HA! When we drove thru the Painted desert on a nearby trek we couldn't stop singing about 'been thru the desert on a horse with no name' endlessly.....
So if you decide to go for the CSP today, there's a couple things to do when putting in the second application. I saw @GZanta77 got you the important one of using another browser or incognito window for the second application. Since they need to be approved on the same day, if you don't get instant approved again you may have to do some calling. When I searched for a good writeup with the numbers to call @Lain popped up againHere's one of his posts:
And if for some reason the expand doesn't work on that quote, here's the link directly to the post: Lain>Dugette DoubleDip steps
Yeah - it takes some getting used to. @SouthFayetteFan said a few pages back that he runs an income statement for his family's expenses, an offsets spending with cc savings. It can be helpful to do something to track that, so that you know exactly what that AF is paying for.
I use YNAB to budget, so all my income and spending is allocated to specific budget lines. I have a budget category for CC bonuses/fees where I put expenses, like AFs, and "income" like statement credits. So, in your instance, I would have paid for my hotels and put the expense on my "travel" budget line. Then when I got the statement credit, rather than zeroing out the travel charge, I would put that "income" in my cc fees/bonus line, so that when the AF hits, that "income" offsets the expense (and any additional fee not covered would show up as a true expense related to that category). Similarly, I just used my amex at Lowes and will be getting a $35 statement credit. That will also go in my cc fees/bonus line - which I will use to pay off the next AF I incur. It only tracks cash, not points (which I keep track of in a spreadsheet), but does show me how much cash I'm laying down in order to earn my points!
Lots of people are fine with taking it as it comes, but I'm a little nerdy about stuff like this, so I like seeing how the numbers hash out.
This is what I do, too.
I do sort of similar stuff to you two... but @disneymagicgirl I might steal the idea of putting the dining statement credit into the travel fund
In YNAB I have a travel fund line, a CC AFs line, and then a line for whatever specific trip. I put extra $ from Swagbucks, bonus stuff (banks, or my work gives out Kroger GCs as prizes so when I get one I take money from my grocery budget and put it in travel) everything into the travel fund line. Then I move money from the travel fund into the trip or CC AFs lines as spending comes up. Some of the trips get a certain amount budgeted towards them each month, depending on what they are... otherwise, nothing is budgeted into trip/CC AFs lines.
If I use an AMEX offer on something trip related, it goes to the specific trip... like right now one trip is our cruise trip next summer, and I'm setting aside cash towards it (basically cost of everything minus flights/hotels that I already have CC points for) so if I get a discounted GC via AMEX, the charge and credit goes to that trip. Hopefully the cash price will come lower as I get more CC points and more discounted GCs
I was letting AMEX offer credits like dining, etc go into those budgets... but I think I'm going to do what @disneymagicgirl does from now on!
@1st*toright @disneymagicgirl @peelI do sort of similar stuff to you two... but @disneymagicgirl I might steal the idea of putting the dining statement credit into the travel fund
In YNAB I have a travel fund line, a CC AFs line, and then a line for whatever specific trip. I put extra $ from Swagbucks, bonus stuff (banks, or my work gives out Kroger GCs as prizes so when I get one I take money from my grocery budget and put it in travel) everything into the travel fund line. Then I move money from the travel fund into the trip or CC AFs lines as spending comes up. Some of the trips get a certain amount budgeted towards them each month, depending on what they are... otherwise, nothing is budgeted into trip/CC AFs lines.
If I use an AMEX offer on something trip related, it goes to the specific trip... like right now one trip is our cruise trip next summer, and I'm setting aside cash towards it (basically cost of everything minus flights/hotels that I already have CC points for) so if I get a discounted GC via AMEX, the charge and credit goes to that trip. Hopefully the cash price will come lower as I get more CC points and more discounted GCs
I was letting AMEX offer credits like dining, etc go into those budgets... but I think I'm going to do what @disneymagicgirl does from now on!
I like it because I can go back and check the price of something easily, or keep track of SW fee credits if I'm changing flights around, since I've been working on multiple trips at once since we got back from our honeymoon. And then any leftover goes back to the travel fund, or overages I try to cover from the travel fund.
How did you buy a $112 Walmart GC?ETA: did this and calculated 18.4% savings.Purchased $112 Walmart e-giftcard with 5x points ($5.60 back). Bought $150 dis GC for $142.98 and put $112 on the GC and $30.98 on amex. Getting $15 back from amex (don't see GC excl in small print). So my total cost is $122.38 for the $150 GC.
).
I don't have answers myself, but IIRC @disneymagicgirl lives there, and I think @amalone1013 is currently planning a trip there.Anyone have any preferred hotels/good point redemption value for Nashville. We've never been before but looks like we'll be doing a work/pleasure trip mid-month. I can expense some of the trip but not all. We have UR and starwood points. Not familiar with the area at all, so any and all advice appreciated (esp if it relates to food
I'm focusing on downtown Nashville. I was also working with URs and SPG. My plan is to transfer UR points to Hyatt and book at the Downtown Hyatt Place for 15k points a night. I'm debating if I want to save few points and spend the first night at the airport Hyatt for 8k points, since we won't land until 11pm. For downtown, Hyatt was winning by a landslide for points. Everything else was 25k UR points and up per night through the portal, and none seemed like a good transfer value. There are a few Sheraton/Marriott brands downtown. I checked my spreadsheetAnyone have any preferred hotels/good point redemption value for Nashville. We've never been before but looks like we'll be doing a work/pleasure trip mid-month. I can expense some of the trip but not all. We have UR and starwood points. Not familiar with the area at all, so any and all advice appreciated (esp if it relates to food
and SPGs were both 16k per night, and Marriotts were 40k-45k a night... it was easier for me to decide to burn 30k UR vs 32k SPG/90k Marriott.
Downtown is decently walkable. We're just going for a weekend so that's what I'm focusing on, because I want to take DH to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, etc and then see a Christmas concert by my favorite country artist which is about 2 blocks from the downtown Hyatt.
I'm focusing on downtown Nashville. I was also working with URs and SPG. My plan is to transfer UR points to Hyatt and book at the Downtown Hyatt Place for 15k points a night. I'm debating if I want to save few points and spend the first night at the airport Hyatt for 8k points, since we won't land until 11pm. For downtown, Hyatt was winning by a landslide for points. Everything else was 25k UR points and up per night through the portal, and none seemed like a good transfer value. There are a few Sheraton/Marriott brands downtown. I checked my spreadsheet
From what I remember... 12 years ago when I was in Nashville
. We do want to focus on the Downtown area as well. Thanks for info! I appreciate it
I haven't looked into if this will be a good deal for us, but in case it helps you: http://www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors/discountsdeals/totalaccessThanks so much! That's a good start, I will look into that hotel. I'm waiting on some more details about the conference/where it will be held etc... I'm impatient and enjoy planning...that and it's like 2.5 weeks out
Oh no... I’m sorry. do you have a plan of the cards you need to get?
