AIR MILES reward miles

The most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching! But with the arrival of the holiday season comes more expenses and often, expenses that are beyond your budget.

If I know I have an opportunity to buy items on sale, put money back into my wallet and collect rewards during the holiday shopping season, I make sure I do.

This year, I’m preparing to maximize my rewards this holiday season with my American Express AIR MILES Credit Card. I’m planning ahead and going to purchase all of my holiday shopping on my Amex Card and using my AIR MILES Collector Card at participating Sponsors so I can rack up AIR MILES reward miles for a trip next year.

That’s the best part about my Amex AIR MILES Card, I can earn reward miles faster! Cardmembers earn miles twice when shopping at participating AIR MILES Sponsors across Canada with their Amex AIR MILES Credit Card and their AIR MILES Collector Card.

Here are ways you can make the most of your money, get rewards and put money back in your wallet!

Shop Online

A recent survey of 2,000 shoppers found that more than 95 percent of respondents would shop online this Christmas season, with 48 percent of those polled noting that they’d purchase at least half of their holiday gifts online. Especially with Black Friday shopping slowly making its way into the Canadian market, you can find many deals online and you don’t even need to spend time in a packed mall.

Avoid the long lineups at the stores by shopping online at . It’s a great alternative to avoid the busy stores while browsing the best merchandise from Amex AIR MILES Sponsors. In fact, make a purchase at airmilesshops.ca from November 12 – 19, 2013 with your Amex AIR MILES Card and earn 125 Bonus reward miles. You can learn more here:

Smart Gift Shopping

Getting a Card that has perks at your favourite shopping stores is something you should always research before you chose your Credit Card. For example, I can do all my Christmas gift shopping at participating Amex and AIR MILES Sponsors:

Clothing:

No matter what the kids say, they don’t need more toys – they need some clothes too! I’ll be shopping at Old Navy, Roots and Sears for some new gear for them. For the grownups, I’ll be sure to check out L.L.Bean, Land’s End and Gap. Maybe The Shoe Company for myself! Make sure to check before you make your purchase; until December 31, you can earn 4x AIR MILES reward miles AND get Free Shipping on Orders $50+ at Old Navy and Lands’ End.

Books/Music:

For these items, I tend to shop online for gifts. So I’ll be sure to shop at Indigo and Amazon, and receive Bonus reward miles.

Home items:

Whether it’s a new coffee maker, bed sheets, Christmas decorations or a new Christmas tree, I’ll be looking at Sears or Michaels to purchase items, paying attention to the possibility of earning bonus reward miles.

Toys and Tech gadgets:

Tech gadgets are always a huge gift idea for the holidays so I’ll be sure to shop at Toys R Us, Staples, Apple Store and collect double the reward miles. If you shop through airmilesshops.ca at The Source, you can earn 10x AIR MILES reward miles!

Stock Up on Groceries

Do your Christmas feast shopping at Metro stores (Safeway out west, Sobeys in Atlantic Canada). The grocery list can be quite long (and expensive!) when you are hosting guests. I like to make my grocery list while I’m looking at the flyers on Saturday morning, paying attention to items that have Bonus reward miles. Metro also has coupons certain products every week so I will stock up on those items and collect Bonus reward miles.

I’ll be also using my Amex AIR MILES Card to stock up on wine and spirits at the LCBO (also offered in various liquor stores in the east coast). I’ll likely be getting a few extra wine bottles for teachers’ gifts – I think they’ll appreciate that!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.

Autumn is my favourite time of the year – leaves changing colours, warm afternoons, apple pie and of course, the yummy harvest. Fall fashion shopping and taking long drives in the country are just a few of the many activities I love about this time of year, not to mention Halloween and Thanksgiving.

But it’s also a time when I’m spending more money it seems! So if I can maximize my spending by collecting AIR MILES reward miles with my American Express AIR MILES Credit Card, then I definitely will.

