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

[hsmamato2]

Usually

I pack one large checked piece for the three of us for most vacations. Each of us has one carryon. Mine is a messenger bag, DHs is a backpack. We have a change of clothes in carryon but the rest is snacks, electronics, camera, etc. Our carryons aren’t big enough for a weeks clothes. I will admit to multiple pairs of shoes but I do wear them all. If my knees or feet are bothering me I change which shoes I wear the next day or later in the day. Clothes tend to be mix and match, pants are all gray or black. Toiletries are in refillable little bottles, so they are small.

What type of carryons do you have?

ours are carryons that go in the overhead, so they fit that 21x14x9 fit.... wheels, and I love my cheap packing cubes. I've never used all my items on any trip either,oh,and our persona plane item is a backpack,so extra room in the for things if needed. For AK I wore my JBU mary Janes whch are multi purpose, packed flip flops for pool,and a pair of hiking sneakers good for cold weather hiking. layers include a fleece,light wool cardigan,light puffer and a rain layer. smart wool socks- things that can be used multi purpose. (I can wear the JBU mary Janes out walking,or to the dining room with my black skirt in the evening for ex.) DH wanted a sport jacket for dining,and wore that on plane. the sons just packed and wore a dress shirt and tie for dinners.

 

[tink1970]

With Southwest, its been easy as they offer free checked luggage. I tried last year on our trip to DC, just DW and I, to use checked baggage but she didn't want to go to target to get the 3oz bottles to move her shampoo into so we paid $50 RT for checked baggage. I have gone to the airport in the middle of winter in shorts and a light coat because I didn't want to deal with the bulk once in Florida. Plus, I like to bring extra shoes because parks and soaked sneakers are terrible.

ETA: DC trip was on AA

I don't blame her a bit! Basically as a female I have checked bag needs. Hair, face, eyes (extra wetting solution), sunscreen, footwear. I cannot speak for every woman but I assure you my DH would agree that $50 is a small price to pay to avoid my distress if I don't have my stuff A certain person might have a reputation for her response in a certain hotel in Edinburgh when her luggage was lost and she was told "we have shops here you know."

 

[DisneyMandC]

I don't blame her a bit! Basically as a female I have checked bag needs. Hair, eyes (extra wetting solution), sunscreen, footwear. I cannot speak for every woman but I assure you my DH would agree that $50 is a small price to pay to avoid my distress if I don't have my stuff A certain person might have a reputation for her response in a certain hotel in Edinburgh when her luggage was lost and she was told "we have shops here you know."

DH always laughs at me because I frequently travel without bringing a hairbrush I also don't use conditioner in my hair, so I just put whatever shampoo the hotel provides in it and call it a day. Finger comb it and off I go. I owned a hair straightener at one time... I wonder where that is.

 

[Lain]

Good morning! I am not in WDW, nor doing anything cool... But I do have money questions!
I know someone here is using Heritage Bank because that's how I looked into it. I think I made my 10 debit transactions, am registered in estatements, had a DD. But my interest rate is still showing at .05%. The DD went through on Friday, do I have to be patient for it to change or should I be spazzing out (because currently I'm spazzing out).

I think that would be @disneymagicgirl, who’s at WDW right now.

 

[disneybirds]

To all my DIS friends at WDW right now...STAY DRY...today is “that day”. The day it rains all day - seems to happen one day each January trip for us. Weather shows a 100% chance of rain from 8am - 11pm. WOW. LOL

Definitely try to stay as dry as possible. At least with the rain, you will probably have shorter waits for the rides! Have fun!!

 

[striker1064]

To all my DIS friends at WDW right now...STAY DRY...today is “that day”. The day it rains all day - seems to happen one day each January trip for us. Weather shows a 100% chance of rain from 8am - 11pm. WOW. LOL

Aw, you're making me want to come down now. I kind of love it at WDW when it rains. There's something so peaceful.

We'll be there in about 4 weeks, anyhow.

 

[Lain]

so.... b/c I've had spg biz and personal in the past, I don't qualify anyway,right?

If you want the Marriott Biz before it's discontinued on 2/13/19, you

• Can't have had the SPG Personal in the last 30 days.
• Can't have opened the SPG Lux or SPG Biz in the last 90 days.
• Can't have received a bonus on the SPG Lux or SPG Biz in the last 24 months.

See: Navigating Marriott’s Byzantine Credit Card Rules

 

[MarBee]

I am looking at a few posts about the Marriott Card. I am planning a future Disneyland trip where I want to stay at a Marriott, and I have about 135,000 points plus a couple free nights already.
Would I be better off getting DH this card or the CIP?

