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Today is March 14th! In the United States, we refer to this as Pi Day because of the way we write dates. Most people in the world write the date as Day/Month/Year. That makes sense: go from most granular to least in progression. In the United States, just as we adamantly refuse to use the sensible metric system, we also refuse to write dates in a sensible order. Our dates go Month/Day/Year. And, sometimes we leave off the year and simply write Month/Day. The benefit of this approach is that one day a year the date is 3/14 which can also be written as 3.14 which also happens to be the first 3 digits in Pi. Therefore, March 14th is Pi Day.
Since Pi sounds like “pie”, it makes sense to celebrate Pi Day by eating pie. This is also the one day of the year where it is imperative that rather than maximizing cost savings or point earnings, you should try to earn 3.14% cash back or 3.14 points per dollar for any pie you buy. This is not an easy task, but luckily for you, Frequent Miler is here to help…
3.14% Cash Back
TopCashBack is a cash back portal. The general idea is to start your online shopping at TopCashBack, click through to the merchant you want to shop at, and if all goes well you’ll eventually get some extra cash back for whatever you buy. At my suggestion (thank you!), TopCashBack is celebrating Pi day by offering 3.14% cash back at PlasticJungle (today only).
PlasticJungle is a gift card reseller. They buy and sell discount gift cards. The trick today, is to go through TopCashBack to PlasticJungle and buy an e-gift card to a store or restaurant that sells pie. Once the gift card arrives, print it out, and go visit the local merchant to buy the pie.
3.14 Points per Dollar
If you prefer miles and points over cash back, you’re in luck. There is a way to earn 3.14X while buying pie today. Here’s how:
- Log into the Ultimate Rewards Mall with your Chase Sapphire Preferred account (this part is very important).
- Find and click through to Groupon, which is currently offering 2 bonus points per dollar through the mall.
- On the Groupon site, find a local deal for a restaurant or market that sells pie. Pizza pie is a good option if you’re not yet ready for dessert (see picture below).
- Pay with a card that earns only 1 point per dollar. Do not pay with your Sapphire Preferred card which earns 2.14X at restaurants and 1.07X elsewhere (because of its 7% annual dividend).
Why this works: If you follow the instructions above, you will earn 2 points per dollar on your Sapphire Preferred account and 1 point per dollar on another card. At the end of the year, your Sapphire Preferred account will earn its 7% annual point dividend, so the 2 points per dollar you earned will become 2.14 points per dollar. When added to the 1 point per dollar you earned on another card, you will have earned 3.14 points per dollar!
Happy Pi Day!
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[…] 2013: Pi Day! Pie for 3.14% cash or 3.14X […]
@John and Sally – Email sent, fingers crossed 🙂
Hi Ken,
Please could you email me on contact@topcashback.com
FAO SALLY.
I will then look at your account and give you an update.
Have a great day!
Many thanks,
Sally
Hi Ken,
I’m sorry that you have had a problem here. Can you email contact@topcashback.com and I will chase it up for you? Please put FAO John on the email.
Best wishes,
John
@TCB – I submitted a case last month and still nothing has been updated with the Pi day promo. Nor has my case about the Virgin Mobile phones I bought back in November been updated. It’s been over 5 months, how much time does it take for you guys to get your act together?
Hi Everyone,
@Zac- did you manage to find the rate?
For anyone who has made a transaction but can’t see a tracking transaction can you go to ‘customer care’, click ‘view or lodge a claim’ and submit a missing cashback claim?
Many thanks,
TopCashBack
Ken: I received my notifications the next day. Have you received any yet?
FM: Nope, no email, and no record of it on TCB’s website.
I sold a $100 Target GC this afternoon to PJ and I haven’t gotten an email from TCB, and there isn’t any mention of PJ cashback yet. How long does it normally take?
So does that mean July 22 in Pi day in Europe?!
for the mathmatically challanged: Pi is derived by dividing 22 by 7
Again with the TCB? Good luck dealing with them!
Just sold a $100 Target GC to PJ that I got from using $10GC with $75 coupons back in December. Since Target no longer sells Amazon GCs I got an AZ GC in return from PJ. Yay!
I had a problem on my order today and found the customer service telephone number is “(877) MY-JUNGLE”. When I really typed it on my cell phone, my first reaction is “What heck!” It is not a 10-digit number!!!! Then I realized it is (877) 695-8645. Very nice representative, problem solved!
Next year, we get pi month 🙂
For a more vulgar celebration, today is also Steak & BJ day, one month after Valentine’s day. Omaha Steaks in the UR mall gives out 6X.
P.S. May the 4th be with you is my favorite day of the year. Star Wars day!