$500 Visa Gift Cards at Parthmark in Teaneck - Free Money

Free Money - Teaneck Style

Update 7/4 - Reader SW astutely pointed out that Pathmark is part of the company known as A&P.  They sell under the following labels:

Pathmark
A&P
Waldbaum's
Food Basics USA
Food Emporium
Super Fresh

Look out for the $500 visa gift cards in all of their stores.  Hey, you never know.

In addition, $500 visa gift cards have been found at Stop & Shop stores.


As part of my continual research for free money in Teaneck, NJ I have been looking for $500 gift cards at grocery stores.  Even before I moved I asked a couple people to look out for them.  Thanks IB for checking it out for me.

I went to Pathmark on 80 New Bridge Road in Bergenfield and found the Holy Grail.  Pathmark stocks  $500 Visa gift cards that can be bought with a credit card.  The most amazing part for me was that I saw veyr intelligent people walking right past them and not buying them.  There were a couple racks of them.  How could this be?

This is what you should look for.

As you can see from my online account, the purchase has been categorized as a grocery purchase

Who Cares?

I'm making quite a fuss about this, but why do I care and more importantly why should you care?  The answer is simple, this is an easy opportunity to have a free lunch.

There are credit cards that have special cashback rates for grocery stores.  The two big ones are American Express Blue Preferred and American Express Blue Everyday.

The Blue Everyday card gets you 3% cashback at grocery stores up to $6,000 a year.  If you buy one single $500 gift card there is a $6 fee.  You will get $15 in cashback so a net of $9 or 1.8% cashback.  A nice haul, but not incredible.

The Math for the year.  3% of $6,000 is $180.  $72 of fees brings it down to $108.  Probably not worth your time unless you go to Pathmark and Walmart anyways.

The Blue Preferred gets you 6% cashback on groceries up to $6,000 a year but with a $75 annual fee.  One $500 gift card gets you $30, a net of $24 or 4.8% cashback.  That is very exciting!

The math for the year.  6% of $6,000 is $360.  Annual brings it down to $285 (I got the sign up bonus so annual fee doesn't bother me).  $72 of fees for buying the gift cards and your total haul is $213 per card for not much work.  I have 2 cards so that will be $426 a year extra.  Not too shabby!

Using the Gift cards

What should you do with the gift cards once you buy them?

• Use them like a credit card.  
• You are now getting 4.8% cashback everywhere up to $6000 a year!
• Gift cards can be annoying to keep track of as they start to get in the $20 or less range.  You also want to hold on to them in case you return anything because it usually will go right back on that card.

• Cash them out with Bluebird at Walmart
• These cards are issued by Metabank so you can add a pin to the gift card by calling up (the last 4 digits of the account number should also work but I haven't tried it yet).
• Once you have a pin you can bring it to Walmart and add to your Bluebird account and pay your credit card bill with it. If you bring two cards at a time you have just made $48

Maximizing The Deal - Easy There Cowboy

There are natural limits to this.  You get 6% back on up to $6,000 at grocery stores, after that you only get 1%.  

I have two Blue Preferred cards, one for me and one for my wife.  I now buy one $500 gift card every month.  Once I max out the $6000, I will begin to use my Blue Everyday card for my grocery purchases and get 3% on groceries + over $400 a year!

If that gets maxed out too (life is expensive but unlikely) I will switch my grocery purchases to the Bank of America Cash Rewards, which I normally only use for gas, but gives you back 2.2% at groceries if you have a Bank of America Checking Account.

Don't be an idiot - don't buy $6,000 worth of gift cards in one month.  You have the same $6,000 max for the year whether you buy $500 at a time or $3,000.  If you don't live in Teaneck, I would feel comfortable buying $1,000-$1,500 at a time to avoid extra trips and to minimize the chances that I've already cleared their shelves, jk.

American Express and XBox Live = More Free Money

American Express and XBox Live = More Free Money

As many of my readers are aware, American Express cards can give you amazing value outside of their cashback rewards programs.  There are promotions running all the time that can literally get you plenty of free money and savings on merchandise.

Here is a new one.  Sync your American Express card with your XBox Live account.  You will get a free $10 statement credit to your American Express card.



Every AMEX card I have (and I now have 10 to be exact if you include authorized users - only three which I pay an annual fee for - still worth it) has been worth over $100 to me and that is before Small Business Saturday, which is coming up and will be worth $25 for each card!



