I love credit cards so much!

[amalone1013]

Here's an article from NYTimes about paying for a renovation with credit cards for points. There are some stories that I was like, they could have done so much more!

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/...for-renovation-with-rewards-credit-cards.html

Oh yes, they also say the SW Premiere card is 50k points for $4k spend....

 

[peel]

There are a couple of different approaches to things like emergency funds. One is to add the account and put it in your budget as "Emergency Fund" and have the balance just sit there until you need to use it (hopefully never) or add to it (in which case you would budget some of your income to "emergency fund"). Other option is to keep it "off balance sheet" and not link the account. I'd be happy to explain how I do that, but will not bore you unless you ask . It would probably make more sense once you've been YNABing for a bit.

This is how I set it up. In the four years we've been using YNAB, we thankfully have never had to touch the category. But I like having it on-budget to give a true reflection of what funds we have to work with.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Well, I've been reading (and occasionally posting) on this thread from the beginning and have learned so much! I've been super occupied with other things the past number of months and haven't applied for anything for quite awhile, but the time is hear to start applying for cards again. We just drained a good number of our points for our upcoming trip to Europe, so we have to start rebuilding.

You guys are so good at recommendations, so thought I'd lay out my situation:

Me:
1/16 - BOA Alaska Airlines (cancelled when annual fee came up on 1st anniversary)
10/16 - CIP (downgraded to no fee card when annual fee came up - I have the one that still gets 5x on gyft, etc)
1/17 - CSR (just got in when there were still 100,000 UR points offered)
3/17 - CSP
8/17 - TY Premier
8/17 - Amex Business Gold rewards (had offer for 75,000 points and took it)

DH:
1/16 - BOA Alaska Airlines (cancelled when annual fee came up on 1st anniversary)
10/16 - CSR
3/17 - SW Premier
3/17 - SW Plus (to get CP)
8/17 - TY Premier
Also has Chase Freedom, but have had this card for years

I will downgrade my CSP when the annual fee hits (I'm assuming this month) to either a CF or CFU. I've enjoyed reading the different comments about this decision the past couple of weeks!

I LOVE UR points, so think I'd like to get DH the Ink card offering the 80,000 points, but know there's the new offer for card with 50,000 points as well.

DH also got an email for IHG 2 days ago with an offer for the 80,000 points that he could take.

Our goals: until this upcoming trip to Europe, we've always just traveled within the US, Mexico and Caribbean cruises. This fall, I need points to fly our middle DD to Australia for her study abroad. DH and I would love to visit her as well, but not sure how that's going to work out with work schedules, but we're going to try.

For our Europe trip, we transferred UR points to United for all of our flights and book hotels through the UR portal at 1.5x for having the CSR and also used up my Citi TY points along with the offer for $50 off a 2 night stay or more. Honestly, I was glad to use the points that way, because I wasn't sure what to use them on anyway. The hotels were a bit more expensive to start out with, but with the $50 code, the basically evened it out (at least in my mind).

Anyway, I ended up getting pretty wordy there, but that's our situation.

PS: Our home airport is St Louis (STL) if that matters.

Well...You and your husband are both at 4/24.

He will drop to 3/24 in October and you don't have a card dropping off until January. I think having your husband get the CIP is a great first step, it won't affect his 5/24 status and 80k + 5k points is one of the best deals around! Since he got the CSR in Oct I'm going to assume he earned the bonus in Dec. or Jan of 2017. He could double dip CSR and CSP in Jan/Feb then for another big slew of URs! In between now and then he could probably get 1 other personal card.

For you...CIC is probably a great option (if you have it currently you'd need to cancel it before you could apply - I'm not sure which card you downgraded to). Once you apply for any personal card you'll hit 5/24 (which isn't the end of the world if it's the right card )

Another thing to consider would be some of the AMEX business cards out there (some earn MRs which it seems you're familiar with). Those don't contribute to your 5/24 status either. There is a whole post on DISchurners that is all about AMEX biz cards.

IF you'd like to join DISchurners, just PM me your Reddit name and I can add you

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Can I get in on this Reddit Group? My reddit name is AimClickShoot. I'm about to be divorced and trying to gather points to be able to still do vacas with the kiddos

You're all set - just sent a welcome PM to you

 

[speedyfishy]

Create a budget line called, "Emergency Fund" and stick the money in there.

And try to stick with YNAB a bit longer. I much prefer it over Mint.

ETA: You can PM me with any questions you have about using YNAB. Once you get used to it, it is a really powerful tool. But initial set up can take a bit of time and patience to learn how it all works.

@speedyfishy We love YNAB! But as @Jen and Ashwin said, it takes a bit to set up and learn but after that it's all maintenance! I have a few lines in our budget that are Emergency Fund, HSA, etc. I feel like YNAB learns to categorize things better than mint with direct import, and you can organize it however you want to. And YNAB has charts and reports too.

Sharing the YNAB love. Also, if you haven't done the webinars that explain how to use YNAB, I really recommend that you do so. I was super confused when I tried to just wing it myself, the webinars really helped (I'm a CPA, so budgets/numbers are my friend, but the way YNAB approaches budgeting is a little different and I needed a little explanation for it to click).

There are a couple of different approaches to things like emergency funds. One is to add the account and put it in your budget as "Emergency Fund" and have the balance just sit there until you need to use it (hopefully never) or add to it (in which case you would budget some of your income to "emergency fund"). Other option is to keep it "off balance sheet" and not link the account. I'd be happy to explain how I do that, but will not bore you unless you ask . It would probably make more sense once you've been YNABing for a bit.

Maybe we need a DISers who love YNAB thread- there aren't many of us, but we're all pretty evangelical about it . I think I found out about it on another budget board thread, and it has been an amazing tool for me.

