3 Cash Back Credit Cards That Can Save You the Most This Summer

This post comes from Jason Bushey. Jason is a personal finance blogger, and you can find his work daily on www.creditnet.com.

Summer is one of the toughest times of the year to save money. School’s out for kids, which means many parents have to shell out money for camp, daycare or a nanny. If you’re lucky, there are also vacations to take and road trips to venture out on, all of which can add up to some extra expenses that can run our wallets dry.

While the impact they make is mostly marginal, using a cash back credit card the right way and for the right purchases this summer can put some of those expenses back in your wallet.

With the official start of summer just days away, here are three cash back credit cards that can save you some decent coin on the purchases you’re likely to spend the most on this summer.

1.)    Discover it®

Beginning July 1^st, this cash back credit card with no annual fee will reward cardholders with 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases at gas stations when they enroll. This offer extends through September, and makes this one of the best cards to carry if you’re planning on an extended summer road trip.

According to GasBuddy.com, the national average for a gallon of gas at time of publication is $3.61. If you pay for that same gallon of gas using your Discover it card, you can save a little over 18 cents per gallon on gas. That can accrue to some serious savings over the course of a road trip, and makes this cash back card one of the best to carry this summer. Cardholders will also earn 1 percent cash back on all other purchases.

2.)    Chase Freedom®

Similar to the above Discover card, this cash back card from Chase will include 5 percent cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases at – wait for it – gas stations!

However, this card takes the savings one step further by including 5 percent bonus cash back at theme parks and the department store Kohl’s, as well. That $1,500 is spread between all three bonus cash back categories through September, but despite the cap on purchases this is the credit card to use if you’re planning a trip to one of America’s great theme parks.

Theme park admission is expensive – especially for a family of four – and can run an average of $50 per ticket, give or take depending on the park. That’s $200 for a family of four – or $190 when you use your Chase Freedom card.

Is it a lot of savings? Not particularly. But when you combine your gas savings with your theme park savings, you might be able to parlay those cash back statement credits into a nice family lunch or dinner while on vacation.

So round up the little ones and save on a road trip to the theme park of your choice when you sign up for (and enroll) with this cash back card from Chase.

3.)    Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Last but certainly not least is this cash back card from AmEx. No other consumer card rewards more for grocery purchases – 6 percent at US supermarkets up to $6,000 per year – and it also includes 3 percent cash back at US gas stations and select major department stores with no cap, plus 1 percent cash back on everything else.

Unlike the above cash back cards there is an annual fee required to carry this card – $75 – but when you consider how much bonus cash back you can earn ($360 in grocery purchases alone) that might be a worthwhile investment to make.

Look – it’s the summer. You’re going to hit the road, and you’re certainly going to eat – usually barbecue. But you’re also going to spend, and while the above cash back cards won’t put a huge dent in your budget, they will work to put a little bit of money back in your wallet.

Over the course of a summer, any money saved is money earned. Using these credit cards on the right purchases can help you do just that.

 

 

 

Tags: bad credit cards, best credit card, best credit cards, Credit card, free credit cards, prepaid credit cards

Category: Credit Cards