 

[Limes96]

I was just able to reschedule my Global Entry interview. The location I’d hoped to go to didn’t have anything until April 1. I checked a location about an hour further away and was able to get mid March. My original appt was for mid January and I applied in late October.

 

[Lain]

I don’t have any Marriott/SPG cards, I’m 3/24. What card(s) should I go for? Should I try to get the 2 that are being discounted?

Check the new restrictions placed on Starriott cards effective 8/26/18: Navigating Marriott’s Byzantine Credit Card Rules.

To get Marriott Biz signup bonus, you

• Can't have had the SPG Personal in the last 30 days.
• Can't have opened the SPG Lux or SPG Biz in the last 90 days.
• Can't have received a bonus on the SPG Lux or SPG Biz in the last 24 months.

The Marriott Biz terms say:

The bonus is not available to you if you:

• are a current cardmember of this business credit card;
• were a previous cardmember of this business credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this business credit card within the last 24 months;
• are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express;
• are a current or previous cardmember of either The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card, and received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months; or
• applied and were approved for The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card within the last 90 days.

To get the SPG Personal signup bonus, you can't have or have had the following cards in the last 30 days:

• Marriott Premier
• Marriott Premier Plus
• the low fee Marriott credit card
• the Ritz-Carlton

The SPG Personal terms say:

Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase, The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, The Marriott Rewards Credit Card from Chase, or The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card from JP Morgan in the last 30 days.

The new restrictions typically mean you have to choose a lane, Chase or Amex, but it looks like there might be a possibility of applying for the Marriott Biz first (because you can't have had the SPG Personal in the last 30 days), then apply for the SPG Personal (because it doesn't have any disqualifying language about the Marriott Biz). I'd be prepared to fight for the bonus from Chase, however, because the point of these restrictions was to prevent bonus raiding across the two issuers. Note that if you get the Marriott Biz, you're locking yourself out of getting the bonus on the SPG Lux for 24 months, and the bonus on a SPG Biz as long as you hold the Marriott Biz and for 30 days after (although with the AF hike on the SPG Biz, maybe that's not a bad thing). If you get the SPG Personal, you won't be able to get the bonus on a Marriott Premier Plus as long as you hold it and for 30 days after. Again, refer to the charts in the above link before applying and the fine print in the application offer terms.

Generally, I think the offerings from Amex are better, but with pop ups, denied bonuses, and the FN certs posting 6-8 weeks after card anniversary -- guaranteeing you'll pay an AF, and whatever else you'll have to deal with to keep the Amex RATs happy so you don't get denied future bonuses, I hesitate to recommend them.

 

[Sarah_B]

I think that would be @disneymagicgirl, who’s at WDW right now.

Thank you! Think I’ll try daily question on r/churning, wish me luck.

 

[StephPlum]

Cold destinations are definitely more challenging but it's doable. Wear the bulkiest clothes on the plane - including hiking boots if you need those.

I did it...fam of 4, we just packed layers to add/subtract to outfits needed, and reused as needed(we didn't need to have laundry done after all) we didn't need much anyway- we do carryon all the time everywhere. I can't imagine packing bigger now.

I am trying to get closer to no checked bags. I have improved - solo trip in 2006 to Arizona for a week, I took 2 checked bags for just me! Now I will say they weren't complete full. I sort of blame SW since checked bags are free. For solo trips now, I go carry-on. For 2 week family trips to a NP, I'll usually take one medium checked bag. Everyone else puts some of their stuff in my bag. My DD goes with just a carry on but she cheats. Since she knows I'll take a checked bag, she puts extra shoes, full size liquids in my bag.

I've gotten better at realizing I do not need to take as many clothes. Can rewear a lot of things; we always have access to be able to do laundry. Luckily we don't go anywhere that we need both casual and dressy clothes. Casual all the way. Maybe cause I am older, it wouldn't bother me if I was the most causally dressed one in the room.

Hiking boots do take up a lot of space. I should switch to wearing on the plane instead of packing.

 

[Lain]

I am looking at a few posts about the Marriott Card. I am planning a future Disneyland trip where I want to stay at a Marriott, and I have about 135,000 points plus a couple free nights already.
Would I be better off getting DH this card or the CIP?

I think most here will tell you the CIP is a much better offer than the Marriott cards. 80k UR can be much more valuable and flexible than 75k Marriott points.