American Express AIR MILES Cards are the fastest way to earn reward miles because you can earn TWICE when shopping at participating AIR MILES Sponsors across Canada; first with your Amex Card and second, your AIR MILES Collector Card.

I don’t need to spend extra, I just have to use both cards when I shop; and there are so many retailers that I already shop at which accept AIR MILES and Amex. Those reward miles will just collect without even trying!

I have the no annual fee American Express AIR MILES Credit Card; with my card alone, I have, purchase protection, 24/7 customer service and access to some of the hottest concerts, shows and events before the public with Front Of The Line. I earn 1 reward mile for every $15 in Card purchases at AIR MILES Sponsors.

There are two other Amex AIR MILES Cards to choose from, the American Express AIR MILES Platinum Credit Card ($65 annual fee waived for the first year) and the American Express AIR MILES Reserve Credit Card ($299 a year) bringing premium travel experiences and extra perks for Cardmembers. With the Reserve Card, you can book additional airlines and destinations not within the AIR MILES Flight program, use your reward miles to cover taxes and fees, receive a complimentary companion ticket, have access to an AIR MILES concierge service, receive four passes to airport lounges worldwide every year, and more.

Here are five ways you can maximize your rewards this Thanksgiving with an American Express AIR MILES Credit Card:

1. Travel

If you’re travelling to see family for Thanksgiving, you can collect extra reward miles by using your Amex AIR MILES Credit Card for gas and hotels. From maintaining your vehicle at Goodyear to filling up at Shell to renting a car with Budget to booking accommodations at a variety of choice hotels such as Hilton Hotels and InterContinental Hotels Group, those bonus reward miles can add up quickly. I know come February, I’ll be itching to travel somewhere tropical!

2. Groceries

Do your Thanksgiving feast shopping at Metro stores (Safeway out west, Sobeys in Atlantic Canada). The grocery list can be quite long when entertaining guests – turkey, stuffing, potatoes, carrots, pies… I’m getting hungry already! Metro, for example, has coupons every week on certain products; stock up on those items and collect bonus reward miles.

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, you can also use your Amex AIR MILES Card to stock up on wine and spirits at the LCBO (also offered in various liquor stores in Alberta and the east coast). You know you can never have enough liquor in the house!

3. Organization

Hosting family for Thanksgiving takes some real preparation and organization! With the hectic scheduling in my household, I need all the help I can get – from storage bins to calendars, anything that can help keep the mess and our lives in somewhat of an order is welcomed. Use your American Express Card at popular retailers like Rona and Staples to name a few and earn AIR MILES reward miles just for making purchases you would normally would anyway.

4. Clothing

I usually buy the kids a new outfit or shirt to wear on Thanksgiving Day; Old Navy is always on our list for shopping for clothing for the entire family. There are so many retailers where you can also collect reward miles such as the Children’s Place and Babys’R’Us to name a few. Use both your collector card and your Amex for double the points.

5. Fall Décor

A stop at Michaels for fall and Halloween crafts is a must this time of year. Even if I’m not a very crafty person, I’d like to think that I am (sometimes). What craft is on my never-ending to-do list this fall? I’d like to attempt making my own autumn wreath for the front door (wish me luck). At Michaels, you can collect 1 AIR MILES reward mile for every $25 you spend and 1 reward miles for every $20 you spend with the American Express AIR MILES Credit Card .

Here is a full list of merchants where you can earn AIR MILES faster.

Bonus Tips

I shop at Hudson’s Bay but often don’t use the points. You can convert your HBC Rewards points to reward miles at a rate of 2,000 points for 1 AIR MILES reward mile.

If you don’t have an American Express AIR MILES Credit Card, join and earn a welcome bonus of 150 reward miles the first time you use it.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, you could earn 100 Bonus AIR MILES reward miles when you enroll your Amex AIR MILES Card and charge at least 3 separate purchases to your Card from now until October 10th, 2013.

Happy shopping and Happy Thanksgiving!