Lured by a shiny 150K mile sign-on bonus, I caved and opened my first American Express card late last year. The Amex Platinum has a very hefty annual fee at $695 – so maximizing all the various partner credits has been key to making it worthwhile. Thankfully, I’ve been able to use credits for services that I already had prior to getting the card, which means I’m not spending more than I would otherwise.
My current set-up:
- $100 Saks Fifth Avenue
- $200 select airline expenses (I transfer the $200 to United’s Travelbank as cash, which I then use to purchase flights later)
- $200 Uber & UberEATS
- $240 select entertainment expenses (covers my NYTimes subscription)
The $100 Saks credit is actually a $50 credit every 6 months, from January 1 to June 30 and then July 1 to December 31. While Saks predominantly carries expensive designer and luxury brands, I’ve been able to find several contenders that are closer to the $50 mark.
Many of these also make great gifts! So I hope this list is helpful for others trying to find a reasonable purchase for their Amex credit:
Beauty
- Aesop: Make your bathroom feel like your favorite high-end spa or restaurant. The Resolute balm is my favorite lotion, with a spicy, woodsy aroma that isn’t too overpowering. My mom loves the Resurrection balm with its citrusy notes.
- Sunscreen: Several options here – my personal favorites are Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen for face, and their Play sunscreen for body. The latter is what I used my most recent credit on (yes, stocked up and bought 3).
- Kiehls: A classic. One of the most affordable brands listed here!
- Sunday Riley: Known for their skincare products containing ingredients like retinol, Vitamin C, lactic acid and more.
Shoes & Accessories
- Converse: A classic. The original low-top and high-top Chuck Taylors are around the ~$65 mark, which is much more budget friendly than other shoe options on the site.
- Bombas: I have been wearing Bombas socks for several years now, and have been pleased with their quality and wear. The classic ankle socks are great for exercise and every, and their wool socks and slippers are great for colder months (and gifting).
- Hyperice Massage Guns: Several friends swear by this brand’s massage guns, and prefer them over the more well-known Theragun.
Home & Kitchen
- Corksicle: Insulated bottles and mugs, ranging from classic single-color bottles to fun ones like this Gray Malin version or this subtle and festive Snow White mug. For summer, I’m digging these iridescent stemless glasses
- Games & Puzzles: These probably don’t come to mind first when thinking of Saks, but they have a decent collection from kid favorites like Mindware (my nephew loves the dinosaur dig up kits) and elevated classics like this Umbra connect four
- Diptyque: The woodsy Feu de Bois is my favorite scent of all time
- Assouline Books: The ultimate coffee books with a fun variety of cover styles to match any living room.
- Electrolux: In need of a new clothing steamer or iron? Not the most exciting of purchases, but wonderfully functional
- Jonathan Adler: Fun an funky home decor, like this mug for only $25.
- TOPTOTE Hat Holder Clip: Randomly stumbled across these hat clips that can hold wide flat brimmed hats off of a tote bag, which will be handy for summer
Partnership Disclosure: This blog post was not sponsored by any of the brands listed above. As always, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, in which I earn a commission on purchases.