Just in the last year, there has been $20 off a $200 purchase at Best Buy ($14 free), which happened twice (another $14), $25 off a $25 purchase in five different places (I was able to get $80 of gift cards for free - a little more difficult to get good free money there), shop small $10 credit ($10 towards a purchase for free in three cities), $20 off a $20 purchase (I got a very cheap game), $10 off a $10 purchase in lower manhattan (I got a $2 flashdrive, you could have gotten a free $10 gift card too) and $5 off spending $5 at redbox and $25 per card for Small Business Saturday from last November.


This doesn't include the $150 you could have gotten for free for signing up for prepaid cards or the $25 per person for free (still going) for signing up for a different amex prepaid cards and the $10 per person for free once you have the prepaid card, but those don't have to do with credit cards and are not eligible for promotions.


If you don't have any American Express cards, get some!  If you aren't planning on using them for rewards, get the cards that don't have an annual fee like Blue Cash everyday, Blue Sky, Blue, Hilton HHonors or Clear.

These promotions are available for any American Express cards you have, regardless of whether there is annual fee.  Also, you are often eligible for a second bonus for any authorized users you add to your account (no extra fees, even if the original card has an annual fee the authorized user will be free).

My Favorite Credit Cards

I love credit cards, probably too much.  My wife thinks I'm crazy, but luckily she lets me do what I want as long as I don't tell her what's going on.  I personally have close to twenty credit cards and I am actively switching which cards I use every month or quarter.  

As my blog has grown (thanks everyone!) more people have been asking which cards to get.  When I start explaining the different cards, they usually get dizzy from the options so I am going to try to keep it simple.  Yeah, this is simple.  If you want to use multiple cards effectively, follow my quarterly "credit cards for your wallet" posts.

Disclaimer: I receive a referral commission for the following link(s) and I greatly appreciate supporting the site: Discover it®

Which credit card should I get?

The most important question to answer for yourself, and this is where it gets a little bit confusing, is to figure out what you spend your money on.  Most credit cards have a tiered system that value different categories of expenditures with higher or lower cashback.

Best Credit Card for Families

1. American Express Blue Cash Preferred - For most families, especially with large families, this is by far the most important card to have.
1. Rewards Breakdown - 6% back for groceries for your first $6,000 in this category, 3% back for gas and department stores and 1% back everywhere else
2. Annual Fee - $75 - 
1. The only card I recommend with an annual fee.  If you spend $50 a week on groceries, the annual fee pays for itself plus the possible benefits of other cards.
3. Sign up Bonus - $150 for spending $1,000 in first three months.
1. Update - The link above is for $100.  You can email me and I will refer you to the $150 sign up.

Best Credit Cards for Singles or Small Families - Categorized by Most Significant Expense

