I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

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I don't understand any of this. You mean they stop making your electricity work? I have never heard of such a thing!
I should have clarified this earlier, but I was talking about at work :D So when we have an energy curtailment, we have to keep the entire building under a certain limit or we get hit with fines. For a manufacturing plant, that pretty much means office work only. Sometimes in the summer with really hot days we will have unexpected ones, so they basically pay everyone for 8 hours of minimal work on the production side. Sometimes there is an option to pay the power company extra to not have to go down for the curtailment period.
 
I should have clarified this earlier, but I was talking about at work :D So when we have an energy curtailment, we have to keep the entire building under a certain limit or we get hit with fines. For a manufacturing plant, that pretty much means office work only. Sometimes in the summer with really hot days we will have unexpected ones, so they basically pay everyone for 8 hours of minimal work on the production side. Sometimes there is an option to pay the power company extra to not have to go down for the curtailment period.
:rotfl2:I totally thought they did this at your house like @disneymagicgirl !!!
 
Conversation starter: do you value simplicity at all? Do you think you would earn as many rewards with fewer cards but more focused spending or do you enjoy the chase of new bonuses? Do you value not having to log into several different accounts and remembering due dates or do you think this is just part of the trade-off?

While I like the idea of simplicity, I'm just not wired to be fully simple with just a couple cards. Just never been how I handled credit so I don't think I can start now. Before I started understanding this churning concept, I maximized my return on spend. I ran the numbers and just couldn't see leaving money on the table by not doing it. I didn't necessarily go out of my way to find niche cards, but if we had something available I used it to the fullest. Shopping on Amazon? Use hubby's Amazon card. Drug store? If it wasn't a 5% category, hubby's Amazon card too :) Gas? What do we want to earn this month, cash or points? Even before I started this sign up bonus game, I had 5-6 cards in active use at any given time and probably at least 12 open.

It's kinda the couponer mentality. Started out of necessity, continued it because, well, why should I pay more than I need to? I'm a big believer in value so I will pay more for something up front if I can get a longer use out of it, but how I do that is by saving money off the stupid, consumables type stuff. So that extends to vacation too. I have a main activity that we'll spend cash on but then ancillary stuff needs to be paid for with "found" type money - either rewards programs or flea markets/yard sales (the "biz" :laughing:) I can appreciate not having to track so many accounts, so I think this won't become a lifestyle choice opening tons of cards each year, but for short term goals I'm willing to make the trade off. We did pretty good before with earning enough to supplement the vaca budget, but occasionally you have to replenish the stash. Or like this year, take a bigger trip outside of our vacation budget. We did that before with Europe but I "borrowed" from future years budgets to do that... that's kind of rough and stupid things came up so it took me longer to "pay back" than we expected. Going forward I think I'll just ramp points earning rather than "borrowing".

I'm not ashamed to admit I'm reaching my limit where we are now. Just myself I'm sitting on 10+ bank accounts with 4 of them requiring something to avoid a monthly fee, and 7 logins for my active CC's. (yeah I gotta get cracking on some closures)
I get this is where "always be MSRing" comes in, then you'd only have 1 or 2 cards you'd have to monitor at a time. (Although some folks have much higher cash flows and still do 4 or 5 of those at a time :eek:) but I haven't quite mastered suppressing the maximizing urge. I have 2 MSR's at the moment and we still put spend on other cards. Not so much on me right now, but hubby really doesn't like not using his own cards, it's easier on his personal budgeting, so it kills me a little when I add up the stupid small stuff and realize we could have finished off a card (or something). But he does use multiple cards and at least we're maximizing more that way now. Work in progress :)
 


International transit time at LHR----is 1h 25m long enough (PHL-LHR, LHR-DEL)? What about 1h 5m (DEL-LHR, LHR-PHL)?

I wouldn’t do it. We almost always fly first class (business once) and get a fast pass to get through LHR. More than once it has taken well over an hour just to get through the line. If you have to transfer terminals on the bus it can take much longer. We always add a 3 hour cushion for flights connecting at LHR.
 
