I have used points in a very non ideal manner before. Whatever works for you.
I cash points all the time, we have more points than vacation days so I would rather earn 1CPP then let them sit there and devalue.
You do you…that’s an amazing amount of points…. I use URs to PYB loved the restaurant category, now use it for food stores..actual groceries and Disney GCs. We fly SW so get the CP and use RR points to visit our son and his family who live in Orlando.
I have the same question, actually. I was wondering if closing one just before applying to the next affects the application in any way. I plan to get a second CIC in July and would like to close my sole CIU since that's now 13 months old.
I have a question about credit limits on chase. Can the available $ credit limits be moved from one card to another?
If so, how do I do this?
Thanks!
Without this board and the (very) helpful posters I would never be able to travel the way that I do.This blanket statement may well be true for you and your preferred method of using credit card rewards. However, for many/most of us on this thread, it couldn’t be further from the truth of what works for us. Those of us who have been on this thread for a long time know that there is no wrong way to participate in this hobby. What works for one person and their goals simply may not work for another. I will use myself as an example, comparing what works for you and why it won’t work for me, to illustrate the point for those who may be newer to this hobby.
If I spend $10,000 in Amazon purchases over one year with the 5x Amazon card, I’d earn 50k points worth $500. If I spent $50,000 in one year with a 2x card I would have earned 100,000 points worth $1,000. So I have $1500. Sounds great right? Maybe for someone with different travel goals this is perfect. Not. For. Me. I play this game mostly to experience a higher end more luxurious style vacation and pay as little out of pocket for the experience. My best was 2019 with a $57,000 vacation flying first class on Emirates to the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa in Dubai and ending in Overwater bungalows at the Conrad Rangali in the Maldives. Booking that was all points and miles and about $235 or so out of pocket. I would not have used $1500 in cash back points and $55,500 in cash to experience that. Haven’t topped that one yet. So maybe it’s an outlier.
Let’s go with the one I am on right now. Business class flights using American Airline miles and Air France miles which would have cost a little over $12,000 to get from Miami to Tahiti. Three nights in Hilton accommodations Moorea that would have been about $2,700 and 3 nights in Bora Bora that would have been about $6,500 and one night in Tahiti that would have been about $400 all booked with Hilton points. Food and transfers are going to run me about $1,000 or more which could be covered by that cash back from an Amazon card and a 2x card but is likely to be hit with foreign transaction fees on top. Fortunately, I can also wipe those out with Hilton Aspire cards and the benefits they come with as well as the points for these stays are something I can make full use of each year. Nonetheless, I would not have paid over $20k to take this trip and cash back cards at 2x or 5x would do me no good.
This is why I, and many others here use sign up bonuses from cards, be they airline, hotel or variable points cards throughout the year to amass points and miles. Many of us also maximize the spending categories of said cards, use shopping portals and purchase no fee gift cards to build up the points stash. For most of us, a cash back card or two alone will not suffice for our travel goals.
I do at least one fully travel hacked trip a year using all points and miles, sometimes more and mitigate the out of pocket costs of my other trips with this hobby. I hope this helps shed some light on why blanket statements don’t apply to all who “love their credit cards” and this hobby.
Cheers! All the way from Bora Bora
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I just couldn't remember if, when talking about the overall percentage of your income that you should stay below with Chase, whether that number included spouse's income or not.
Did you purposely wait 31 days before applying?
I do household income for all credit apps. Until this year my spouse has made almost twice as much as me so it really helps lol
I'm with you on this. I have been slow to make plans for next year. DS is starting HS and who knows how that will go, plus I'm starting a new job next month and have no idea how time off will work. But the cap on it is what you mentioned. My mom is 80 with health issues, FIL is 83. In addition we have 2 dogs who need watching. We adopted an almost 8 yr old rescue last year, who had been abused in the past (owner's boyfriend locked him in crate and poked and teased him.) We have boarded him at a local animal hospital and he did fine at first. Then spring break this year, he was there for 8 days and lost nearly 10 lbs. They didn't say anything so I don't know if he refused to eat or they didn't feed him, but not taking him back. Last weekend we went to NOLA for 5 days and 4 days in, the new vet we boarded at calls to say he nipped a tech. He didn't bite hard but did break skin when she reached into his cage to get an empty food bowl. I have a feeling that it was a combo of stress and the above abuse when she tried to quickly reach in he found it threatening. He has never bitten before but obviously leaving him there is not ideal. DS has a soccer tournament in a couple weeks, so DH will stay home with the dogs while I take DS.
I have a spreadsheet on iPad but a paper calendar with each credit card listed on the day it is due, along with pay days. It's easier for me visually than a spread sheet, especially as I pay all the bills including DHs cc's. Following due dates for 15-20 cards is too hard for me otherwise.
I am so jealous of that number of URs! I tend to spend as I accumulate and I absolutely do PYB. To me, free is free.
That's interesting. Is there a list of problem medications anywhere you can easily point me to? I don't have anyone on stimulants but one of my DDs travels with a veritable pharmacy! Lol. Nothing on any schedule in the US.
