Introducing: The $100,000 Manufactured Spend Challenge
Are you ready to join me on a wild ride through the world of manufactured spending (MS)? Buckle up, because we're in for a fun and exciting journey.
For those of you who are new to the concept of manufactured spending, it's essentially the process of using credit cards to purchase items that can be easily converted back into cash. The goal is to earn rewards points or miles without actually spending any money. Check out our beginner’s guide on MS for more info.
The $100,000 Challenge
My goal for 2023 is to achieve $100,000 in manufactured spending for MS. That's a lofty goal, but I'm confident that with some hard work and dedication, I can make it happen. Fortunately, I am also playing on 2-player mode (My partner is happy to let me churn on her accounts), which makes things easier.
Here is how I expect things to go:
| Credit Card | MS Amount | Expected Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex Delta Reserve | $30,000 | 25,000 MQM, 30,000 Miles | This will be enough to get me to Delta Platinum status for 2023/2024! |
| Amex Gold | $25,000 | 225,000 MR | Have 3 month 9x reward offer on grocery spend. This is from referring my partner to an Amex Gold! |
| Amex Gold (Partner) | $3,000 | 90,000 MR | Focused only on sign-up bonus |
| Chase Cards (TBD) | $42,000 | 210,000 UR | Details TBD while I focus on the above cards |
This will net me 30,000 Delta Miles, 315,000 MR, and 210,000 UR. Based on my previous experiences, I expect I can redeem them for 1.3 cpp (Delta miles), 2 cpp (MR), and 2 cpp (UR). And I haven’t even touched on the great benefits that come with Delta Platinum (more on that another day).
This comes out to $9840 in earnings!
And I will still have more earning opportunities this year! I have ample room to replace the TBD Chase cards option with various cards with juicier sign-up bonuses.
My ultimate goal here is to achieve all of this without spending any money out of pocket. This may be a tall order, but I'm up for the challenge.
Throughout this journey, I'll be as transparent as possible with the techniques I'm using. If you're new to MS, follow along with me and learn the process! I have lots of ideas for unique MS techniques that I haven't found elsewhere, and I can't wait to share them with you.
As someone who works full-time, I need to do MS in a scalable manner. My hope is that by the end of the year, I'll have a mostly automated method for MS that can be easily replicated.
So, what is my success criteria? I'm looking for an automated, scalable strategy that will allow me to achieve $100,000 in spend while coming out on top financially. Along the way, I'll be sharing DPs (data points) so you can follow along with my progress.
And, as a side goal, I hope to create a community of MS enthusiasts who can learn and grow together.
So, are you ready to join me on this exciting journey? Let's get started and see where it takes us!
Follow along with the latest updates on our main $100,000 MS Challenge page!
