Happy New Year! As we wrap up one year and look ahead to another, many of us are making New Year’s resolutions to be better.
And what’s better than being rewarded for keeping those resolutions? With the right credit card, you can save money and earn valuable rewards as you stick to your resolutions—no matter what they are.
Here are our favorite ways credit cards can help you stick to your resolutions in 2025.
Do more exercise
Whether you’re checking out a new fitness studio in town or investing in home workout equipment and fitness subscriptions, you can earn bonus rewards on your fitness purchases.
With cards like World of Hyatt Credit Card or US Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card, you’ll earn bonus rewards on your gym membership purchases.
Information for US Bank Cash+ is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re going the home gym route, you may want to take advantage of the up to $300 in Equinox membership credits you’ll get each calendar year. Platinum Card® from American Express. Registration is required; Conditions apply.
Or, if you’re shopping for new fitness equipment, you can use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to earn 10 points per dollar spent on Peloton equipment purchases of $150 or more (up to 50,000 points through March 2025).
This Built Mastercard® (See Rates and Fees) does more than let you pay rent without transaction fees. With it, you can book eligible fitness classes with your points or earn bonus rewards when you book them using your card.
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RELATED: The best credit cards to maximize fitness spending
Save more
It may seem counterintuitive that credit cards can help you save money, but you can take advantage of merchant offers and shopping portals to save money on everything you buy anyway.
Most are credit cards Merchant offers that function like coupons. Just log into your account and add any offers you can use to your card.
Then, as long as you spend at that merchant by the date the offer expires, you’ll automatically get a statement credit for some of the money spent or, in some cases, additional rewards on purchases.
To save (or earn) more, visit a shopping portal when you shop online. Just start your online shopping trip from the portal, and you’ll automatically earn rewards on your purchases — on top of the credit card rewards and merchant offers you’re already taking advantage of.
We love Rakuten because you can choose to earn your rewards in the form of cash back or American Express Membership Rewards points, but there are many shopping portals to choose from.
And if you’re more focused on pinching money than travel this year, consider using a cash-back credit card. You’ll earn a percentage back on everything you buy, and you can redeem your rewards for statement credit to cover your purchases.
Related: A Beginner’s Guide to Online Shopping Portals
Read more
First, watch out for reading-related merchandise offers. For example, I regularly see offers for Audible and Kindle Unlimited subscriptions on my Chase cards.
And if you prefer audiobooks and ebooks to hard copies, you’ll want to use them Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express For your reading subscriptions. It earns 6% cash-back on eligible US streaming purchases, including reading subscriptions like Kindle Unlimited, Audible and Spotify.
Cash back is earned in the form of reward dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout. Conditions apply.
Of course, if you’re buying physical books or new e-readers from Amazon, you’ll want to use your Prime Visa to get 5% back on these purchases as well.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Book Lovers
Cook more
If you’re choosing to eat healthy in the new year, chances are you’ll spend less on dining out and more on groceries. Make sure you have a credit card that earns bonus points on these grocery purchases.
If you’re looking to earn travel rewards, you can’t beat it American Express® Gold Card. It earns 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on US supermarket purchases, up to $25,000 spent in each calendar year (1 point per dollar thereafter).
And if you focus on cash-back rewards, we love it Capital One Saver Cash Rewards Credit Card. It earns an unlimited 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®) and has no annual fee (see Rates and Fees).
Plus, both Amex Gold and Capital One Saver also earn bonus rewards on dining purchases, so they’re also great cards to reach for when your cooking plans go up in smoke and you need to order a pizza.
Note that Amex Gold’s dining category is subject to spending limits; Cardmembers will earn 4 points per dollar on the first $50,000 in restaurant purchases (including takeout and delivery in the US) in each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar thereafter.
Related: Best Credit Cards for Grocery Spending
Travel more
If this is the year you’re ready to dust off your suitcase and finally get ready for your dream trip, a credit card can definitely help with that.
The easiest way to get a good collection of points is by earning a welcome bonus on a new credit card. We have prepared a list Here’s the best welcome offer for you this month, so if you don’t already have a card, get started.
Plus, we’re here to help you use credit card rewards for whatever travel you have on your list. Whether you’re headed to the Maldives, Disney World or a national park, points and miles can help make your trip a reality.
Related: Best Places to Travel in 2025
The bottom line
No matter your resolution this year, we’re rooting for you. And as long as you’re following best credit card practices, such as paying your balance on time and in full each month, credit cards can make sticking to your resolution more rewarding.
Related: 10 Best Places to Visit in January
For Built MasterCard rates and fees, click here.
For built MasterCard rewards and benefits, click here.