Getting spending up without the Mint

[84fiero]

Originally Posted by cloudeleven

This wouldn't work, would it? They take the miles back if you do a refund that puts you below the spending threshold.

Probably so, if you outright refunded it back to your card. I was thinking more along the lines of being able to change the ticket at will later on once plans were firm or applying towards a different routing, rather than a straight up refund. You've at least met the spend for now and have options even if you might be shelling out for it sooner than you otherwise would. Just a thought, may not work for the OP's situation...especially with a few K to meet the threshold.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by kendenton

You can add "every local bank branch now hates you and your coins" to the list

hahahaha yeah!
they all hate me. but bofa in my area now adheres to what they claim is the high on policy for coins like ours... they will accept ANY amount... ANY. As long as you get some big bags from them, bag $1k per bag, write your acct number on them, and go into a branch and give them to them... then wait up to about a week for them to be taken and verified and then credited to your acct.


In my experience it takes 1 hr to bag $8k in coins, or 7.5 mins per $1,000.

You could watch a few full length feature films on TV one night and do up about $50k in 6.5hrs... just be sure your branch can store them in their back room til the trucks pick up.

Originally Posted by ninano

Just curious. Isn't there any problem with differences between the billing address(your mother's) and shipping address(yours) for any online orders?? Thanks.

In the mint ordering system you can specify if the billing addy is the same as shipping. Say NO and it lets you change the info you typed into billing. This is where you tell it to now send to person X and at address Y.

I could also have the coins shipped to her at her home and then just show up on the days they deliver and bring them to all the banks in her area--but then one day she will stop into some bank to talk to Mildred, who she's known for like 30 years and the old lady will tilt down her spectacles and whisper quietly that this acct has been closed hahahaha

[azepine00]

Is the topic of this thread

Getting spending up without the Mint 2011

?

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by azepine00

Is the topic of this thread

?

tis indeed... and yet, once the mint comes back, such info will be helpful to those who need it. As will any other tips that have been offered in the past few pages of posts made by me and many others in here!

Have you got any spending ideas to share with us??

[azepine00]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

tis indeed... and yet, once the mint comes back, such info will be helpful to those who need it. As will any other tips that have been offered in the past few pages of posts made by me and many others in here!

Have you got any spending ideas to share with us??

No and I came to this thread looking for ideas... Alas, despite a very clear title, I found yet another discussion on US Mint

[ingetraud]

I would buy Trader Joe's gift cards. I spend a minimum of $100 per week there and so would use them up.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by azepine00

No and I came to this thread looking for ideas... Alas, despite a very clear title, I found yet another discussion on US Mint

well then it's time you (and all of us) try to construct ways to do what we need to do WITHOUT it!

Some of my methods do in fact involve it, but even so, some things mentioned in here are viable options for at least making it so one can in fact make a spending requirement on time and in full.

Buying certs (from idine, etc) or giftcards (on big crumbs, etc) for later use IS definitely a way to do this. Yes, it requires front loading and not everyone is willing or able to pre pay for things... (example: I know I will buy another season ski pass for upwards of $1,300 in Aug or Sept so I guess if it were available right now I COULD consider buying it early, but it's not so maybe getting gift cards now with my new CC would be a way to solve the problem... then again, can I really afford to spend that money TODAY and it's not even summer yet?)

But there are so many creative things that COULD be done here. I mean... call this nuts but how many times have you stood in line at some store and watched all those poor saps using CASH or DEBIT to buy stuff and you are holding your miles card ready to buy your item? I have often wondered if I should like offer one of them something JUST to be able to swipe and have them hand me the cash. I dunno.

What if you went bigger and learned of people in the auto repair world... It can cost several hundred if not thousands for some work on cars... We had an accident last year that was not our fault and we were able to use the SPG Amex to pay for everything and the insurance co reimbursed us with a check a month later. Not that you wanna troll repair shops looking for accident victims but c'mon... you MUST know someone who needs car work done and you could pay it with your CC on their behalf.

Me? I need work done on my house--gonna finish the basement at some point so Lowes and Home Depot might be my second home soon. I will need to buy all kinds of wood and supplies to get it done. I also need a new AC/repairs to it in one of our cars... could be $60 or $600! And I like to fill my oil tank in the spring when rates are a bit lower so next fall is covered. I also have a pellet stove and when those go on sale, a few tons of pellets is a few hundred bucks as well.

