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

[trstno1]

My new strategy is bundling our deductions. I'm trying to alternate years where we take the standard deduction and then itemize. And put as much of our itemized expenses into the "itemized" year by being strategic with charitable contributions and when we pay property taxes It's so fun to find a way to minimize my tax liability HAHA

I've also been trying to maximize my itemized deductions every other year. If you still have accounts with Schwab, I have found a Schwab Charitable giving account to be very helpful. I fund the account every other year. That contribution is (usually) the only charitable deduction I list on my tax return. Once transferred to the Charitable Giving account, the money is considered gifted, though I still retain control over how much and when I send funds to a charity.

As a extra bonus, if you have investments with Schwab, instead of putting money into the Charitable Giving account, you can transfer investments to minimize capital gains tax. You can then repurchase those investments with the cash you would have donated for a more favorable cost basis.

 

[Chancery8]

Just received an invitation from Citi to switch my Thank You Preferred for a Citi Rewards + card. Seems like they have been trying to get me off the Thank You preferred forever, but this one looks like it might be worth doing. It seems like a no brainer for those low value purchases, where anything under $10 will earn 10 Thank You points. I know TYP aren't the most valued currency around here, but I do use them in combination with my TYPremier to transfer to airlines etc.

Before I make the jump, anyone got any thoughts on why I shouldn't? I keep the same account number so I am assuming there is no 5/24 impact.

I got the same invite. I've had my Thank you preferred forever as well. I don't know if I'm going to do it, but the earning 10pts for anything under $10 seems like it could be lucrative ($1 Amazon funding anyone?). But I wonder how long that will last, when too many people start making thousands of $1 charges here and there.

Ugg. LAst month we drove up to BOS - our car already has EzpassMA transponder..... so then we get bill in the mail for toll by plate for another persons tolls.... (dates don't even match when we were driving up!)so far I've gotten two bills and the total is up to 8.xx......
The plate is nothing like our plate, altho I can see it's the same state.... I foresee a lot of issues here- my DH says to just pay it and be done, but I'm concerned about future unpaid stuff being thrown at me if I do.... When I check my ezpass acct- it doesn't show this activity at all. any advice? I'm more than a little concerned about the lack of help for stuff like this.... maybe I can call my state DMv to find out anything?

I wouldn't just pay it without figuring out what in the world was going on. I agree that there could be a lot of future issues and the bills just keep on coming...especially if you pay them.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

About two years ago DH has someone at work telling him how they were super excited to go to Universal Studios Hollywood and see the new Avatar land.

One of DSs classmates moms told me they went to WDW last Christmas break. Just decided a week before to go for a few days right before Christmas. She showed me pics of how crowded it was, she was surprised. And when I mentioned we loved Epcot too, she gave me a confused look. I think they only went to MK, and had no idea there are 3 other parks...

 

[AmyAnne]

My new strategy is bundling our deductions. I'm trying to alternate years where we take the standard deduction and then itemize. And put as much of our itemized expenses into the "itemized" year by being strategic with charitable contributions and when we pay property taxes It's so fun to find a way to minimize my tax liability HAHA

I was actually wondering if we could strategize the deduction by picking when to pay property taxes. Our taxes are billed in Sept. and due by January 31. Usually I try to get them paid by the end of the year but with our trip over Christmas it just didn't happen. I was wondering whether I could count the 2018 taxes, paid in January 2019, and the 2019 taxes, paid before the end of December 2019, toward the 2019 taxes/deductible.

 

[linzjane88]

I'm the 'guru'.....(laughable) but my fave is when I get a random text saying what card should I get? no other info.... or even better, what card should my aunt get? I have nooooo idea... I don;t go into lots of detail until the person asking provides detailed info so I can help them with advice. and I don;t do vacation quotes,ever. I answer questions if they come to me with 'is this a good hotel/price/location?" type of questions tho. and I will refer them to places to research what they need.

I think that's where I need to draw the line. When they ask "is this a good price?" or "would you do this" I am in my head always thinking 'NO! Thats a terrible plan!" because it usually is. . I just need to not get so invested I think. If they don't have the motivation to do even the most basic travel research then I shouldn't "fix" their trips. Haha.

 

[Chancery8]

One of DSs classmates moms told me they went to WDW last Christmas break. Just decided a week before to go for a few days right before Christmas. She showed me pics of how crowded it was, she was surprised. And when I mentioned we loved Epcot too, she gave me a confused look. I think they only went to MK, and had no idea there are 3 other parks...

