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Every year I like to celebrate Pi day (March 14, AKA 3/14, AKA 3.14) by showing a way to buy pie and earn 3.14 points per dollar along the way. Keep in mind, this is a fun challenge, but not a recommended approach to buying pie.
Tools needed
In order to earn 3.14 points per dollar buying pie, you need the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. As in past years, we’re going to take advantage of the fact that the Sapphire Preferred card gives cardholders a 7% annual dividend. So, if you earn 2 points per dollar with your Sapphire card, that becomes 2.14 points per dollar with the annual dividend. We just need a way to tack on one more point per dollar…
Step 1: Go through Ultimate Rewards Mall to GiftCertificates.com
Make sure to log in with your Sapphire Preferred card so that points earned from the mall will get the 7% annual dividend. Currently, the Ultimate Rewards Mall is offering 2 points per dollar at GiftCertificates.com. Click through to GiftCertificates.com.
Step 2: Buy restaurant gift certificate
Pick a restaurant that sells pie and buy a gift card. For example, Boston Market lists the following on their menu:
Pay with a card that earns only 1 point per dollar at GiftCertificates.com. For example, pay with a Chase Ink card or a Chase Freedom card (but only if you do not qualify for the Freedom card’s annual 10% bonus given to checking account holders!). You cannot pay with the Sapphire Preferred card because the point earned from this purchase will qualify for the 7% annual dividend, and that will mess up our math.
Step 3: Use the gift card to buy pie
Eating the pie is optional, but expected.
Add it up
Here’s how the above procedure results in 3.14 points per dollar:
- Ultimate Rewards Mall: 2 points per dollar
- Sapphire Preferred 7% Annual Dividend: .14 points per dollar
- Credit card spend: 1 point per dollar
- Total: 2 + .14 + 1 = 3.14 points per dollar
Happy Pi Day!
See also these past Pi Day posts:
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You lucky Americans get all the goodies. In other parts of the world its the 14th of March 2014 DD/MM/YY
I found this post (and subsequent comments) to be hilarious. As long as the majority of posts offer good info I am not going to complain. Happy Pi Day!
People who complained need Pi thrown in their faces. It’s just a fun post, chill out!
We celebrate Pi Day at home(house full of Science lovers).
Great post and +1 to Scottrick.
It seems pretty childish that someone would take the time to post how they did not like an article instead of clicking the mouse and moving on to another site. Sour grapes to the haters.
Yes, next year’s Pi Day will be better (3/14/15).
MileValue can show us how what we all think of as 3.14 UR points are actually worth 3.141519.. points after all.
For an advanced lesson, how does one earn 3.14159… miles per dollar?
Ha has yes next year I’ll have to do 3.1415 points per dollar since it will be 3/14/15
LOL! Step 3
This really is a filler post. Every year you do the same thing. Buy something through the UR Mall using the CSP from a store that gives 2 points per dollar that eventually gives 3.14.
What Chris said above! Amazing information almost daily and you complain about this fun post. I enjoy some fun post in-between the hard core points gathering.
That’s too easy, FM. In the spirit of maximizing points, how about a Pi Day bonus where you show your readers how to get 2X Pi or more? 🙂
Can I have my 30 seconds back? This is the epitome of a filler post, absolutely useless.
^ quit whining.