Provided that you're responsible about credit card use, put everything you can on your airline mile or hotel point-earning credit cards. If Amex isn't widely accepted in the Milwaukee area, a good second choice might be a Marriott Signature Visa card (if you qualify), or the lower level Marriott card. A Citi Thank You Points-earning card can also be useful (TYP can be used to book travel with Expedia as well as for hotel gift cards with certain chains).

Consider boosting your mile/point totals by making purchases through the internet "earnings malls" established by some programs (e.g. Thank You Network, Marriott, Hilton, Amex). Simply by clicking through the program's weblink to the internet retailer you were going to purchase from anyway can generate hundreds of points per purchase (usually between 1-10 points per $ spent). Of course, you have to keep in mind that there may be delivery charges for internet purchases, but if you were going to buy from an internet retailer anyway, why not earn extra points while you're at it?