Amid rising consumer prices — primarily driven by soaring oil and gas prices Because of the war in Iran — many Americans are feeling financial pressure.

released in April, 56, according to a CNBC and SurveyMonkey Quarterly Finances Survey% of Americans say everyday life has become less affordable for their household compared to one year ago.

Respondents cite the rising prices of groceries (76%), gas and transportation (71%), utilities (49%), health care expenses (37%), insurance (35%) and rent or mortgage (32%). And to help cover daily expenses, such as those in the categories listed above, 40% of Americans have dipped into their savings.

If you’re looking to maximize the spending you’re doing anyway, CNBC Select highlights a few credit cards that can help offset the cost of rising prices.

What we’ll cover

Save on groceries: Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

Save on gas: Citi Strata Premier® Card

Save on utilities: U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature Card

Save on health care costs: AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays

Save on your housing payment: Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees)

Save at the grocery store

Food prices have risen 1.9% in the past year, according to the most recent U.S. consumer price index, and are likely to expansion further as the Strait of Hormuz blockade continues. Not only do rising oil and gas prices construct it more expensive for farmers to transport food, but the strait is also used to ship fertilizer and food packaging equipment.

If you’re one of the 39% of Americans who’ve used a credit card to pay for groceries or household essentials due to affordability issues, generate sure you’re using the right card. Grocery credit cards can help you earn rewards on food purchases and offset the cost of current or future spending.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express earns 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases, then 1%), which translates to a maximum of $360 in cash back each year on supermarket purchases alone. (You’ll also receive 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations, which is another spending pain point cited in our survey.)

Though the Blue Cash Preferred charges a $95 annual fee, there’s a $0 intro annual fee for the first year (see rates and fees). You can build that back by spending just over $1,500 on groceries with the card per year, or around $125 per month.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

On the American Express site

19.49% – 28.49% Variable

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.

You may be eligible for as high as $300 cash back

See rates and fees, terms apply. Read our Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express review.

The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is a low-fee card with generous cash-back rewards and useful ongoing benefits, such as a monthly Disney Bundle credit. (Enrollment required for select benefits mentioned)

High cash-back earnings for U.S. supermarkets and streaming services

Intro-APR offer for purchases and balance transfers

No annual fee for the first year

It’s less rewarding after the first year because of the annual fee

Bonus rewards for U.S. supermarkets are capped

Highlights

Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select’s editorial staff.

Apply and find out your welcome offer. As High As $300 cash back* after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your latest Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply, and if approved: 1. Find out your offer amount 2. Accept the Card with your offer 3. Spend $3,000 in 6 months 4. Receive the cash back. *Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed for a statement credit or at Amazon.com checkout.

Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.49%-28.49%.

Plan It®: Invest in now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don’t have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you’ll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.

Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.

Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com, or Stream.ESPN.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.

Terms Apply.

See Rates & Fees

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Foreign transaction fee

2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars

Save at the gas pump

Gas prices have been spiking since late February, in large part due to the ongoing Iran war. While you can save by making modest adjustments to how you drive or by utilizing a gas loyalty program, one of the most consistent ways to save is using a gas rewards credit card.

With most gas credit card, you don’t have to fill up with a specific brand or location. And depending on the card, you’ll earn cash back, points or miles on your spending for post-purchase savings.

The Citi Strata Premier® Card earns 3X Citi ThankYou® Points on both gas and EV charging, so you’ll earn regardless of your vehicle type. You’ll also earn 3X points on spending at restaurants, supermarkets, air travel and general hotel purchases.

Tip: You can stack rewards earned through a gas loyalty program with the rewards earned on a gas credit card. Depending on the loyalty program, that’s 5 to 10 cents off per gallon on top of 3X points per dollar.

Even better, your Citi points are transferable, meaning you could move them to one of Citi’s 22 airline and hotel partners for greater value (potentially over 1 cent per point). This could be a positive option if you’re familiar with rewards transfers and are looking to save on upcoming summer travel — say, a cross country roadtrip. Then, the card’s annual hotel benefit can help you further reduce your travel costs and fully build up for the card’s $95 annual fee.

Citi Strata Premier® Card

On Citi’s site

19.49% – 27.49% variable

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points

See rates and fees. Terms apply.

The Citi Strata Premier® Card has competitive rewards rates and unlocks access to all of the Citi ThankYou® transfer partners, which boosts the value of your points.

Unlocks point transfers to all of the Citi ThankYou® partners, including Emirates Skywards, Choice Privileges, Flying Blue and more

Generous bonus spending categories include dining, supermarkets, hotels and flights

Valuable welcome bonus

Has an annual fee

Car rental coverage is secondary, not primary

Earn 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.

Earn 10 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on CitiTravel.com.

Earn 3 Points per $1 on Air Travel and Other Hotel Purchases, at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas and EV Charging Stations.

Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases

$100 Annual Hotel Benefit: Once per calendar year, enjoy $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when booked through CitiTravel.com. Benefit applied instantly at time of booking.

