for dining and travel spending

The newest addition to my wallet is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. I decided I needed a new travel rewards credit card because I have been doing more international travel this year and I needed a secure way to pay overseas that wouldn't come with foreign transaction fees. The other big draw for this card was the welcome bonus, which earned me 75,000 bonus points (worth over $900 if I redeem them for travel through the Chase Travel portal) for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months with the card.

• Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

The spending categories I use this card for are dining (I earn 3x points per $1) and travel (I earn 2x points per $1, or 5x per $1 when I book through the Chase portal). I'm hoping to book a flight later this year, and I'll be cashing in my points to get most of it paid for. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has an annual fee of $95, but this is very reasonable given the rewards it earns -- I simply don't have the budget for a higher-end travel card with a higher annual fee.

I may have a rocky history with credit cards, but I'm feeling pretty good about my current system. These four credit cards in particular work extremely well with my spending, and while credit card rewards never made anyone rich, it's sure nice to get money back (and free travel!) for using them.