I love credit cards so much! v3.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[magickingdomprincess]

Mulling over all kinds of ideas. One thing we're looking at is staying at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa. I have about $1,000 to use from my Arrival+ card as well as a bunch of UR points on our CSR. Also thrown into the mix is that DH and I each just got a Hyatt card. We will not have earned our bonus points in time to use them on this trip, but I don't know if I would get any benefits by charging part / all of the room on the card. I believe I'd get the bonus points, but are there other things - free breakfast, etc? Also, there is a resort fee for the hotel. Is there anyway of getting that taken care of from having the card?

The room we are looking at it $250/ night or 25,000 points per night.

I've never had many options before, so I don't want to overlook something that could help us with the booking.

Thanks for any advice!

I have a trip booked there for a mother/daughter/friends beach trip in October. As @wanderlust7 mentioned resort fees are waived for point bookings. The room I was looking at was $304/night, but then with taxes and resort fees it came to $1500 for 4 nights, so I opted to transfer URs to save the $128 for the resort fees for our 4 night stay and use Hyatt points at 25k/night. It still may make sense to use your Arrival+ money if you just want to use that, but then you would end up paying the resort fees.

Have either of you stayed at this resort before? We actually have two nights booked here at the end of July between a WDW and UO stay. I wanted to try the Gulf side instead of the Atlantic and this seemed like a nice place, but I've never stayed there before. I was also wondering if I should research transferring points to Hyatt to book it, but I'd have to create a Hyatt account. We currently have it booked through the UR portal using my CIP. Thanks!

 

[mmmears]

Is anyone planning any travel this year? I cancelled our Nov cruise and have pretty much accepted no travel until 2021.
Dh threw out yesterday that he wants to go to universal. I didn’t cancel my time off work in November so it would be easy to plan a trip. I have enough URs to cover the hotel and maybe car rental. I should have almost enough SW points to cover the flights if the Sunday return flight cost goes down.

I just don’t know. I’ve shifted my plans to planning a big Hawaii trip in 2022 and those URs could cover one of the $1200 plane tickets.
Will my kids wear mask all day? They do ok with short outings and I wear a mask all day at the hospital so I think we should be ok.
Will the 14 day quarantine from CT to Fl still be in place?

I was pretty excited when he mentioned it yesterday but not so sure now. Maybe I just don’t want to excited about another trip only to have to cancel.

Nope. I'm still disentangling stuff from our Norway, Iceland, Paris, etc. trip this summer that had to be cancelled. I don't have the heart to plan something else that I would have to cancel at this point. I guess we are going to wait until things feel more reliable. I know nothing is ever for certain, but things are just too iffy right now.

 

[alryan]

We are still planning our WDW trip for mid/end of July. Everything feels very up-in-the-air thanks to Disney not really communicating but we are still going! Other than that, dh & I may try to go to WDW again in the fall (also let my girls go in the fall - to make up for the sister trip they lost in March).

Planning to head to Texas in November to make the 'rounds' and see fam. Speaking of Texas, I put all 4 kids on a plane to Texas this morning! I have an empty nest right now Feels so weird!

Oh, I bet that feels weird. At first it's like, "This is so nice, it's so quiet." And then after a few days, "It's too quiet around here."

 

[alryan]

Have either of you stayed at this resort before? We actually have two nights booked here at the end of July between a WDW and UO stay. I wanted to try the Gulf side instead of the Atlantic and this seemed like a nice place, but I've never stayed there before. I was also wondering if I should research transferring points to Hyatt to book it, but I'd have to create a Hyatt account. We currently have it booked through the UR portal using my CIP. Thanks!

No. We just wanted to try something different on the Gulf side and flights were better into Tampa than the panhandle so Clearwater Beach won. Please let us know how you like it. I have never stayed at a Hyatt before and just made my account prior to transferring. I was surprised that it took 2-3 days to transfer the points. I'd only done Southwest and it was instant. I'd definitely check out the math and see if booking with Hyatt points would be cheaper.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Is anyone planning any travel this year? I cancelled our Nov cruise and have pretty much accepted no travel until 2021.
Dh threw out yesterday that he wants to go to universal. I didn’t cancel my time off work in November so it would be easy to plan a trip. I have enough URs to cover the hotel and maybe car rental. I should have almost enough SW points to cover the flights if the Sunday return flight cost goes down.

I just don’t know. I’ve shifted my plans to planning a big Hawaii trip in 2022 and those URs could cover one of the $1200 plane tickets.
Will my kids wear mask all day? They do ok with short outings and I wear a mask all day at the hospital so I think we should be ok.
Will the 14 day quarantine from CT to Fl still be in place?

I was pretty excited when he mentioned it yesterday but not so sure now. Maybe I just don’t want to excited about another trip only to have to cancel.