Yes, I'm loading on Serve and I have done MCs before with no issues at both FD and DG. I have a particular Staples I go to that allows me to buy more than one and I've never had an issue with them running out, even toward the end of the sale.

Sweet! Mine let me do $400 and $600 during the Visa sale. I guess time to log into my Citi acct and see what I need to clear now, LOL.

Is the serve max $5k?
 


I just loaded my Serve for the first time!! I was sweating as I did it, but it was fine. Do I have to wait a certain period of time before transferring to my bank? If I do it right away does that send up any red flags?
Mine arrived in the mail while i was at wdw. I just have to wait on a GC deal so I have something to load it with. I'm excited!
 
This targeted offer just came out:

Your targeted offer is better than the current public offer of only 75k Marriott Bonvoy points for $3k MSR in 3 months. In comparison to the usual “high” offer of 100k Marriott Bonvoy points for $5k MSR in 3 months, this targeted offer has a lower MSR of only $3k for a slightly lower bonus of 95k points.

However, if and when the public offer goes back up to 100k Marriott Bonvoy points, likely for $5k MSR in 3 months, you should be able to refer to it if you have a P2 with an Amex or Amex Bonvoy card, and that referral bonus should be factored into your calculus. Similarly, you could at any other time have a P2 refer you to the Bonvoy Biz under the current public offer of 75k points for $3k MSR, and have P2 net a 20k Marriott Bonvoy points or 10k-20k Membership Rewards support bonus, which would put that on par with the targeted offer.

The $125 AF is now standard for this card. A few months ago, Amex stopped waiving the first year AF on the SPG Biz (which became the Bonvoy Biz). While the Bonvoy Biz does come with a 35k FN certificate, Amex does not deposit that cert into your Marriott Bonvoy account until 6-8 weeks after they charge you a second year AF, meaning you won’t be able to wait until the FN cert deposits and still have time to cancel this card to avoid the second year AF. So in effect, you’d be paying 2x$125 AFs for the 95k points and a 35k FN cert. You’ll probably still come out well ahead, but it’s not as good of a deal if you only had to pay one $125 AF.

I’d also caution that if you haven’t been putting consistent spend on your Amex cards, you may get the bonus denial pop up. So if this is a card you’re going to open only for the SUB, then sock drawer and not put ongoing spend on, you risk getting yourself on Amex’s naughty list. The Bonvoy Biz does have decent 4x Marriott points categories at gas stations and restaurants, so I put those kinds of spend on my SPG/Bonvoy Biz occasionally to keep Amex happy.

Hope this helps.
Lain,
I also got this offer. This is a business card so no counting towards 5/24, right?
 
Conversation starter: do you value simplicity at all? Do you think you would earn as many rewards with fewer cards but more focused spending or do you enjoy the chase of new bonuses? Do you value not having to log into several different accounts and remembering due dates or do you think this is just part of the trade-off?
I blame this thread! We always had several cards, but since following on here I have opened a lot more. Planning to shut down the ones I don't want to keep. I don't really need to remember due dates to pay them because they are all on auto-pay, but I do log in frequently to monitor charges. I also have to make sure the money is transferred to the checking account because DH is retired so no earned income.I don't have a paying job so I have time and have always been organized. I have been enjoying the bonuses.

Keepers - Kohl's, Citi Costco, REI MC (our oldest), Target, Chase Marriott, Freedom, CSP (will upgrade to CSR), Blue Cash Preferred (for groceries). Also 2 CIP's I will not keep. I have already closed the Cap One Venture that I got for the bonus.

DH has - CSR & CSP (double dip, will PC one to a CF or cancel), a Chase SW Priority, a Cap One Venture I was going to close until they offered another $500 bonus for opening & funding a 360 MM for 3 months, 2 CIPs I will close eventually, a Gold AmEx we opened and closed.

I have been eying the Hilton cards that were in the news yesterday, giving it some time.

SUBs & referral points in the past year and a half - 555,000 UR (worth $8325 in travel), $1500 in Cap One, $500 from AmEx. That adds up!