However, there are a few things we need to consider:

• What is your (or DH's) 5/24 status?
• Are you considering the Marriott Business card, which will be discontinued to new applications after 2/12/19, or the Marriott Premier Plus personal card?
• If business card, what if any business cards do you already have with Chase?
• Most Marriott hotels around Disneyland are 35k Marriott points/night, how many nights are you planning to stay and what are your free night certificates worth?
• When are you planning to stay? The hotel rates around Disneyland can vary wildly depending on season and if there are any major conventions or events going on, from the low- to mid- $100s to $200-300+.
• When do you plan to book your trip? The rumor is Marriott will implement peak pricing for points reservations at their hotels in March, so if you have dates in mind you should book before then to lock in your rates.

 

[calypso726]

Tips appreciated for carry on only. I can’t fathom being able to do it for Alaskan cruise but I’m open to suggestions and tips.

Ok, I am a self proclaimed over-packer and thanks to different airline credit cards and flying up font on points generally don't worry about checked bag allowances. But, when I've booked something with a tight connection, I don't want to risk checked bags not making it, so I have done carry on only on a couple of trips. Once was for 4 days in Scotland which can be just as cold as Alaska in the summer too. Once was last year for Dapper Days in DLR and you guys saw what I was wearing. Yup, fit that whole ensemble and then some in a carry on.

Most airlines allow a carry on and a personal item. The carry on has to fit in the overhead and the personal item under the seat in front of you. I will bring my carry on that fits an amazing amount of stuff and also a back pack to go in the seat in front. I don't like hard sided carry ons and find I fit more with soft sided. I chose a brand and style that most flight attendants and pilots recommend and have been so impressed with the carry on that I now have the checked size, international carry on size and domestic carry on size and so does PlanePrincess. It's the Travel Pro Platinum Magna 2 line. It has been discontinued so may be available for a little less now as the new line is the Elite. I am beyond thrilled with mine and don't see it getting replaced any time soon.




If you aren't picky about toiletries then use whatever is in the hotel or on the ship and don't pack shampoo, conditioner, lotion etc. Unfortunately, I need to pack those things or my hair will be a disaster LOL I will pack my shampoo, conditioner and body wash gel in TSA approved, BPA free leak proof silicone travel containers. I have super dry and sensitive skin so my face cream goes in a travel container for cream. Hair product to keep the curls from frizzing goes in another of those cream containers. Toothpaste, deodorant and hair spray are all travel sized so I can take up less room.




If I'm bringing bulkier clothes like jeans, I wear them on the plane. If I am bringing bulky shoes like sneakers or boots then I wear those on the plane too. If I do pack an extra pair of sneakers, I fill the inside with socks and anything else that will fit to maximize the space. If I want shoes to dress up an outfit, I bring Tieks style ballet flats because they are travel friendly. Tieks are way too expensive as far as I'm concerned so I just want them to be flexible and fold-able like a pair of Tieks. Payless has a line of fold-able flats that are cute. My favorites are a brand I found at DSW called Me Too. These are fold-able, pack super easy, there are a lot of cute styles and they are pretty durable. I've have mine for years. The 3 pairs I have run small, so I did have to go up a full size. I bring enough bras, panties and socks for 2 - 3 days and do sink laundry and use the shampoo at the hotel or ship as detergent. If I'm hopping from one B&B to another, then I will bring travel size laundry detergent packets.

I have learned the hard way that layers are the name of the game for cold places. Hot Chilis base layers are nice but very pricey. The Heat Tech base layers from Uniqlo work just as well, are less spendy and pack really nice too. You can roll them up lengthwise and fill the interior space between and around the handles of the carry on that protrude and maximize your space as well as make a flat layer for packing cubes. I'm a big fan of packing cubes. I can always fit more stuff using packing cubes than I can without using them. I try to make sure that whatever I pack matches and coordinates with everything else so I can mix anything up.

Rather than pack a big heavy parka that takes up way too much room, we now bring a wind proof, water resistant or water proof outer shell that packs easier and a mid layer. This will go in the back pack along with a smaller travel purse, chargers and cables for electronics, my iPad and my Kindle. As a clueless about cold weather Florida couple, it has taken us numerous trips to cold places to figure out how to pack efficiently and effectively for cold weather.

Hope this helps

 

[miztressuz]

Good morning! I am not in WDW, nor doing anything cool... But I do have money questions!
I know someone here is using Heritage Bank because that's how I looked into it. I think I made my 10 debit transactions, am registered in estatements, had a DD. But my interest rate is still showing at .05%. The DD went through on Friday, do I have to be patient for it to change or should I be spazzing out (because currently I'm spazzing out).

I'm pretty sure @Haley R is using them. From my recollection @platamama and @Albort was involved in that conversation, so maybe one of them can help.

