82/365 This sale is over.
You can pick up some fee-free Visa gift cards at OfficeMax/Depot through December 22. Buy at least $300 in Visa gift cards, and you’ll get an instant $15 discount at the register. This is basically free money since two $200 cards cost $6.95 each, so you’ll even net a profit of $1.10.
Earning Rewards
Sweeten this deal using a credit card that gets a category reward at office supply stores. I use my Chase Ink Business Plus, which unfortunately is not available anymore. However, the no annual fee Chase Ink Business Cash gets 5% cash back at office supply stores, and earns Ultimate Rewards when paired with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve.
Strategic Spending
These gift card deals help me maximize my spending because I know I’ve gotten 5x rewards on the money. I then turn around and use them at places where I can’t get a category bonus, like the hair salon, specialty stores, or at the doctor’s office, to name a few.
Maximizing Rewards with Money Orders
I’ll take it a step further and use the Visa debit cards to buy money orders at Walmart to maximize my rewards earning on transactions that would normally need a check or cash, like our church pledge and the kids’ field trip money. I’ve heard that Fry’s/Kroger sells money orders for less than Walmart, but I would make sure you can use a debit card for the purchase like at Walmart before you start the transaction.