I haven't got into bank bonuses in a big way, only did one local bank, and don't do much in the way of MS except gift cards at my grocery store for the fuel perks and 6% back on BCP.
 
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Conversation starter: do you value simplicity at all? Do you think you would earn as many rewards with fewer cards but more focused spending or do you enjoy the chase of new bonuses? Do you value not having to log into several different accounts and remembering due dates or do you think this is just part of the trade-off?
The nerdy in me loves it! But it can get overwhelming sometimes, but you get so much value back that is totally worth it. Now my DH would never do it! He thinks I am crazy but loves and appreciates how much free stuff we have gotten so far!
Like @DisneyMandC and @liloca, there is a nerdiness to the tracking that appeals to me. I couldn't do it without YNAB - I'd be too afraid I would lose track of something somewhere. I do think I go easier than some of our friends here (ummm @speedyfishy) who do this like its a job. I don't MS, only chase GC deals when I have a reason to spend them, and try not to get too caught up in the FOMO. I get more vigilant about maximizing my savings opportunities when I have time, and don't worry about it when I'm super busy with home/work stuff. Overall, I enjoy the chase, so its a hobby as well as an opportunity to travel cheap!

I'm almost done getting enough points for our big 2020 Europe trip, and I've got a quickie USO trip planned for late this year. Once the points for those trips are in the bag, I will likely just work on putting the right spend on the right cards and take a break before picking up another MSR (I say this now, but I always say it, then find some other good card deal that seems worth it). I'll probably cool it for a few months, until we get to the end of the year and our spending ramps up (not just holidays, but a couple of other large annual expenses) when I will pick up whatever card comes next. There is no question that working towards a nice big MSR bonus takes some of the sting out of necessary un-fun spending (esp. stuff like car repairs and broken dryers).

ETA- up until about 2 years ago we had 2 credit cards between be and DH. We were both so busy with work, we just had no extra capacity to think about rewards or points or whatever - just had everything on autopay so that everything kept running. We also had very little time for travel, so we didn't necessarily miss the points :guilty:
 
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I prefer to keep it simple. I have focused spending on a few cards. I know I do not get as many points this way, but do maximize what I can get from each active card that I have. I log into four accounts:
  • my chase
  • DH's chase
  • my amex
  • my discover
I use these cards regularly and focus on bonus categories or offers to decide which card I use each time:
my cards - CSP, CF, Amex Everyday, Discover It
DH's cards - United (hardly used; may cancel soon); CFU

I put all my everyday spending on my cards. I do not pay all my bills with cards, but do pay many - cell phone, car insurance, streaming services, cable are the major ones that I pay. I log onto each CC account every day and pay the balance, so that it feels as if I am using a debit card. DH does not put all his everyday spending on his cards, but I make sure they get used.

I am not opposed to adding more cards in the future, but have no plans to do so immediately. DH just got the CFU - once we spend the 3x bonus ($20,000 or one year), I may look to add to my CC portfolio. But I do not chase cards just for the bonus.

I have earned enough points and cash back for my family's travel needs. I also focus on survey opportunities (and other earning sites like swagbucks) to add to my points and cash for travel (including not paying DVC dues OOP).

ETA - the only card I have with an AF is my CSP and I try to pay the AF with my Discover IT cash each year. My main goal is truly free travel.

Great response.

I'm working on paring down my card, getting things to more "simple." I'm trying to lean out as many annual fees as possible to get to truly free travel as you say. But it's always a process. I'm worried I'm getting lazy in my old age. I used to keep 8 cards in the rotation at once. Now it's down to 3 regulars. I realize that is way more than most people!
 
My friend wants to use her capital one card to wipe out her expenses at Disney. If she books a dining plan through a DVC rental, will it be coded as travel so she could wipe out the charge? Or is she better off just doing room charges? Thank you
It coded as travel for me on my CIP
 
While I like the idea of simplicity, I'm just not wired to be fully simple with just a couple cards. Just never been how I handled credit so I don't think I can start now. Before I started understanding this churning concept, I maximized my return on spend. I ran the numbers and just couldn't see leaving money on the table by not doing it. I didn't necessarily go out of my way to find niche cards, but if we had something available I used it to the fullest. Shopping on Amazon? Use hubby's Amazon card. Drug store? If it wasn't a 5% category, hubby's Amazon card too :) Gas? What do we want to earn this month, cash or points? Even before I started this sign up bonus game, I had 5-6 cards in active use at any given time and probably at least 12 open.