Find guys like me who hate using CCs. Be their friend.

Surely YOU can come up with --and offer up some ideas like this as well.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by ingetraud

I would buy Trader Joe's gift cards. I spend a minimum of $100 per week there and so would use them up.

yah excellent idea! I mean not that we all can always afford it, but we DO spend $$$ at stores like that every week whether or not we wish to admit it, so buying say 10 of those would be golden!

[Marathon Man]

...and heck, why not get the AMEX GCs from big crumbs at 1.6% cash back... then use THOSE to buy the trader Joes GCs at the store. You just MADE money to get something you will use anyway. Makes the front loading of funds kinda more worth it, eh?

[Marathon Man]

forgot about this stuff:

1) starbucks buy and return of store GC:

• walk into starbucks
• pay $500 to max load a store giftcard
• do not use it or even register it. Just do not use it.
• call corporate.
• tell them you had bought it for some work promo and decided to not do it
• ask for a refund.
• they will ask info and send you a check in 30 days
• keep the card and store receipt in case someone calls along the way to verify.
• This could work for you maybe 2x in a year

2) Amazon payments

• find threads on it in FT - so do a search
• load $1k with a CC
• pay someone (like your SO) without fees.
• repeat

3) store returns that give the return back in different forms

• buy 10 $50 coffee makers at starbucks
• bring them back the next day or to another store.
• return them and say you do not have your CC.
• provide any card--like a debit card that links to your bank and has the 16 digits.
• get money, keep the miles from original purchase.
• this also works at West Marine and sometimes at Walmart

4) costco

• look it up. I aint sayin' no more on that one!

certs for my enjoyment can be sent to me at my po box and I will provide it to those who feel like PMing me thanking me for being nice and giving many many ways to have just made your 50k-100k spending requirements WITHOUT coins in play.

[Thunderroad]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

forgot about this stuff:

1) starbucks buy and return of store GC:

• walk into starbucks
• pay $500 to max load a store giftcard
• do not use it or even register it. Just do not use it.
• call corporate.
• tell them you had bought it for some work promo and decided to not do it
• ask for a refund.
• they will ask info and send you a check in 30 days
• keep the card and store receipt in case someone calls along the way to verify.
• This could work for you maybe 2x in a year

2) Amazon payments

• find threads on it in FT - so do a search
• load $1k with a CC
• pay someone (like your SO) without fees.
• repeat

3) store returns that give the return back in different forms

• buy 10 $50 coffee makers at starbucks
• bring them back the next day or to another store.
• return them and say you do not have your CC.
• provide any card--like a debit card that links to your bank and has the 16 digits.
• get money, keep the miles from original purchase.
• this also works at West Marine and sometimes at Walmart

4) costco

• look it up. I aint sayin' no more on that one!

certs for my enjoyment can be sent to me at my po box and I will provide it to those who feel like PMing me thanking me for being nice and giving many many ways to have just made your 50k-100k spending requirements WITHOUT coins in play.

Thanks! Do you take credit cards?

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by Thunderroad

Thanks! Do you take credit cards?

lol well I do have that SQUARE thingy but aint never used it and it charges a 2.7% fee lol

nah, but I should haha

[jmsfla2002]

Originally Posted by Marathon Man

forgot about this stuff:

3) store returns that give the return back in different forms[list][*]buy 10 $50 coffee makers at starbucks[*]bring them back the next day or to another store.[*]return them and say you do not have your CC. [*]provide any card--like a debit card that links to your bank and has the 16 digits.[*]get money, keep the miles from original purchase. [*]this also works at West Marine and sometimes at Walmart

This works at Nordstorm's if you return a gift and don't have a receipt. They will ask you how you want to receive the refund including an immediate refund to your bank account with your debit card.

[cynicalbuthopeful]

our vet bill is -- well, on the high side. They don't blink if I ask to pre-pay via credit card (between shots, meds, tests, appts for two dogs -- you wouldn't believe it).

[caGALINDO]

Spill the beans oh spill the beans..