No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card

No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Balance transfer fee applies with this offer 5% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

Save on utilities

energy across the board increased by 10.9, according to the March consumer price index% last month — its largest monthly growth since September 2005. If you’re feeling the heat after paying for heat this past winter, there are actually credit cards that can help soften the impact on your wallet.

The U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature Card earns 5% cash back on the first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases each quarter on two categories of your choice. There are 12 categories you can choose from, including home utilities, TV, internet and streaming services and cell phone providers.

If you spend $200 per month on home utilities, for example, and pay for them with the U.S. Bank Cash+ Visa Signature, you could earn $120 in cash back over the course of a year. And if you enroll in Real-Time Rewards, you can leverage your rewards to offset the cost of qualifying purchases almost immediately.

The card also earns 2% cash back on one everyday category you choose each quarter (either grocery stores, gas and EV charging stations or restaurants), and you won’t be charged an annual fee.

U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa Signature® Card

Information about the U.S. Bank Cash+® Visa® Secured Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

See terms

*See rates and fees, terms apply.

Rewarding and versatile quarterly bonus categories

Generous intro-APR offer

Quarterly limits on the card’s top bonus spending categories

No statement credit offers or other ongoing benefits outside of the cash rewards

Save on health care costs

Health care costs can be significant for many Americans. In fact, the average U.S. adult spent over $14,000 on health care in 2024, according to a health spending data analysis by the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.

Certain health care accounts, like a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), can be a significant help, but they’re not available to everyone. In fact, our survey found that 20% of Americans have paid for medical expenses using a credit card. While you don’t want to employ a credit card to float thousands of dollars in medical bills, the rewards you earn can help take the sting out of the cost of routine visits or medical purchases.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays earns an unlimited 2% cash back on eligible medical expenses, including purchases at doctors, dentists and chiropractors, glasses purchases, hearing aids and more. Plus, if you spend $500 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening, you’ll get a $100 cash bonus.

Unlike its namesake, you don’t have to be above a certain age (or even an AARP member) to apply for the card.

The AARP® Essential Rewards Mastercard® from Barclays

Rewards

3% cash back on gas and drugstore purchases (except for Target and Walmart), 2% back on eligible medical expenses, 1% back on all other purchases.

Welcome bonus

Earn a $200 cash-back bonus when you spend $1,000 within the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee

None.

Intro APR

0% for the first 15 billing cycles after each balance transfer that is made within 45 days of account opening.

Regular APR

20.99% to 29.99% variable

Introductory fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each balance transfer, whichever is greater.

3%

Credit needed

Excellent/Good

Save on your housing payment

For many citizens, a house is their largest asset — but it can also represent one of their largest monthly payments.

Paying your rent or mortgage with a credit card isn’t always an option due to lender- or issuer-imposed restrictions and/or the high cost of processing fees, but there are some companies that provide renters and homeowners with alternative ways to pay their bills.

Bilt is one of the most well-known names in the economy, and earlier in this year, it expanded its rent-only program to include mortgage payments. The enterprise offers three different cards, and they all earn the same amount of rewards on housing payments. You’ll also never pay a fee on your housing payments, but if you don’t hit minimum spending thresholds, you won’t get the maximum rewards.

The mid-tier Bilt Obsidian Card (see rates and fees) comes with a $95 annual fee and can earn up to 1.25X points on housing payments or up to 1X points per dollar on housing payments and 4% Bilt Cash on eligible non-housing spend (on top of Bilt Points earned).

The Bilt Rewards program can take some getting used to, so it may require a little upfront research if you want to maximize the card’s value. Bilt also offers the no-annual-fee Bilt Blue Card (see rates and fees) and premium Bilt Palladium Card (see rates and fees).

Bilt Obsidian Card

On Bilt’s site

Spotlight This also touches on aspects of portfolio.

The Bilt Obsidian Card offers you the choice of 3X Bilt Points on your choice of dining or groceries (up to $25,000 per year), 2X on travel, and 1X on everyday purchases

26.74 – 34.74% variable 

$200 of Bilt Cash

See rates/fees and rewards/benefits. Terms apply.

The Bilt Obsidian Card offers 3X Bilt Points on key everyday categories, like dining or groceries, plus comes with a $100 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit (split semi-annually each calendar year)

Earns ultra-valuable flexible rewards

Can earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage

High return on dining or grocery purchases

Additional steps for no-fee rent payments

Cap on earning bonus Bilt points for groceries

Earn points on housing with no transaction fee

Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Utilize Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.

3X points on your choice of grocery (up to $25K/year) or dining. Your 3X category choice remains in effect for the entire calendar year.

2X points on travel

1X points on everyday spend

Welcome offer: $200 of Bilt Cash when you apply and get approved.

$100 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $50 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.

Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.

Greater of 5% or $5

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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can construct informed decisions with their funds. Every credit card article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.

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