I eat out.
I eat out a lot.
Between my work schedule and the fact that I love trying new food, I tend to spend a lot of my budget dining out.
What I have found are simple ways to maximize my purchases while dining out by getting up to 15% back on my food purchases.
Here’s how:
Apps To Install: Dosh – Up To 6% Cash Back
I have to credit my sister for introducing me to this app, but I recently installed Dosh. Once you install it on your phone and attach your usual cards to your account, you can get up to 6% cash back on a bunch of restaurants.
Some of my favorite on the list locally in San Antonio are:
Dough Pizzeria
Silo’s
El Mirasol
La Fogata
StoneWerks
It addition to restaurants, you can get up to 5% cash back at Academy Sports, 5% at Sam’s Club, 5% at Forever 21, 3% at JCPenny, and 2% at Exxon.
Dosh has quickly become one of my favorite apps to install because I was able to quickly generate actual cash and transfer it to my bank account.
In addition, another one of my go to apps is Drop. While I don’t get much for dining out, I do get points back for shopping at HEB and Starbucks. Which is nice.
Credit Card: American Express Gold – 4x on Dining
As noted here before, American Express Platinum has always been my go to card for everyday purchases.
Between 5x back on flight purchases, $200 back on airline fees and access to the American Express Lounges, its a great card to have in your wallet if you travel. Sadly, I would only get 1 point on dining out which I supplemented with my Chase Sapphire Preferred card which I got 2x on dining.
But with the recent re-introduction of the American Express Gold Card, it really seems like a “No-Brainer” card to have for the majority of individuals.
The best part about the card? 4x on dining and 4x grocery store purchases.
This could be huge for most people as this beats the majority of credit cards out there in terms of return on dining spending.
While some people value Membership Rewards points at 1.9 cents a piece, I’m conservatively valuing them at 1 cent a piece for this post.
Airline Miles: Delta SkyMiles Dining – 5x on Dining
If you haven’t already, go sign up with your favorite airline on their Dining platform.
My go to airline of choice is Delta due to their easy transfer from American Express Points and their service.
By signing up for their dining program and adding a few of my cards, I make 5 miles for every dollar I spend at certain restaurants.
Most, if not all, are on the same list as the Dosh list, so I have the ability to double dip.
I dine at these restaurants fairly often, so the addition of these miles to my account come automatic.
Don’t Miss Out On The Free Money On The Table
In conclusion, when I dine out at certain restaurants, I’m able to get up to 15% back on my purchases between cash and miles.
I highly suggest everyone sign up for at least an airline dining program and the free apps Dosh and Drop.
They are free to join, and are fully automated once they are set up. Plus you get $5 on each just for signing up.
If you have any other suggestions on how to maximize your dollars let me know!