Sponsored Post: American Express Membership Rewards Points + Giveaway of a $100 Crate & Barrel Gift Card

So readers, believe it or not, I have been working  feverishly on my Home Entertainment Center remodel project using American Express Rewards points.  Back in May I accepted a challenge from American Express to use 300,000 Membership Rewards points to upgrade my old Home Entertainment Center with some new state of the art equipment. It hasn’t been an easy choice as to how to spend my points.  I have learned that when I trade fashion for furnishings and electronics, I tend to take a lot more time deliberating my buy.  I expect that like many women buying electronics, I am not as comfortable shopping for gadgets as I am for clothes.  You know, I don’t walk into Best Buy and gasp, “Oh it’s a Samsung! It’s so beautiful” as I would when I pass the windows at the Chanel store.  It took me only five minutes to buy my Chanel Camellia necklace, but it took me much more time to select my electronics via Membership Rewards.  Thank God I could do it all online, guided by user reviews and Consumer Reports. (Don’t even ask how I am going to get this stuff set-up. Appeals will be sent to various friends.)  So here’s the latest and a little thank you giveway for you dear readers.

Last week, I purchased a new high-tech Samsung 5.1-Channel Blue Ray Home Entertainment Center using about 90,000 points.  This entertainment center comes with docking stations for an iPhone or an iPod, so you can plug your mobile entertainment gadgets into the Home Center.  Ingenious, right!  So, my next Membership Rewards purchase was…..yes, you guessed it an iPod Touch for approximately 50,000 points!  The iPod Touch allows the users to watch movies and TV shows on a 3.5-inch display.  I ordered the 32 GB which holds thousands of songs, movies for when I travel and has the ability to function as a mini computer with access to applications and email.   I can’t wait to use the iPod Touch for real-time tweeting and blogging from the BlogHer conference in August. With the addition on of the iPod Touch, I am out of points and the challenge comes to an end. Sad news. Of course, I will always continue to spend with my card and accumulate my own points.  ( I might pick up an iPhone later on my own dime, but I wanted to use my points for higher-priced items, the iPhone is only $129.00. Word: Use your points for pricey items to spare your wallet.)

Now it’s time for my readers to share in the rewards! Compliments of American Express I am giving away a $100.00 gift certificate (US only) for one lucky reader to go shopping at Crate and Barrel.  Here’s what you need to do to win. To enter to win, just leave a comment here by June 30th, midnight PST and let me know what  you like at Crate and Barrel?  Crate and Barrel  is one of the merchants on the American Express Membership Rewards offerings.  However, I didn’t order a gift card from them with my points. Did I miss out? Are there great things there that you like. Leave a comments and let us all know.  Please leave your email address like so (ladyagaga at yahoo dot com) in your comment so we can reach you if you are the lucky winner.

PS–one final tip on how you can benefit by using your points. If you share your Membership Rewards success story with American Express you can win a  gift card. Here’s the link:  Share your story and you could win a $50 gift card.

(I received this in my June card member email this month, because I really do use the points. Membership Rewards Points and Frequent Flyer programs are a great way to make your dollars stretch further in a tough economy.)