We leave in the morning for 10 days in Wisconsin Dells. Mom isn’t going on this trip, but DH is coming.

We go back to the Dells in the middle of August and the an end of August Orlando trip. I’m thinking we will probably pass on parks.

Then 12-13 days in Dec either HI or Orlando depending on which will work best for my mother. Mom is slowing down and sleeping a lot. She would like to do HI again but I’m not sure she has the stamina for the travel ( I should have a better idea if she goes to FL in August). HI had been on her bucket list and I’m sure glad we got it done last year.

 

[wendow]

Oh, I bet that feels weird. At first it's like, "This is so nice, it's so quiet." And then after a few days, "It's too quiet around here."

For real!! My dh had a deacon's meeting tonight at church, which go really late, so I'm really all alone and trying to decide if this is nice or too quiet lol! I did take the most amazing nap this afternoon though so there is that!

 

[ski_mom]

Have either of you stayed at this resort before? We actually have two nights booked here at the end of July between a WDW and UO stay. I wanted to try the Gulf side instead of the Atlantic and this seemed like a nice place, but I've never stayed there before. I was also wondering if I should research transferring points to Hyatt to book it, but I'd have to create a Hyatt account. We currently have it booked through the UR portal using my CIP. Thanks!

We have not stayed there, but I think it looks so nice with a great location. After a bit more research, we are thinking of getting a condo through vrbo. We will be there for an entire week and the condos just give us so much more room. Still haven't decided for sure though.

 

[alryan]

So, I have an AC to replace, $4700. I will need to pay a 3% fee to use CC, will ask about plastiq to save $23. I have the cash to cover. Seems a great time for a new MSR, but I have no clue what to get.

I'm 5/24 for another couple of weeks and just got a card last month.
P2 is 3/24, last card was Feb so it's his turn.

I'm not interested in MRs for him (they can't be transferred between us, correct?), otherwise a Plat would be nice other than the fee. I love URs for flexibility. He's not eligible for CSR/CSP and holds a Freedom. With the Biz's hard to get right now I'm stuck. Erasing travel charges, cash back to cover expenses, things like that are my preference at this time. He has DiscoverIt. If I can get over that AF, I could consider a Plat Biz for me, I eventually want to do the Schwab cashout. Maybe it is time for that?

I'm looking at Capital One Venture or Savor right now.

I try to keep us at 4/24, but my whole SW CP plan is in the air now with the extension. I don't see a need to go for CPs at the end of this year, I think we just go without CPs for the second half of next year instead.

You are correct, no transfer of MRs. What about a BoA Biz Cash? $500 SUB for $5K MSR. It's straight cash back that posts as a statement credit as soon as you hit MSR. Approvals can be hit or miss. I was approved and DH denied, but it won't take a 5/24 slot so I thought it was worth a shot. Possibly not a possibility now with biz lending tightening up, but still worth consideration. Their website is horrid, but for $500 I put up with it. I also like the Venture. I used a spot for DH and myself, annual fee waived the first year. It does have $100 support link if you wanted to cross support in the future.

I know what you mean about getting the SW CP. I had us on a schedule of one year for me, the next DH, but now with his getting extended I think we will just go without one for 6 months. But then that means going for two at the same time. And I'll probably book a trip in February and really make it difficult.

 

[afan]

No. We just wanted to try something different on the Gulf side and flights were better into Tampa than the panhandle so Clearwater Beach won. Please let us know how you like it. I have never stayed at a Hyatt before and just made my account prior to transferring. I was surprised that it took 2-3 days to transfer the points. I'd only done Southwest and it was instant. I'd definitely check out the math and see if booking with Hyatt points would be cheaper.

Unless it's changed in the past few months, UR to Hyatt transfers are normally instant. It may have taken longer if you had created the Hyatt account and transferred the points at the same time. I've always done the transfer when I'm on the phone booking once I know the room is there. Also do it on the phone because I'm often combining with my free night cert and I just find it easier to call.

 

[RedHotMama]

So... I used a referral link from reddit for the CSP, and it let me apply, but I was instantly denied.
It said they would send me feedback in 7-10 business days. Email? Snail mail?
I checked my credit score with my credit union before applying and it's 663. So, not great, but on the low end of "good". It said I have too few credit accounts. That's what I'm trying to fix! Lol.
And it could just have do with the way the financial world is looking right now. Although, my husband and I are doing better financially than we have in a long time. But, they can't see that.
So now I have to wait a bit before applying to Chase again, right? Should I just go for the BoA Cash Rewards card in the meantime and get that $200 bonus and their cashback rewards, and hopefully it will help my credit score? (IF I'm approved for that one.) Then try Chase again in a couple (or 3?) months?
Thanks for all your help in the last couple of days! You guys are amazing!

