Below is my plan for Q1 2025 using my custom cashback strategy as described in my article: Introducing My 5%+ Custom Cashback Strategy. (Some has changed since I wrote the aforementioned article, like I product changed my Citi Custom Cash for Citi Double Cash recently, as I am getting a lot of use out of several 2% cashback cards lately; but the article should still be useful I think especially the phone wallpaper idea.)
Rotating Categories for Q1 2025.
Discover It Cashback (DICB) is Restaurants, Home Improvement, Streaming Services
Chase Freedom Flex (CFF) is Grocery Stores, Fitness Clubs & Gyms along with Hair, Nails & Spa.
My plan with my six custom cashback cards:
| Chase Freedom Flex (CFF) | Grocery Stores (9% CB — first year having this CFF) Won’t spend in gyms and beauty salons |
| Discover It Cashback (DICB) | Restaurants & Fast Food Home Improvement (Backup to gift cards from Pepper etc.) |
| Citi Custom Cash (CCC) | I no longer have this card as I PC’d it to Citi Double Cash. I’ll work on getting this card again in the future. If I had this card I would of picked drugstores. |
| Kroger Rewards | Mobile Wallet Purchases, including: 1) Drugstores — for my prescription drugs 2) Auto Fuel — but I now have the Citi Shop Your Way (SYW) card so will use that instead. |
| US Bank Cash+ | Utilities & Dept. Stores — eBay also codes as Dept. Stores |
| Chase Ink Cash (CIC) | Internet & Phone |
| Pepper App | For 10-12%+ back on Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s, etc. |
| Catchall / SUB | Discover It Miles (DIM) & Synchrony Premier Mastercard (SPM) |
Again, as mentioned in my linked article above, this cashback strategy has been backtested for many years and works well on getting 5% cashback on almost anything.
I am not working on any credit cards SUBs right now so I’ll just use my primary catchall everywhere I can, which is the Discover It Miles (DIM) card. I’ll carry the Synchrony Premier Mastercard (SPM) as a backup in case the merchant doesn’t accept Discover.
I’ll be carry four cards this quarter: DIM, SPM, SYW & DICB and using my wallpaper to remind me which card to use.
My iPhone Wallpaper for Q1 2025:
AP = Apple Pay. WP = Walmart Pay.
Why the switch of Citi Custom to double cash if you have other 2% cards?