Here are eight strategies for super-sizing your rewards:

1. Set priorities.
First off, decide how much time and energy you are willing to devote to managing and tracking rewards.

“For some people, playing the rewards credit card game is a serious hobby, and they devote a considerable amount of time and energy to it,” says Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com. “But most people don’t want to do that. That’s something you have to consider up front.”

Rewards credit cards vary widely in how easy they are to use. Some come with complex terms like tiered rewards that kick in after a certain amount of spending. Or, as is the case with many airline credit cards, you may be able to earn maximum rewards only after you reach elite status. If you have the time to track rewards earnings and reap top-tier rewards, this is all well and good. However, if time is an issue, stick with simpler rewards credit card programs.

There are websites, such as MileWise.com, that can also help you keep track of your rewards.

2. Match rewards cards to spending patterns.
Cards with the best rewards perks typically come with an annual fee, but many also have a no-fee version. To find out which is best for you, do the math to see which card best fits your spending pattern.

For example, for a $75 annual fee, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express rewards 6 percent cash back on supermarket purchases, 3 percent on gas purchases and 1 percent on everything else. Alternatively, the Blue Cash Everyday card (which has no annual fee) gives 3 percent back on supermarket purchases, 2 percent on gas and department store purchases and 1 percent on everything else.

To determine which card is the best fit, check how long it would take you to earn back the annual fee. With Blue Cash Preferred, you earn an additional 3 percent on supermarket purchases. That means an extra 3 cents for each dollar spent. To earn back the $75 annual fee, however, you’d have to spend $1,250 each year at the supermarket before the extra earnings kick in (ignoring for the moment any extra earnings on gas and department store purchases). For a family spending a lot of money on groceries each month, the annual fee might be worth it, but, for a single person, it might not be.

3. Mix and match.
When it comes to maximizing rewards, it often makes sense to mix and match rewards cards. In addition to picking a credit card that enables you to leverage spending on purchases made in supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations, consider getting a card that offers cash back in rotating categories, such as the Chase Freedom Card. Alternatively, if you travel frequently, find an airline rewards card that will let you earn the most benefits on travel and travel-related purchases.

4. Pick a primary card.
While strategic mixing and matching of rewards credit cards can be a great way to maximize earnings, be careful not to spread yourself too thin.

“People often get themselves involved in too many rewards programs, so that their earnings are diffused over multiple programs,” Winship says. “It’s very important to consider your options from the beginning and try to focus your earnings activity on one primary program and one or two secondary programs. Don’t fall into the trap of participating equally in several programs.

5. Put your fixed monthly expenses to work.
As much as possible, use your primary rewards card to pay your regular monthly bills, such as telephone bills, mortgage, cable bills and so on. Just make sure to budget for your charged fixed expenses so you can pay the credit card bill when it’s due.

6. Don’t forget about business expenses.
If you run a small business, look into getting a business credit card that will give you cash back on qualifying purchases such as computers and electronics, office supplies, phone bills and transportation. With the Chase Ink Cash Business credit card, for example, you can earn 5 percent cash back on the first $25,000 spent annually on office supplies and phone and cable expenses.

7. Spread it out.
Get a card for all members in the household responsible for making purchases to earn rewards on all expenditures. If you have employees who make purchases for your business, get cards issued for them as well; it automates expense reporting, and you can set spending limits to protect the bottom line.

8. Don’t forget about the big picture.
Keep the larger picture in mind when you’re making small financial decisions like applying for a new rewards credit card.

“We play all these games on credit cards to get better rates on balance transfers or rebates on rewards credit cards,” says Michael Rubin, author of the book “Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck.” “But to the point that this throws your FICO score so you go from the highest credit score to the next one down, you end up costing yourself much more than you’ll ever save.”

A final reminder: Be sure to pay off your balance in full on your rewards credit cards each month. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying more in interest than you will earn in rewards. If you need to carry a balance, look for a card that offers the lowest possible interest rate rather than a rewards card.

As the rising cost of fuel continues to drive up food prices, mounting grocery bills are becoming a problem for many families.

However, one good way to stretch your grocery dollars even further this summer is to combine in-store coupons and special offers with a rewards credit card that offers 3 to 5 percent cash-back.

