Pi Day Pie for 3.14 points per dollar

13

Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is happening now! Follow us as Greg, Nick, and Stephen compete to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines before November 23rd. Who will complete the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?

Follow along here!

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:

BostonMarket

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:

Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

13 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Nick

You lucky Americans get all the goodies. In other parts of the world its the 14th of March 2014 DD/MM/YY

Carlos @ TheFrugalWeds

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!

Tim

People who complained need Pi thrown in their faces. It’s just a fun post, chill out!

Jason

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.

Heather Miller

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.

Scottrick

For an advanced lesson, how does one earn 3.14159… miles per dollar?

FrequentMiler

Ha has yes next year I’ll have to do 3.1415 points per dollar since it will be 3/14/15

Mike U

LOL! Step 3

Varun

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.

Ollie

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.

Victor

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? 🙂

JD

Can I have my 30 seconds back? This is the epitome of a filler post, absolutely useless.

Chris

^ quit whining.