1. Groceries - 
1. PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature - Beware.  They can be a pain to deal with if you have a low income
1. Rewards Breakdown - 2% back for groceries, 3% back for gas, 1% everywhere else.  The numbers are 3% for groceries and 5% for gas until April.
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - None
2. American Express Blue Cash Everyday  
1. Rewards Breakdown - 3% back for groceries, 2% back for gas and department starts, 1% back everywhere else.
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - $100 for spending $1,000 in first three months
1. Update - The link above is for no sign up bonus  You can email me and I will refer you to the $100 sign up.
2. Gas Credit Card
1. PenFed Platinum Cash Rewards - Beware.  They can be a pain to deal with if you have a low income.  
1. Rewards Breakdown - 5% back for gas with a qualifying account, see the link for details
2. Annual Fee - None, if you have a qualifying account, see the link for details
3. Sign up Bonus - None
2. Bank of America Cash Rewards
1. Rewards Breakdown - 3% back for gas, 2% back for groceries and 1% everywhere else.
1. 10% bonus if you redeem into Bank of America checking account so it becomes 3.3%, 2.2% and 1.1%
2. You can also get the Bank of America Privileges card which gives you the same cash back but a 50% bonus instead of 10%.  $75 annual fee unless you have $50,000 in assets with Bank of America or its affiliates.
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - $100 for spending $500 in the first 90 days.
3. General Spending
1. Chase Freedom 
1. Rewards Breakdown - 1% everywhere and 5% rotating quarterly categories (you need to sign up every quarter or you will only get 1%).  Rotating categories are appropriate, like home improvement in the spring, gas, airlines, car rentals, and hotels in the summer, etc.
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - $100 for spending $500 in the first 3 months.
2. Discover it® - If you only want one card, don't get the Discover, get the Chase Freedom.  However, if you are willing to use multiple cards, this is a must have card because of the significant rewards you won't find with any other card.
1. Rewards Breakdown - Same as Freedom with 5% rotating quarterly categories, 
1. Discover has partner gift card that can make your bonuses worth 25% more.  5% becomes 6.25%!
2. In addition, Discover almost always gives the most cashback when you shop through Shop Discover.  Significantly better than Chase's Ultimate Rewards shopping portal.
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - None 
3. Fidelity American Express - If I had to choose only card to keep one credit card (an agonizing thought!), I would keep this card.  That being said, most people won't put in the necessary effort to get it going.  It is a large initial investment of time (a few hours more than all the rest) and money (you get your money back), but once it is set up, it is just as simple as the rest of the cards.  Don't bother if you want to keep things simple, but if you are willing to put in a little bit more effort, this cards is well worth it.
1. Rewards Breakdown - 2% back on everything.  No categories, no exceptions.  
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - None
4. Getting the card - Sign up for a fidelity investment account (no associated fees), which no longer requires any minimum.
4. Airfare
1. PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express - Beware.  They can be a pain to deal with, especially if you have a low income.  Apply at your own risk.
1. Cashback Breakdown - 5% back on airfare, 1% everywhere.  
1. Unlikely to be biggest expense, but a good supplement for those who do spend on airfare.
2. Annual Fee - None
3. Sign up Bonus - $200 towards your next roundtrip flight
5. Free Money 
1. Bank of America Better Balance Rewards Credit Card
1. $ 25 bonus every quarter that you pay your full bill or more than the minimum balance in every month.  Another $5 if you have a Bank of America Checking Account. 

If I missed any details or if you want to suggest a different card, leave a comment or email me

Keep in mind that American Express is constantly running promotions that will get more free money and they have the best customer service by far.  If you have any trouble with a recent purchase, they will take it back even when the merchant won't, no questions asked.  It is worth it to have an American Express card (really, multiple cards) just for the promotions (without an annual fee, of course).

I Missed Out On $50 but I Also Learned Something Valuable (I still want the $50)

I signed up for an Amex Blue Cash Credit Card because it comes with a $100 sign up bonus if you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.

This is a good credit card (3% back on groceries, 2% back on gas/department stores and 1% everywhere else) with no annual fee, but for most families the Amex Blue Cash Preferred Credit Card is better because it gives you 6% back on groceries, 3% back on gas/department stores and 1% everywhere else.  If you spend $50 a week or more on groceries, you have now covered the $75 annual fee.

Either way, I signed up and I forgot about it until the end of the 3 months so I only had a few days to spend $1,000.  I decided that I would buy $1,000 worth of Amazon Gift cards at the grocery store.   I would get $1,000 of gift cards that can be used over time while getting $100 back and another 3% back for buying them at the groceries.  This basically would mean that I would be getting 13% back on my amazon purchases.  Also, once you buy an Amazon gift card you can immediately put the code into your account and you don't have to keep the physical cards around.

I checked my account a few months later and I had been given $30 (3% of $1,000) but I hadn't gotten my $100.

I sent a secure email to Amex asking why I never received my bonus and they emailed me back within a few hours that apparently I had miscalculated.  I bought the gift cards two days after the 3 months had passed so they said I wasn't eligible for the $100 bonus.

I was pretty bummed.  I had lost out on $100 because of two days.  I decided to send another email.  I told them that I am an Amex customer for the last few years and I always pay on time.  Is there any way they can make an exception for me because it was just two days.  The worst they can say was no.  I got another email back that they had spoken to a manager and they decided to award me $50 as a goodwill gesture.  It was my own fault for losing out on the other $50, but at least I was able to get something.  In the end, I will only be getting 8% on my amazon purchases, but that isn't bad either.

It never hurts to ask.  The worst they can say is no.

Credit Cards for Groceries

Bank of America Cash Rewards - 2% back on groceries, 3% on gas, and 1% on everything else.  $100 bonus for spending $500 in first 90 days.


American Express Blue Preferred - 6% on groceries, 3% on gas, 1% on everything else.  Has a $75 annual fee


American Express Blue - 3% on groceries, 2% on gas, 1% on everything else. 

