I happened to be driving past our local Costco store today on my way back from a meeting in Mississauga and I thought to myself, ‘why not stop in and see what new Christmas decorations they have out this year? As much as I enjoy saving money, I find some of the Costco deals are too good to pass up, especially on the everyday items that our house seems to go through. So I left the store with a full cart of Christmas presents, thrilled to have a jumpstart on the season. I tried to get out of Costco for under $100.

For me, shopping at Costco is an exercise in restraint that I always seem to lose. I think I need to shop less on emotion and more on practicality, but the deals sometimes are too good. Lucky for my family, we have been using our TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express to maximize our rewards mileage. Every purchase we make on the card entitles us to cash back at the end of the year.

I have been using the TrueEarnings Card for gasoline purchases on my two family vehicles, dinner tabs at restaurants, and even to pay for my newspaper subscriptions delivered to the house. Every dollar I spend results in cash-back rewards payable directly to me in January.

I have given up on using other rewards cards, as the rules and regulations became too discombobulated. I feel like I am always looking out for number one when I use the Card, as I know I will be receiving the royalties. We switched to the TrueEarnings Card for every purchase. And with no annual fee, you can earn right away without having to earn enough to cover the cost of the fee. Simple. One of the coolest things about the Card is that there is no limit on the rewards payable. Spend and spend until your hearts content, you are the beneficiary of your purchases.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, the TrueEarnings Card is like a gift to myself, nestled in my wallet. I think come January, I might even have enough rewards accumulated to pay for my flight to Florida for my Aunt and Uncle's 50th anniversary.

Until next time...