Thanksgiving weekend is busy for everybody, and as it leads into Christmas and the New Year, life just seems to get busier and busier. By the time you catch some down time you’re going to want to treat yourself to something nice; maybe a trip or some other special pick-me-up. Some of us here at Family Fun Canada can be described as true AIR MILES obsessives, searching out all the bonus offers, going out of the way to double dip… Well, the satisfaction of watching those reward miles rack up is pretty hard to beat, especially when you have a pretty major vacation goal in mind. Melissa, our queen AIR MILES compulsive, went to France for 10 days last year using reward miles for airfare, accommodation, and sightseeing! With Thanksgiving this weekend you might be feeling the stress of having to put together your meal or traveling to visit family. Why not make a game of trying to earn reward miles with just about everything you buy? Knowing that your next vacation or other special treat is that much closer to being within your reach makes grocery shopping seem less of a chore.

So how can we all pay for a trip to France (or wherever you want to go) using reward miles? Here are some of our tips for making the most of your collecting:

1. Get yourself an American Express AIR MILES Credit Card. The Card will help you earn reward miles faster and you’ll also receive great benefits. Amex AIR MILES Card members can earn Miles twice, when shopping at participating AIR MILES Sponsors across Canada with their Card and using their AIR MILES Collector Card. Use it for all of your Thanksgiving purchases to max your reward miles collection!

2. Eat your way to rewards. If you’re planning a big turkey with all the fixings, plot to shop an AIR MILES Sponsor. Safeway, IGA, Metro, Sobey’s Atlantic, and other great stores all allow you to collect reward miles. Don’t forget to hit a partnering liquor store too so that you can earn reward miles from your glass of Thanksgiving cheer!

3. Traveling to see family? If you need to rent a car, be sure to use a car rental company that is an AIR MILES Sponsor, such as Alamo, National, and Budget. Whether you’re renting or driving your own vehicle, gas up at Shell or Irving for even more miles. If you’re lucky enough to get a night or two in a hotel rather than having to sleep on your great-aunt’s pull-out couch, there are many AIR MILES sponsors that will be happy to welcome you.

4. Coupons! Pay attention to your coupons! When your coupons come in the mail, file them accordingly and use them for things you know you’ll need over the holidays so that you’ll rack up the reward miles! You can also print offers off of the AIR MILES website!

5. Treat yourself. Okay, so the whole point of maxing your reward miles is to get a treat down the road, but why not get yourself a little treat now to get you through the weekend? Get some fresh fall colored flowers to spruce up your home for the big meal, or maybe something slinky (Victoria’s Secret is a partner!), or something as simple as a new lip gloss from another convenient partner, Sephora (only available through airmilesshops.ca).

6. Make sure you take advantage of special offers: right now, American Express AIR MILES Card members can earn 100 Bonus AIR MILES reward miles when you enroll your Amex AIR MILES Card and charge at least 3 separate purchases to your Card by October 10th, It’s just one more way to bulk up your reward miles to get you closer to your goal. For more details: www.airmiles.ca/amexfalloffer2

This post was sponsored by Amex Bank of Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.