Cash-back cards come in many shapes and sizes, so make sure you research the terms and conditions for each individual card before you sign up for a new one. Some features to watch out for when shopping around include:

• The card’s rewards structure. Some rewards cards give you cash-back or bonus points for making purchases on groceries, while others give you a discount at checkout.
• Flexibility of the card. Some cards will let you use your rewards at any grocery or convenience store; however, others will restrict you to specific retailers.
• Spending ceilings. Some cards also limit how much you can earn, so check to see if there’s a maximum on your card.
• Time-limits. Some cards only feature the top-tier cash-back rewards for a limited period of time. That’s why your best strategy is to mix and match credit cards to optimize cash-back earnings.

With these pointers in mind, here are CreditCardGuide.com’s picks for the best cash-back credit cards for grocery purchases.

The American Express Blue Cash Everyday card and the Blue Cash Preferred card
American Express has done away with the popular Blue Cash card — disappointing some of the card’s most ardent fans. The American Express Blue Cash card has long been praised as one of the best cash-back credit cards around, thanks in part to the card’s 5 percent cash-back on grocery purchases. The card’s only drawback, according to fans: Its biggest cash-back rewards only kicked in after the first $6,500 in annual charges.

However, the new and improved Blue Cash Everyday card has nixed that problem for cardholders — giving American Express Blue fans one more reason to cheer. The Blue Cash Everyday card doesn’t require cardholders to spend $6,500 before they receive the card’s best rewards; but it still features above average rewards on everyday purchases, including: 3 percent cash-back at supermarkets, 2 percent cash-back at gas stations and department stores and 1 percent cash-back everywhere else. The card comes without an annual fee and features a 0 percent APR on purchases for up to 12 months after you open the card.

For cardholders who don’t mind paying a $75 annual fee (waived the first year), the American Express Blue Cash Preferred card also offers 6 percent cash-back on groceries, 3 percent cash-back on gas and department store purchases and 1 percent cash-back on everything else.

The introduction of the new Blue Cash cards was prompted by consumer requests for a simpler cash-back card, says Leah Gerstner, VP of Public Affairs for American Express.

“Many cash-back cards are confusing to people, because of the caps and spending thresholds,” says Gerstner. “The new Blue Cash cards feature a simpler rewards structure, and they aim to help people out in the categories where they are spending the most, particularly on groceries and gas.”

Rewards earnings can be redeemed through a cash-back check, or they can be put toward a variety of gift cards or merchandise. There is also no limit to how much you can earn.

What we like: The cash-back amount on the Blue cash cards is higher than average — including on the Blue Cash Everyday card that doesn’t feature an annual fee. And rewards are unlimited, which is a huge bonus — as is the fact that you can open additional cards for other family members. Plus, cardholders have a great deal of flexibility in how they redeem their cash-back rewards. For example, American Express will let cardholders use their rewards to automatically pay their bills.

The Chase Freedom card
The Chase Freedom card was recently named the “best overall card” by CBS MoneyWatch. The Freedom card gives cardholders a full 5 percent cash-back on groceries; but there’s a catch: The 5 percent cash-back categories change every three months. And at all other times, cash-back earnings are limited to 1 percent.

Another drawback is that cardholders can only earn 5 percent cash-back on purchases up to $1,500. Of course, one way to avoid the program’s spending ceiling is for you and your spouse to take out separate cards. New cardholders get a $100 cash-back bonus after spending $500 in the first three months.

What we like: Although the program’s $1,500 limit on 5 percent cash-back earnings may not be ideal, it’s a good bargain compared to the similar Discover More card’s 5 percent cash-back program. That program caps rewards after just $300 in spending. Plus, the Chase Freedom card has no annual fee and your rewards don’t expire, so you can save them for a larger purchase.

The number of credit card users is down by 8 million this year, and card issuers are in a fierce competition for cardholder dollars. This is good news both for people applying for new cash back or rewards credit cards as well as for existing cardholders, because many card issuers are sprucing up deals for both. Here is an overview of some of the better cash back deals that card issuers and retailers have rolled out for the holidays:

1. Sign-up Bonuses for Cash Back Credit Cards
If you are in the market to apply for a new credit card, you are in luck. Card issuers currently are one-upping each other with sign-up bonuses on cash back credit cards. For people who apply now, the sign-up bonus could prove helpful in taking some of the bite out of the new year’s credit card bills.

