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Did you know that July is National Anti-Boredom Month? Well, if you've been bored recently, now you know it's your duty to take steps to break out of your funk. In fact, you should feel downright obligated to get out of your chair and go have a good time.
You can spend a little or a lot. I've got some ideas here for every wallet size. I'll start with a card that offers fun for just a few bucks and end with a card where the sky's the limit---literally.
Go to the movies (on a Friday)
Visa Signature cards: On Fridays, you can use Fandango to purchase tickets and get two for the price of one. You get up to $19 per ticket, so you can even go in the evening if you're tired of going to the cheaper matinees.
If you're not sure if you have a Visa Signature card, look on the front of the card. It will be clearly marked. Here are a few examples of Visa Signature cards: Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card, Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase and United Mileage Plus Signature Visa card.
Go to a theme park
Discover More Card: Nothing like a roller coaster to shake off the blahs, especially if you go hands-free and scream the whole way. Use your Discover More card and earn up to 5 percent on gas, hotels, movies, and theme parks through September. Spend $150 at your favorite theme park and get back $7.50. You also get 5 percent cash back on the gas it takes to get you to and from the park. Your lunch at the park is almost free! On second thought, given the prices at these parks, $7.50 probably only covers a cheeseburger. But still, it's nice to get a price break on something.
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Drive to the closest major city and stay overnight
Chase Freedom Visa - $100 Cash Back: This card offers 5 percent cash back on rotating categories. From now through September, you get 5 percent on gas, airlines and hotels up to $1,500. Let's say the gas and a night at a nice hotel costs you about $250. You'll get $12.50 back.
Oh, and you get a $200 sign-up bonus after you spend $500 in your first three months. So you eventually get back $200 plus the $12.50 cash back bonus. Your overnight trip to a nice hotel costs you about $37.50. Not bad at all!
Do something wild and crazy
Have you ever dreamed of riding in a race car? How about flying with a Top Gun fighter pilot? All you have to do is visit XperienceDays, a web site that offers unique "experience" gifts. But if you're in need of some fun, there's nothing wrong with buying yourself a gift. You can search by city if you want do something that's within driving distance. Or you can search by activity if you're willing to hop on a plane for just the right experience. When you purchase an activity for yourself or as a gift for someone else, you get an Xperience Days gift certificate that you can redeem when it's convenient.
Costs vary widely, of course, but here are a few examples of what you can expect to pay. For just $50, you can sail for two hours on Lake Tahoe. For $129, you can be a passenger in a NASCAR stock car and race along the track at 180 MPH. If that doesn't sound exciting enough, for around $2,000, you can fly with a Top Gun fighter pilot and experience an aerobatic dogfight.
You can use any credit card to buy an "experience." But if you use an American Express card and you're enrolled in the Membership Rewards program, you get double rewards points. If you're interested in flying somewhere for an adventure, consider using the Blue Sky Preferred from American Express card. You'll get a $100 annual airline allowance to pay for baggage fees and in-flight purchases. And you get double points on dining, hotel and car rental purchases.
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At publishing time, the Discover More Card and Chase Freedom Visa - $100 Cash Back are offered on Credit.com product pages and Credit.com may be compensated if our users apply for and ultimately sign up for a card. However, this relationship does not result in ANY preferential editorial treatment.
Image: Brian Gurrola, via Flickr.com