But I would think if the DD just went through on Friday you may have to wait until Monday to see the changes.

 

[calypso726]

DH always laughs at me because I frequently travel without bringing a hairbrush I also don't use conditioner in my hair, so I just put whatever shampoo the hotel provides in it and call it a day. Finger comb it and off I go. I owned a hair straightener at one time... I wonder where that is.

I don't own or use a brush either. If I did I'd look like I stuck my finger in a socket

 

[speedyfishy]

DH always laughs at me because I frequently travel without bringing a hairbrush I also don't use conditioner in my hair, so I just put whatever shampoo the hotel provides in it and call it a day. Finger comb it and off I go. I owned a hair straightener at one time... I wonder where that is.

I swore I could have written this. Sometimes I go out without brushing my hair my hair is naturally straight and pretty manageable though. SO on the other hand needs his hair to be perfect lol he combs his hair before and after a shower. And then just before walking out the door. if he didn’t pack his comb I think he would die. I don’t think he would use just any comb lol

 

[jhoannam]

Hey everyone! I've been reading the thread and TPG and my head is spinning. I'm just getting the hang of this stuff, so I'm going to pick your brains if you don't mind.

We are looking at going to Disney World in about 2 years, shooting for Jan 2021. I'm dipping my toes in the water of using credit card rewards. We have a stack of points already on our two cards.
We would like go take a trip to Wyoming and Montana a couple years after the Disney trip, as well. And I will say it is likely we will end up going to Disney again!

We also like to camp, so paying for campgrounds and such is a bonus. I'm really not sure if our best bet is a travel card or a cashback style card.

The current cards and current points:
06/15 - DISCOVER it (96,234 miles)
??/16 - Chase Freedom (90,676 points)


Our spending estimates:
Utilities - $225
Gas - $275
Groceries - $350
Baby supplies - $100
Restaraunts -$180
Miscellaneous - $300

What do you suggest? I've been picking through the thread and reading a bunch on TPG. I am wondering if the Disney preferred card is the easiest thing to do, but am also now wondering about the Barclaycard Arrival Plus or the Chade Sapphire Preferred. I'm a little hesitant of a yearly fee, but I know sometimes that pays off. I'm a little lost trying to sort through everything!

It looks like you could spend about $4,000 in 3 months, which is great.
You said our, I’m going to assume there are 2 of you.
I would start with with Chase sapphire preferred (CSP) - 50,000 Chase points (UR) for spending $4,000 in 3 months. Then you refer your spouse, you earn 10,000 points. They earn 50,000. You are now up 208,000 UR. You can’t book Disney hotels directly through chase. I’ve been buying discounted Disney gift cards (follow that thread too), and cashing out those purchases. I’ll go to staples buy $50 (chase had a promotion for 30% off) for $35 then cashed out chase points.
You can also request to be added to our Reddit group, there you can find support link to apply for your first CSP. We are all about supporting each other.
Welcome to the group! You’ll get lots of great advice here, the most important one will be to stay away from TPG! He will recommend cards that benefit him more than you.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Ah ok. Those are "personal items." You can have one carry on and one personal item (backpack, purse, messenger bag, etc.) on most airlines. We have rolling Briggs & Reilly international sized carryons - they don't even make what we have anymore - and we've been flying with them for 8-10 years (got them one at a time). There are tons of wheeled carry ons on the market, with lots of different price ranges of course. DD uses hers more than I do since she comes home on breaks 4-5 times a year. They have held up really well, so well that I can't justify replacing mine for a newer model LOL. They are expandable, so pop out and give us an extra 3-4 inches if we want (then it's not carryon sized, so we only do that when moving from place to place, like during a split stay at WDW).

We also each have a personal item. And we pack as many things in these bags as we can. I can usually get flip flops, a pair of ballet flats, and something sneaker like (Keds, Vans, or even sometimes my Asics) packed, and I wear Asics on the plane.

This last trip I was convinced we needed maybe one check in piece of luggage for the 3 of us, but DH was determined to fit in all in and we did. The luggage would have been free, but then we would have had to deal with it, wait for it, etc. When we landed in Copenhagen around 11pm after an 11 hour flight, a 5 hour layover, and a 2 hour flight the last thing we wanted to do was wait for luggage. We walked off the plane and were in a taxi to our hotel in probably 5 mins.

We have done carryon only for WDW. Now that DS has his own carryon, we could probably make it work.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Do, or will, you do laundry or are you guys tiny and just have smaller clothes. I know DW has tiny clothes compared to me. Not sure how you do it.

I feel like DHs size 13 shoes take up a bag by themselves