These types of stories are like a stab to my heart...I feel for those poor families. But then of course, I also get infuriated when I hear the same families talk about how much they didn't like Disney. Unviversal Disney Rule #1 should be: Don't ever badmouth Disney to a Disney lover!...only Disney lovers are allowed to complain about overcrowding/increasing prices/etc.

 

[Limes96]

Just ordered a SW gift card to use P2’s Amex plat travel credit. Hoping I did it right! I was nervous in November too when I did it but it worked!

Started my son’s taxes yesterday. Last year was his first job ever (he’s 17 and works at Subway as a Sandwich Artist ) so I thought it would be easy. I’m double checking numbers when I realize, his employer typed in his SS# wrong for his W2 and it’s off on one digit. Glad I checked. Hoping it’s not a huge hassle to get that corrected.

Trying to figure out what card to get next. I’ll finish spend on my HH biz this week likely. Then I want a buffer for about 3 weeks or so when I hope to use up all the Visa gc’s I bought during deals in November and December. I’m now 3/24. My BCP will drop off in February though, so I’m thinking I’ll go for a Chase personal card. My first thought is the United personal card with the waived first year $95 fee. That would hopefully give me time to get the extra miles for the additional spend in 6 months if I decide to do that. Other than that, I don’t have a Freedom yet, but now that I’m not buying Disney gift cards, it’s hard to say if I’d max the bonus every quarter or not. Maybe. Leaning towards United though since I’m planning to book United for Europe in June 2020. Any thoughts? Other Chase personal cards to consider? I currently have CSR and DH has Amex plat, so not wanting another high AF card.

 

[GusGus16]

I was actually wondering if we could strategize the deduction by picking when to pay property taxes. Our taxes are billed in Sept. and due by January 31. Usually I try to get them paid by the end of the year but with our trip over Christmas it just didn't happen. I was wondering whether I could count the 2018 taxes, paid in January 2019, and the 2019 taxes, paid before the end of December 2019, toward the 2019 taxes/deductible.

Yes you can do this, it matters when they are paid. So if you pay both 2018 and 2019 in 2019 you can use both in 2019, caveat you cannot prepay say 2020 taxes and use them as well since they won't be billed yet. There is an upper limit of amount that is able to be deducted from property and income taxes up to 10,000 I believe.

 

[afan]

I was actually wondering if we could strategize the deduction by picking when to pay property taxes. Our taxes are billed in Sept. and due by January 31. Usually I try to get them paid by the end of the year but with our trip over Christmas it just didn't happen. I was wondering whether I could count the 2018 taxes, paid in January 2019, and the 2019 taxes, paid before the end of December 2019, toward the 2019 taxes/deductible.

I think it goes to the year they are paid in. Mine line up that way or something close to it and one year my escrow hadn't paid them yet so I didn't have any taxes to write off. It sorted itself out the next year and the taxes are so low (I bought for 66,500 though value has gone up but still under 100k) I wasn't that annoyed. They also weren't doubled the next year so I'm guessing they changed when they were paying stuff. I think it was also the year we had to evict my tenant so I had a lot of writeoffs I don't normally have and lot's of lost rent so it was fine.

 

[AmyAnne]

Yes you can do this, it matters when they are paid. So if you pay both 2018 and 2019 in 2019 you can use both in 2019, caveat you cannot prepay say 2020 taxes and use them as well since they won't be billed yet. There is an upper limit of amount that is able to be deducted from property and income taxes up to 10,000 I believe.

Thanks. Since 2018 ended up getting paid in 2019 I will be sure to pay 2019 in 2019 and see if that gets us enough to make itemizing worthwhile.

 

[striker1064]

Just opened a Wells Fargo Checking account for the bonus and funded the measly $50 on my CC. Hoping my credit union continues to work for the DD like it did for Chase. I put the reminders on my calendar to do the $500 monthly DD to avoid the monthly fee. And wow, the questions were hard. I had to remember of the years of my previous cars.

Now to set one up for DH.

I'm not sure who your CU is, but my small, local CU from the south worked as DD for WF. The nice thing is, it's very easy to tell. Look at your first statement when it comes out, and WF will list at the bottom which deposits worked to waive fees for the month. If your CU deposit waived the fee, it counts as a DD. And WF waives the fee the first month anyway, so no concern about having to pay a fee if it doesn't work.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I called up Disney to try to payoff my reservation at CSR. I read off the numbers from my CSR to the CSR and finished the payment. So excited to stay at CSR and earn extra points on my CSR! See...that wasn’t so bad, right???

I will add RAT when I get a chance!

My DD sent me a pic a few nights ago and told me to translate it. Only thing I wasn't sure on was MM...magical moment? Anyways, I am sure she was snickering with her friends when I replied.