Chase started the trend with a $100 sign-up bonus for the Chase Freedom Card for new cardholders, who spend more than $500 within the first 3 months. The card features a rotating 5 percent cash back bonus in certain purchase categories, and 1 percent cash back on other purchases. For small business owners, the Chase Ink Card also currently offers a $100 cash back bonus as well, issued after new cardholders make their first purchase.

Discover Cards, similarly, has upped the sign-up bonus for new Discover More cardholders to a $100 cash back bonus. New cardholders must spend $500 within the first 3 months to qualify. The Discover More card also features a rotating 5 percent cash back up to a maximum in purchases, usually up to a maximum of $300 to $800 in charges.

More recently, Citi has added a $100 statement for people applying for its Citi Forward Card, who make $500 in purchases within 3 months of account membership. Also, the Citi ThankYou Premier card offers 20,000 bonus ThankYou points for new cardholders who spend $1,000 in purchases within 3 months of account opening. While technically a travel rewards card, points are redeemable for $200 in gift cards and other rewards.

A note of caution: While it is tempting to go to town and see just how many new credit cards Santa is willing to put under your tree, keep in mind that applying for a new credit card too frequently can hurt your credit score.

2. Maximize Cash Back Earnings While Shopping
There are several ways to maximize cash back earnings during your holiday shopping. If you are a fan of cheap chic retailer Target, the Target REDcards now offer 5 percent cash back on everything bought in Targets stores with the exception of prescription drugs and gift cards. Since the 5 percent cash back applies to online purchases at Target.com as well, this can be an easy way to shave 5 percent off holiday expenses.

In addition, for the holidays, Discover More cardholders can sign up online to earn 2 percent cash back bonuses on online purchases up to a maximum of $1,000. Cardholders can also sign up online to earn 5 percent cash back on purchases made at restaurants, department stores and clothing retailers up to a maximum of $300 in charges.

The Chase Freedom card lets cardholders enrolling online earn 5 percent cash back on purchases in grocery stores, department stores, and movies for the last quarter of the year, up to a maximum of $1,500 in charges.

If debit cards are more your style, PerkStreet Financial is currently offering a checking account with an associated Visa debit card giving cardholders 2 percent cash back on almost all purchases. To get the full cash back, debit cardholders must keep a minimum of $5,000 in their checking account, otherwise the cash back earnings is 1 percent. PerkStreet also periodically offers 5 percent cash back in rotating categories, currently on office supply purchases, bus and train tickets, and bakery purchases.

In addition, don’t forget to check for rewards redemption perks on your rewards credit cards. American Express Blue Cash, for example, currently offers Blue Cash cardholders the option to redeem card earnings for gift cards at a lower point rate. For 8,000 points, Blue Cash members can get a $50 all-purpose American Express gift card, a 25 percent boost to the usual 10,000 points needed. Not the greatest redemption value, but still worth it, if cash is your preferred rewards redemption.

Lastly, for real cash back fanatics, online sites like Bigcrumbs.com and Ebates.com feature 3-8 percent cash back deals and higher from thousands of retailers like Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, The Gap, and even Ebay. Cash back earnings for e.g. Bigcrumbs.com are deposited monthly directly into your Paypal account. Of course, with the abundance of attractive cash back options featured on these sites, the trick is to only purchase what you planned, otherwise, earning that cash back, no matter how great, might not be such a great savings after all.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card and Capital One’s VentureOne Rewards Credit Card. While the Capital One Venture cards technically speaking are travel rewards credit cards, rewards earnings can be redeemed for cash back credit as well in the form of a statement credit. The Capital One VentureOne is the no-annual-fee version of the Capital One Venture line of cards; it offers 1.25 points per dollar spent, redeemable for the equivalent of 1.25 percent cash back.

For an annual fee of $59 annual (waived the first year), you can up rewards earnings to 2 points per dollar spent, the equivalent of 2 percent cash back, with the Capital One Venture Card. For people who charge well over $10,000 a year, the annual fee is well worth it in the extra cash back earnings. In addition, new cardholders get 10,000 bonus miles if they spend $1,000 within the first 3 months; at the equivalent of a $100 cash back bonus this more than pays for the first year’s annual fee.

Chase Freedom MasterCard. With a rotating 5 percent cash back in different categories which change every quarter, the Chase Freedom cash back card is Chase’s bid to take over some of the market share held by the Discover More cash back cards. If you plan purchases ahead, you can get a full 5 percent cash back in rotating categories like clothing, home improvement, travel purchases, and grocery and department store purchases. The categories receiving the cash back are posted on Chase’s web site and, for the most part, repeat every year.

