With less than 2 weeks of the Paze promotion, I'm finally kicking my butt into gear to try to use up my credits.

There's a lot of potential ways to use the credits (many cards get 10 different $10 credits) but it's a little bit of a hassle. Here's what I'm doing to keep it simple

1. Every morning, buy 3 new Dunkin' gift cards via the Dunkin app (paying with Paze). 3 is the max per day right now. I merge them with my existing gift cards as I go. Instructions here. Then I set a 24 hour reminder on my phone to do it again.
2. When I have a few minutes to sit down, I buy 10 different items on Sephora that are in the $9.50-$11 range that I can use as stocking stuffers. Some ideas here. I try to space these out on different cards -- usually 2 per card per day. Shipping is free if you join Beauty Insiders. Sephora tends to combine shipping if you buy back to back.
3. If it's pizza night, I get Domino's and order pizza is $10 increments and do 3-4 back to back orders.
4. About once a week, I log into my bank accounts and update my post-it notes on my credit card binder so I know what I've used.

That's it for me. I need to keep it simple and that works for me.

Some people have also suggested checking NewEgg for stocking stuffers and cleaning supplies in the $10 range!

Happy Travels,

Katie

PS: Southwest Companion Pass Bootcamp is (quietly) opened for students! You can log in here. We're still working behind the scenes to get one last tool up and running before I advertise it more publicly but wanted to get it out to newsletter subscribers first! All the lessons are updated for this year and there are 2 new tools embedded -- a card eligibility checker and a card combo calculator. Consider this a beta version and let us know if you spot any issues!

Highlights this week

Hotel Room Upgrade Template You don't need to have status at every hotel chain to take a shot at getting a room upgrade, sometimes all you need to do is ask! With our room upgrade template you'll get our top 5 tips for securing an upgrade plus a template to follow if you aren't sure what to say. Get It Here

On Instagram This Week: Using Paze Credits We are in the last few days of the $10 off $10+ orders when using the Paze digital wallet so now is the time to use as many credits as you can. Our top places to use these credits are Dunkin', Sephora, Domino's and Little Caesar's. Check out our reel where Katie walks you through her process to use her credits. Full Reel Here

Featured Card Offers

If you're not sure where to start, head to our Three-Year Plan and just follow along

And don't forget you can now browse all 100+ offers we track on our site here.

💳Last Chance: Capital One Spark Cash Plus​

Elevated Offer Ends September 7: Earn $2000 cash bonus + $500 Capital One Business Travel Credit once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months

MY TAKE: The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a great option if you have a lot of expenses coming up.

Another plus: this business card is one of the ones from Capital One that does NOT report to personal credit reports so it should not add to your 5/24 count.

Because you earn 2% cash back, you'll have earned $2,600 cash back total after spending $30,000. It is a great card to add to my Three Year Plan if you have high expenses.

You could redeem that as cash back — or if you have a card that earns Venture miles you'll be able to move your cash back over to Venture miles and from there, transfer them to a variety of travel partners. If you move $1,500 cash back over, it becomes 150,000 Venture miles.

💳Last Chance: Capital One Spark Cash​

Elevated Offer Ends September 7: Earn $1000 cash bonus + $250 Capital One Business Travel Credit when you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months.

MY TAKE: The most important thing to know right off the bat is that this card DOES report to personal credit reports even though it is a business card. That means it does add to your 5/24 count. That doesn't mean you need to immediately pass, though -- it's a great chance for earning if you wish you could open a Venture card but are blocked due to recently opening a Venture X.

You could redeem this as cash back — or if you have a card that earns Venture miles you'll be able to move your cash back over to Venture miles and from there, transfer them to a variety of travel partners. If you move $1,500 cash back over, it becomes 150,000 Venture miles. Some people still prefer the Capital One Venture Business which does NOT report to personal credit reports but has an offer that skips the $250 travel credit.

Points, Miles & Travel News

• Better Award Availability If You Hold a United Card: Frequent Miler has a good in depth post with scenarios of how much holding a card that earns United miles helps you with award redemption.
• New elevated offers on allll the Delta cards -- see them all here.

More Deals

• Free Amazon Prime: Spectrum internet is offering free amazon prime to select customers. If you are a spectrum customer check here to see if you are eligible. h/t Doctor of Credit
• Use ApplePay 3 Times, Get $10: This is a targeted Amex offer. Doctor of Credit keeps track of when this deal comes around.
• inKind $50 off $100: Get $50 off a $100 meal when you use inKind. To learn more about saving on dining with inKind, see our full post.
• Wells Fargo $500 Checking Bonus: Open a new everyday checking account and meet qualifying activities to earn a $500 bonus.
• $100 DoorDash Gift Card for $80: Available from Sam's Club h/t Doctor of Credit
• $5 Charging Credit from EVgo: use code LABORDAYFASTCHARGING
• Free Pokemon Trading Kit for Kids at Best Buy: 8/29 only from noon-2PM. Check to see if your local store is participating.
• 2 Free Mini Prints from Walgreens: Use code FLASHBACK