Here's Why I Stopped Chasing Credit Card Miles and Finally Went All In on Cash Back

For a long time, I felt like I was missing out on the travel rewards game.

I worked with a lot of people who were great at maximizing credit card travel perks. They knew all the best hotel hacks, card combos, and welcome bonuses. They flew first class and stayed in exotic locations for free. It sounded great -- but it never really fit how I lived or spent money.

I kind of hate flying, and I wouldn't call myself a big traveler -- just a few trips a year to the nearest beach or lake. And when I do fly, I'm not interested in squeezing every last cent out of a travel program. I just want to get where I'm going without stress.

After years of trying to keep up, I finally stopped chasing miles and went all in on simple cash back instead. Here's why.

My spending doesn't match travel cards

The more I looked at my day-to-day purchases, the more I realized that most travel credit cards weren't built for me.

I spend mostly on groceries, gas, dining, and bills. I'm not booking flights or hotels regularly, so the points add up more slowly for me. Even worse, a lot of the best travel cards come with high annual fees, and I couldn't get enough out of the perks to make those fees worth it.

That's when I decided to lean on flat-rate cash back cards instead. No travel partners, no bonus categories to juggle. Just real money in my pocket.

The only two cards I use now

These days, I keep it simple and stick with two cards that do exactly what I need:

• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (rates and fees): Earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on all purchases. I use it for pretty much everything. It's straightforward and never makes me think twice.
• Chase Freedom Unlimited® (rates and fees): Offers 3% cash back on drugstores, restaurants, takeout, and eligible food delivery, 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, and 1.5% on all other purchases. I eat out a lot -- probably too often -- so this is my go-to card when it comes to dining rewards.
  
  

Between the two, I earn 2%-3% back on everything I buy without worrying about annual fees. And Wells Fargo and Chase make it easy to redeem cash back, so I can spend less time redeeming and more time earning.

Want to earn 2% cash rewards on all purchases? Apply for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card today to get started.

Get the card that fits your lifestyle

Travel cards aren't always a big hassle. For many people, they're a huge value add. If you fly often and love saving on every trip, these cards have a ton to offer.

But for me, the trade-offs weren't worth it. I'd rather get easy, guaranteed value every time I swipe my card. And if your lifestyle looks more like mine, cash back might be the smarter play. Click here to see a current list of all our favorite cash back credit cards.