Update: I got the letter from Chase today. It says I was not approved because:
-Too few accounts on file reported recently
-Insufficient balance in deposit and investment accounts with us

So I just need more credit to establish a history. I've got new BoA checking and savings accounts and will try for a BoA cash rewards card after 1 or 2 statements. Then, after 2-3 months when I've met the spend, I don't know if I'll try for Chase again, or get the Sam's MC for their gas rewards first.

If I'm declined for the BoA card, I'll probably get the Discover It Secured before I try for anything else.

At least I have a plan!

 

[calypso726]

Is anyone planning any travel this year? I cancelled our Nov cruise and have pretty much accepted no travel until 2021.
Dh threw out yesterday that he wants to go to universal. I didn’t cancel my time off work in November so it would be easy to plan a trip. I have enough URs to cover the hotel and maybe car rental. I should have almost enough SW points to cover the flights if the Sunday return flight cost goes down.

I just don’t know. I’ve shifted my plans to planning a big Hawaii trip in 2022 and those URs could cover one of the $1200 plane tickets.
Will my kids wear mask all day? They do ok with short outings and I wear a mask all day at the hospital so I think we should be ok.
Will the 14 day quarantine from CT to Fl still be in place?

I was pretty excited when he mentioned it yesterday but not so sure now. Maybe I just don’t want to excited about another trip only to have to cancel.

We have cancelled every trip planned since March for 2020 (NY, DC, Hawaii, DLR, Ireland, Dubai, Africa) and have nothing planned for next year either. That's a first. It looks like we will stick to WDW and maybe USO since they are 3 hours away. I think we will plan on seeing more of our home state and just drive to places in Florida we never really visit.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Does anyone live in or around Chicago? As alot of you are talking about visiting WDW, we are thinking of going the opposite way and visiting Chicago in late August. We've been before, so we don't need to do all the top sights, but we want to do stuff we haven't done before - Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, etc. It appears all that stuff is closed still. Anyone in the area have any insight on when they may reopen? I'm wondering if there will be stuff to do if we plan a trip in 2+ months.

 

[Limes96]

Something different on my Chase personal login this morning...I can see my current SW RR total now.

 

[afan]

I know thr thoughts on churning with a CC balance but I also know that we all do what works for us. But I still had to share.

Paid off the last of my discover card balance this morning! No more unemployment debt. Between the new job with a decent raise, no hsa contributions for a few weeks cause the enrollment was messed up and no 401k until 2 weeks ago combined with not spending much since I'm home most of the time got this paid off much quicker. Now to start saving for a new car and continue increasing my emergency fund.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I know thr thoughts on churning with a CC balance but I also know that we all do what works for us. But I still had to share.

Paid off the last of my discover card balance this morning! No more unemployment debt. Between the new job with a decent raise, no hsa contributions for a few weeks cause the enrollment was messed up and no 401k until 2 weeks ago combined with not spending much since I'm home most of the time got this paid off much quicker. Now to start saving for a new car and continue increasing my emergency fund.

Congrats ....we had CC debit when our kids were in their teens...due to employment issues .....felt wonderful when we were able to get out from under it

 

[happ]

I'm contemplating an offsite stay next year to use up my FNCs. Does anyone know if there is a resource somewhere that lists the parking & resort fees and categories of Marriots near Disney? I found one blog article so far, but some of the information was outdated.

Update: I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I created a list to help me compare the options. I didn't realize there were so many. I put the list up on dischurners.

 

[wendow]

Does anyone live in or around Chicago? As alot of you are talking about visiting WDW, we are thinking of going the opposite way and visiting Chicago in late August. We've been before, so we don't need to do all the top sights, but we want to do stuff we haven't done before - Lincoln Park Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, etc. It appears all that stuff is closed still. Anyone in the area have any insight on when they may reopen? I'm wondering if there will be stuff to do if we plan a trip in 2+ months.

Paging @CyndiLouWho. There may be others who can help as well but I know she lives in the area.
Sounds like a fun trip! We went several years ago and loved the aquarium and zoo.

 

[afan]

Congrats ....we had CC debit when our kids were in their teens...due to employment issues .....felt wonderful when we were able to get out from under it

It is and to see my savings grow. I've never had a job where I could really save that much if anything. Better late than never Will be nice to start putting money in the mutual fund I smartly started at 18 and then did little with and my IRA from an old 401k. Knew what I needed to do thanks to a good teachet in is but you've got to have the money to be able to do it.

 

[Limes96]

I’m still waffling on getting the CF. I tried to look up support info on it and it appears there’s no support for it right now. Is that right? I see CFU but not CF.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I’m still waffling on getting the CF. I tried to look up support info on it and it appears there’s no support for it right now. Is that right? I see CFU but not CF.

You are correct..no support for the CF...only on the CFU