Credit Cards for Gas

Penfed credit card - 1% back on everything and 5% back on all gas purchases.

Bank of America Cash Rewards - 3.3% back on gas, 2.2% on groceries, and 1.1% on everything else after 10% bonus for redeeming into a Bank of America account.  $100 bonus for spending $500 in first 90 days.

American Express Blue Preferred - 3% on gas, 6% on groceries, 1% on everything else.  Has a $75 annual fee


American Express Blue - 2% on gas, 3% on groceries, 1% on everything else. 

I Only Want One Credit Card, Help!

I get this question frequently.  It usually goes something like this, "There are too many cards to choose from and I don't want to have too many cards in my wallet , so which card should I get?"

People usually only want one card because of one or all of the following reasons: They don't want their credit score affected by opening too many cards, don't want a bulky wallet, others don't want to keep track of so many cards both in terms of bills and when to use what card.

The answer to this question is a little complicated.  Different cards are right for every person depending on their spending habits.


When some ask this question, often they mean that they don't want many cards but if they have 2, or maybe even 3 cards, that's okay.  Someone who falls into this category should continue towards the end.  The first section will be dedicated to someone who wants one card only.  I highly recommend more than one card because of the great rewards available if you are willing to have an American Express card, but here are the best non AE cards that I know of:


I would like to start by saying that only one of these cards has an annual fee (American Express Blue Cash Preferred) but if you spend a lot of money on groceries or gas this fee is worth it.

If anyone has a credit card that they like to use please leave a comment and if it is superior I will update the blog.

One Card Only:

If you are only going to have one card, the best card depends upon how you usually spend your money.  However, I would suggest a visa or mastercard, not an american express so that your card is accepted everywhere (unless you carry plenty of cash with you anyway)

I don't have any specific categories that I spend money in:
There are probably three cards to choose from for this person.

1) Fidelity Visa Card/Capital One Cash Rewards - both give you 1.5% back for every purchase.  The capital one card gives you 1% back and then gives you another .5% at the end of the year but there is a sign up bonus of $100 after you spend $500 in the first 3 months.  The Fidelity card gives you 1.5% back once you reach a certain threshold of rewards (I don't have their Visa - I have the Fidelity American Express which gives you $50 after you spend $2,500).  The annoying thing with the Fidelity card is that you need a Fidelity account, which requires a one time $2,500 deposit, which can be transferred out once the account has been opened.

2) Chase Freedom - 1% back on every purchase but 5% back in rotating categories, which last a few months (currently Gas and travel purchases) - up to $75 back for each category.  For a calender of what gets you 5% back, go to chase.com/freedom.   Plus you can get a $100 sign up bonus when you spend $500 in the first 3 months.

I spend a lot of money on gas and groceries

There is really only one visa or mastercard that I know of that is right for you.

Bank of America Cash Rewards - this card gets you the regular 1% back on every purchase but gives you an additional 3% back on gas and 2% back on groceries.

I spend a whole lot of money on gas

Penfed credit card - 1% back on everything and 5% back on all gas purchases.  Beware of this card.  I tried to get it and you have to go through a whole bunch of hoops to qualify.  I was unable to get it (mostly because of a lack of income) even though I have qualified for every other credit card.


I am willing to have two cards:

If you are willing to have more than one card I would suggest an American Express credit card as your standard card and a visa or mastercard as your second card for when your AE is not accepted.


I don't have any specific categories that I spend money in:

Best overall card is the Fidelity American Express - this card gives you 2% back on everything.  There are drawbacks.  Read this link for more information on advantages and disadvantages of this card.

I spend a lot of money on gas and groceries:

American Express Blue, American Express Blue Preferred and Bank of America Cash Rewards - The regular American Express Blue gives you 1% back on everything, 3% on groceries and 2% on gas.  The Bank of America card gives you 1% back on everything, 2% on groceries and 3% on gas.  You have to see whether you spend more more on groceries or more money on gas to decide between the two.
The American Express Blue Preferred gives you 1% back on everything, 6% back on groceries and 3% back on gas.  Unfortunately, it has an annual fee of $75.  However, if you spend $500 in the first 60 days you get $100 so the first year the annual fee can be a non issue.
If you spend just $2,500 a year on groceries you would get $75 back for the 3% card and $150 for the 6% card.  
For more reading on these cards take a look at this link.