In addition, the Chase Freedom card offers 1 percent cash back on all other purchases, a feature which makes it a more attractive option than the Discover More cash back credit cards, which currently limits cash back earnings on the first $3,000 in charges to 0.25 percent. The Chase Freedom Cards gives an addition 1 percent rebate on airfare purchases made through the card’s online booking tool.

PenFed Visa Platinum Cashback Rewards Card. The Pen Fed Visa cash back card features one of the highest average cash back earnings in the industry. Cardholders get a premium cash back of 5 percent on gas, 2 percent on supermarket purchases, and1.25 percent cash back on all other purchases. Cash back earnings are automatically credited to cardholder’s account every statement, so no need to hassle with redeeming rewards.

The PenFed Visa Cash Back Rewards card features a lower APR than most rewards credit cards, currently at 13.99 percent. Keep in mind, however, that any balance carried forward will quickly undermine rewards earnings; even for cards with a low APR.

The one drawback of the Pen Fed Cash Back Rewards card is that you have to be a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union to apply for the credit card. It’s fairly easy to join, however, anyone who fulfills any of the following criteria can become a member: government employees, members of the U.S. Military and Uniformed Services, employees or volunteers of the American Red Cross, or family members/housemates of current PenFed members. If none of these fit, consider becoming a civilian member of the National Military Family Association. The $20 annual membership qualifies you to join the Pentagon Federal Credit Union as well as for discounts on numerous other products and services.

There are several other cash back credit cards offering very competitive cash back earnings, however, they are most suitable for people already customers of the affiliate card issuer. For Fidelity customers, the Fidelity Rewards American Express Card gives users 2 percent cash back on charges, which is automatically deposited into the cardholders Fidelity IRA or Fidelity 529 account. Likewise, for frequent Costco shoppers, the American Express Costco TrueEarnings card gives cardholders 3 percent cash back for gas and restaurant charges, 2 percent cash back on travel-related purchases, and 1 percent cash on other purchases.

When choosing a cash back or rewards credit card, it pays to do your homework. That way you choose the best card for your needs and know how to take full advantage of it. Below are some of the things to look for when choosing a cash back credit card.

Which card offers the highest cash back incentives on purchases you frequently make? Several cards advertise a 5% cash back on purchases at supermarkets, drug stores, and gas stations. This is the equivalent of a 5% discount, which can turn into significant savings over the course of the year. If, for example, you spend $500 in groceries per month, this is the equivalent of $25 in savings each month, or $300 per year. And that’s just the savings on your grocery purchases! Some cards offer 5% or higher cash back on other types of purchases, e.g., in home improvement stores. If you make a lot of these types of purchases, these cards are worth considering as well.

Is there a ceiling on how much you can earn? Many cards limit the amount you can earn in cash back over the course of the year, so look for a card with a high limit. Some cards allow you unlimited earnings within their merchant network. If the members of this network are merchants that you would typically do business with, these cards are worth considering.

How is the cash back redeemed? Some card issuers will simply issue a credit directly to your credit card at the end of each year. Others will send you a rebate check. Still others will allow you to redeem only in specific increments of e.g., $25 or $50, and you have to call in and request the rebate check. Many people don’t realize that they have to do this, and never call. This is why it is important to know the terms of your card holder agreement, so you can be sure to follow up as needed.

Do the cash rewards expire over time? In some cases, the cash rewards will expire after a certain number months or if you don’t use your card for a period of time. Again, be sure that you are very familiar with the terms of the card you choose.

To determine the exact details of the offer, look in the Terms and Conditions or Rules and Regulations section of the offer and pay special attention to the sections that discuss Cash Back or Rewards.

If you use a cash back credit card for most of your purchases and routine expenditures, you can accumulate several hundreds of dollars in savings over the course of a year. Not bad pay for doing nothing other than simply using your card.

A cash back credit card typically will offer a 5% cash back on purchases at supermarkets, drug stores, and gas stations and 1% on all other purchases. However, there are numerous variations on the specifics of these programs, so it pays off to do your homework to make sure you get the best possible card for your needs.

A cash back credit card is an option to consider only if you pay your credit card balance in full every month. If you keep a balance on your card, look instead for cards that offer the lowest interest rate.