It's kinda the couponer mentality. Started out of necessity, continued it because, well, why should I pay more than I need to? I'm a big believer in value so I will pay more for something up front if I can get a longer use out of it, but how I do that is by saving money off the stupid, consumables type stuff. So that extends to vacation too. I have a main activity that we'll spend cash on but then ancillary stuff needs to be paid for with "found" type money - either rewards programs or flea markets/yard sales (the "biz" :laughing:) I can appreciate not having to track so many accounts, so I think this won't become a lifestyle choice opening tons of cards each year, but for short term goals I'm willing to make the trade off. We did pretty good before with earning enough to supplement the vaca budget, but occasionally you have to replenish the stash. Or like this year, take a bigger trip outside of our vacation budget. We did that before with Europe but I "borrowed" from future years budgets to do that... that's kind of rough and stupid things came up so it took me longer to "pay back" than we expected. Going forward I think I'll just ramp points earning rather than "borrowing".

I'm not ashamed to admit I'm reaching my limit where we are now. Just myself I'm sitting on 10+ bank accounts with 4 of them requiring something to avoid a monthly fee, and 7 logins for my active CC's. (yeah I gotta get cracking on some closures)
I get this is where "always be MSRing" comes in, then you'd only have 1 or 2 cards you'd have to monitor at a time. (Although some folks have much higher cash flows and still do 4 or 5 of those at a time :eek:) but I haven't quite mastered suppressing the maximizing urge. I have 2 MSR's at the moment and we still put spend on other cards. Not so much on me right now, but hubby really doesn't like not using his own cards, it's easier on his personal budgeting, so it kills me a little when I add up the stupid small stuff and realize we could have finished off a card (or something). But he does use multiple cards and at least we're maximizing more that way now. Work in progress :)

I've been thinking about adding another side hustle. Here lately I've been thinking it would just be better to earn more actual "spare" cash to pay for trips and churn less... but the lure of paying for vacations without "actual" money is so seductive. Just one of the things I've been tossing around.
 
It's too hot out today. But I had some errands to do, one of which was in Alexandria, Va, so I headed over there after I picked up my prescription at the local CVS. While there used $3 online coupon and $2 free extra bucks and a 25 cent coupon to buy 16 ct Tide pods and an 8oz Dawn for $2.36. This is a stop I have to make anyway so I watch for the Tide coupons on my CVS deals and I find that if I do them in a couple of weeks they'll give me a teaser $2 to repeat the cycle.

Moved on to my errand in Alexandria down by Fort Belvoir and while on my way back up Route 1 stopped at a Staples, BBB and Home Depot that are in the same shopping center. Used some Home Depot gift card left overs from my MR cash out to pick up a couple of things for a small paint project.

At Staples I bought Keurig coffee. Staples $10 off $50 from my email and Amex $10 off $40 offer. Also had the $5 coupon that came out but it wouldn't stack when the cashier tried to do it so I just bought $5 in free snacks - a Dunkin Donuts mocha cold coffee drink and Hawaiian Punch cotton candy which the grands will enjoy as a treat. So 96 coffee pods that I would have bought anyway somewhere for 36 cents each. And my receipt now has a $10 off $20. It's like CVS - they want you to keep spending, but I stopped because I had what I could use and get for free. Won't work on gift card.

Walked over to BBB where I was going to buy a gift card using the $5 of $25 Amex offer. But all they had were the BBB gift cards, so somewhat wasted stop. Will check again at another BBB that I haven't been to in a couple of months. At least all I wasted was my 10 minutes of time on this one.

Back home now enjoying cool AC. Not interested in any cooling credits today.
 
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