Every time I spend, I get 5% cash back.

Well not every time I spend, but pretty close. Most of my expenses tend to be in the groceries, drugstore, and dining out categories. And through the clever use of certain credit cards, I get 5% back!

The two main credit cards I use are the Citi Dividend Platinum Select and the Citi MTVu. Both of these cards give 5% back in certain categories. Granted my spending habits are going to be vastly different from yours, applying for these cards should still be a good move (especially since gas prices are high).

The Citi Dividend Platinum Select gives 5% cash back on "Everyday purchases." These are purchases at:

• Gas stations
• Supermarkets
• Drugstores

The MTVu card gives 5% rewards (in the form of Thankyou points redeemable for gift certs, etc.) at these locations:

• Restaurants (including fast food)
• Book stores
• Record stores
• Movie theatres
• Movie rental stores
  

One caveat, the MTVu card is for students only. However, I graduated and applied and still got approved.

I hope this helps! One more card that I noticed, but don't have, is the Hilton HHonors Platinum Amex card. It gives 5% back on restaurants, everyday purchases, the USPS, and cell phone bills. Too bad it is in the form of HHonor points. One more thing, be sure to apply for these cards through cardoffers.com. You can get some extra money if you go through them.

Credit goes to fatwallet for some of the info.