I am obsessed with racking up American Express Membership Rewards points. I have two Amex cards: a Platinum for personal use and a corporate Business card. I put virtually everything on my Amex in order to get points (even phone bills!). Thanks to these points, I have been able to score all sorts of goods, from Louboutins at Neiman Marcus to free nights at luxury hotels in Florence. This fall, I intend to use my points for back-to-school gear, and I have a big list of items. How, do you ask? Because I can take my card and plug into Amazon where is lets me pay with points or I can cash them out for gift cards at Saks, Best Buy and Neiman Marcus!
Starting with this Samsung camera, complete with WiFi, which I’ll need for capturing photos of my son’s school events. How cool that I’ll be able to upload right onto Facebook to share pictures with his aunts and uncles immediately?! The iPhone just does not take sufficient photos when he’s on stage or in the middle of the gym doing his cartwheels for gymnastic meets!
I’ll need the Derek Lam 10 Crosby outfit for parent orientation night. I like to turn those evenings into date nights with the hubby (a legitimate excuse!), so this pairing of casual-chic pants and breezy blouse is perfect. Of course, then I’ll require nice shoes and a necklace for said date night. Diane von Furstenberg’s heels are considered school-appropriate in my book (they’re not as crazy as my usual 6″ glittery platforms!) and Ashley Pittman’s African horn-chain necklace provides a splash of glamour without going overboard. As for the bag, do I need an excuse to get a new bag?! I think not. A bold leopard tote by Jerome Dreyfuss is an instant classic.
To sweeten the deal even more, right now American Express is holding a series of Twitter sweepstakes, in honor of their Back to School on Points initiative. All you have to do is tweet a photo of one of your must-have items (pulled from an authorized retailer, like Saks or Neiman’s) @AmericanExpress, and they will pick a winner daily! The winner gets an entire prize pack from the chosen retailer. CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL SWEEPSTAKES PAGE TO ENTER!
But don’t worry if you don’t win. Start charging everything (even groceries) on your Amex, and soon you will have enough points to get whatever your heart desires.