 

[amalone1013]

One of DSs classmates moms told me they went to WDW last Christmas break. Just decided a week before to go for a few days right before Christmas. She showed me pics of how crowded it was, she was surprised. And when I mentioned we loved Epcot too, she gave me a confused look. I think they only went to MK, and had no idea there are 3 other parks...

So in summer 2015, DHs aunt and her son/daughter in law/grandson were going to do FL for a week, do Disney, Universal, Kennedy, beaches. This aunt is MILs sister, so MIL was invited to go. Well the son injured himself just before the trip, tore a muscle in his leg, had to have surgery, so they postponed. To leaving Dec 26th or 27th They did MK on NYE.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I was actually wondering if we could strategize the deduction by picking when to pay property taxes. Our taxes are billed in Sept. and due by January 31. Usually I try to get them paid by the end of the year but with our trip over Christmas it just didn't happen. I was wondering whether I could count the 2018 taxes, paid in January 2019, and the 2019 taxes, paid before the end of December 2019, toward the 2019 taxes/deductible.

You can deduct the 2018 taxes paid in 2019, along with any 2019 taxes paid in 2019.up to
$10,000 .on your 2019 tax return

 

[Alexle2007]

I'm not sure who your CU is, but my small, local CU from the south worked as DD for WF. The nice thing is, it's very easy to tell. Look at your first statement when it comes out, and WF will list at the bottom which deposits worked to waive fees for the month. If your CU deposit waived the fee, it counts as a DD. And WF waives the fee the first month anyway, so no concern about having to pay a fee if it doesn't work.

Yes, this was is small also. It used to be only for Social Security Admin employees but when they changed the name to SecurityPlus, the only opened it up to certain groups in Balto City.

I just need to make the deposit and then can transfer the money, correct?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

The entire state of Georgia has spring break the first week of April, so even though it isn't near Easter it will still be busy. Good luck finding some deals!!

ETA: We went 7 times last year with our APs. Here are the trips in order from crazy busy to least busy ...

Christmas (2 times) - Incredibly Busy
President's Day Weekend and 1st Week of April with Easter - Really, really Busy
4th of July Week - Only the actual 4th was insane
Fall Break (last week of September) - Great week
Weekend before Memorial Day with pouring down rain all weekend - walked on so many rides and have pictures with no one in them, but it was pouring!

We are doing 5/22-29 this year to visit DD on her bday (5/27). Hoping for great crowd levels! I am guessing it will start off nice and get worse daily.

 

[striker1064]

Added 2 short hotel reviews from our weekend excursions to the hotel thread.

Yes, this was is small also. It used to be only for Social Security Admin employees but when they changed the name to SecurityPlus, the only opened it up to certain groups in Balto City.

I just need to make the deposit and then can transfer the money, correct?

Yep, I transferred the money in, then right back out. I think I only ever left $50 in WF between transfers.

 

[afan]

My DD sent me a pic a few nights ago and told me to translate it. Only thing I wasn't sure on was MM...magical moment? Anyways, I am sure she was snickering with her friends when I replied.
View attachment 376980

Until reading the screen shot I would have thought memory maker but that doesn't make sense in the context but I also didn't think you could ask for magical moments unless they mean magic shots in which case I think 90% of the time you get tinker bell regardless of the park you're in. Cause she makes so much sense in front of spaceship earth or the tree of life. No I'm not a fan of her but at least one of the shots from Nov had her in red for xmas so I'm kinda ok with that one.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

You aren't kidding.
21 hours old................almost 300 posts.........15 pages...........your speed is breathtaking.
Too overwhelming for me. Luckily other threads in the Budget section travel at speeds between 45 and 65 mph.
You guys cruise comfortably at 100+ all day long!

BUT if somebody new pops in, we're always happy to dish out some awesome advice on what the best card(s) are for their situation.

Welcome @BridgetBordeaux this is an awesome group. You will meet a lot of “friends” here.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

If it helps any here's what I'm doing...I think I'm going to have my wife lay low with AMEX all year...no cards...We've put a lot of grocery spend on the BCP lately. When triple dip season rolls around, I'm going for the Schwab either way...If we get a popup, we just won't put any spend on the card. Cash out all the MRs and be done with AMEX. If NO popup...we'll weigh the recent reports of people being denied even w/out a popup and determine if we're going for the MSR or not.

can anyone help me with amex plans for DH? I know it is hard to say now with all the amex stuff. Unless we plan flights to Hawaii in fancy seats or something, I have no other plans for his 140k points. Here is his amex info:

0?/2008 amex everyday
04/2018 SPG biz
05/2018 hilton biz
09/2018 Plat personal

Should I go ahead and refer him from my BBP?