This is how I set it up. In the four years we've been using YNAB, we thankfully have never had to touch the category. But I like having it on-budget to give a true reflection of what funds we have to work with.

Thanks guys! I’m going to review the webinars. It’s too confusing for me to wing it lol

 

[peel]

Thanks guys! I’m going to review the webinars. It’s too confusing for me to wing it lol

It really is a lot to absorb without the webinars. The forums were also a tremendous help to me in the beginning. Like I said earlier, I'm still using YNAB4 so I can't be of much help to you on specifics, but I will say that this a whole new methodology to get used to. You kind of have to trust the process for at least a full month to really grasp it all.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Fellow YNAB'er, and as an accountant, I also found it hard to learn. It was a different way of thinking. But now that I'm used to it, I really like it.

 

[Lain]

Thanks, I may give it a try. Gyft doesn't have Disney cards though so I would have to buy BB and convert I assume.

You could also buy Walmart eGCs, then use them at Sam’s Club for discounted Disney GCs if you have a membership.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

But with all the SW talk, I wonder, am I the only one that hasn't gotten any SW drink coupons this year? The last few years in Jan or Feb I got 4 drink coupons in the mail. Given the timing I assumed it based was around my card anniversary so being end of March and no coupons, little sad.

Funny you mention it...I got mine in the mail while we were gone to Cali this week. Says I have been a member for 5 years. Would've though it has been longer, but who is counting?

 

[miztressuz]

We've actually never gotten them and we've had SW cards off and on between the dh & I forever it seems (one SW card we had for 5+ years). Anyway, I read recently that they phased them out in terms of sending regularly (to those who were receiving), and now they are something I guess they only send to a very select few...

I have never ever received one.

DH got his, I did not get any

I used to get them regularly but haven't in quite awhile, at least a year

Interesting DP's. I've had my same card for at least 5 years and only started getting the coupons last couple years. The wording on the letter made it seem like it was a ongoing perk they started ( unadvertised of course) for card holders rather than just some random luv some got. I guess I was just lucky. I was probably going to give them away this year since ATM I'm not planning a flight... maybe that AI algorithm *is* really that good and knew that.

 

[Judique]

Interesting DP's. I've had my same card for at least 5 years and only started getting the coupons last couple years. The wording on the letter made it seem like it was a ongoing perk they started ( unadvertised of course) for card holders rather than just some random luv some got. I guess I was just lucky. I was probably going to give them away this year since ATM I'm not planning a flight... maybe that AI algorithm *is* really that good and knew that.

I've gotten them in the past but haven't seen any in a couple of years.

I've had this particular SW card since 2013.

 

[speedyfishy]

Why does the 711 cashier need to loudly keep repeating over and over I want 2 $500 VCG’s? She then says I’m lucky to be buying 2 $500 VCGs. There was a huge line and I felt like I just became a huge target.

 

[JC0712]

I'm still getting caught up on my reading after taking a few weeks off from this thread. Things are moving very fast around here.
I just wanted to report that I applied for the Southwest Business on 3/2 and was approved on 3/5 and I'm over half way to meeting the minimum spend.

Also, I applied for the SPG Business 3/26 and was instantly approved. I used a DISchurners link and PM'd the person I used. We have a lot of spend coming up, including a trip to Disney in mid May, so I'm also thinking that maybe my DH should apply for the CIC while the bonus is still 50K points.

Thanks to everyone here for being so nice and helpful. I learn so much just from reading the thread.

One more thing - I'm happy to report that after 10 years on the DIS i have finally gone from Earning My Ears to full-fledged Mouseketeer!

 

[Psychodisney]

Smacking my head.....When you pay $1800 worth of expenses and you realize you put it on your personal SPG card.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Smacking my head.....When you pay $1800 worth of expenses and you realize you put it on your personal SPG card.

Can you call and have the charge changed or return the item and purchase again?

 

[gottalovepluto]

Why does the 711 cashier need to loudly keep repeating over and over I want 2 $500 VCG’s? She then says I’m lucky to be buying 2 $500 VCGs. There was a huge line and I felt like I just became a huge target.

Because you did become a target. I would not return during that time of day to increase my odds of not getting that cashier. No one needs to be jumped for their VGC's!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

I applied DH for the CIC. He got the same message to call Chase with his case number. He is going to call when he gets home from work tonight. Hoping that the call will be as simple for him as it was for me. All they asked was to verify my identity via text message.

I know that the cards don't count towards 5/24. But wondering if business cards have an effect on your personal credit score?

 

[gottalovepluto]

Helped my mom apply for CIP #2 today for her legit sole prop (#1 was under an EIN). 30 day message. I'm as nervous about waiting as I am for my own CC apps!

 

[gottalovepluto]

I applied DH for the CIC. He got the same message to call Chase with his case number. He is going to call when he gets home from work tonight. Hoping that the call will be as simple for him as it was for me. All they asked was to verify my identity via text message.

I know that the cards don't count towards 5/24. But wondering if business cards have an effect on your personal credit score?

For Chase biz cards the only effect this will have is the hard hit.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Helped my mom apply for CIP #2 today for her legit sole prop (#1 was under an EIN). 30 day message. I'm as nervous about waiting as I am for my own CC apps!

Has anyone ever gotten this message when applying for CIC or CIP:

Thanks for Applying. Please call us as soon as possible at 1-800-243-6010 Mon-Fri 8am to 10pm EST to discuss your application with a Customer Support Specialist. We look forward to speaking with you.

Please reference #XXXXXXXXXXX when you call.

We look forward to speaking with you.

That is what I got when I applied for CIP and DH got the same message today when I applied him for CIC. I mostly see people say they got a 30 day message, so I find it interesting that isn't what we got both times.