OK, dumb question, and I'm guessing the answer would be no, but here goes.

I have a couple of old citi accounts that I never use and have just left open for account length reasons (had one of them since i was 18), would it be possible to have them simply change one to a desirable rewards card with sign up bonus?

I'm guessing I just need to sign up for say the citi Hilton HHonors Reserve and leave the other ones alone or would they work with me if it meant I might actually use them.

9/26/2016 8:24:21 PM

Quote :

"Also I'm an idiot. I have prime and the Amazon card but never activated the 5% credit back. Just activated it."

I'm assuming you mean the Amazon "store" card, right?

9/26/2016 8:28:26 PM

Quote :

"I just need to sign up for say the citi Hilton HHonors Reserve and leave the other ones alone"

9/26/2016 9:24:47 PM

^^I believe so? The one that gives you 5% credit back? I see that there's a Chase one that only gives you 3% back. Why would you get that one over the store card?

9/26/2016 9:26:54 PM

That's a really good question. I didn't even know the store card existed until you mentioned a 5% back thing and then I googled it.

Looks like I'm getting a store card.

9/26/2016 11:43:46 PM

So I think the main difference is you have to be a prime member ($99/year) for the 5% to work on the Store card. Also the Chase Amazon card gets you 2% at restaurants, grocery stores, and drugstores in addition to the 3% on Amazon.

9/27/2016 12:32:36 AM

PP card showed up but it took 3 weeks

9/27/2016 9:42:55 AM

David0603, have you taken advantage of the Chase Sapphire Reserve? Is the 100k bonus worth the $450 fee?


I've basically ridden my Arrival+ World Elite as far as it will go. I'm thinking of trying to cancel my Sapphire (downgraded when i stopped using it to avoid the fee) and then signing back up for the Reserve.

either way, i need a new points card moving forward.

9/27/2016 10:09:00 AM

Yes that card is a no brainer. Those points are worth well over $1000, and there's that $300 travel credit but I'm not sure when you get that exactly.

[Edited on September 27, 2016 at 10:23 AM. Reason : Check the last couple pages]

9/27/2016 10:22:21 AM

Instant Approval, even with an open Chase Sapphire regular account.

I'm actually glad i decided to do this. Just got my bonus and am about to buy a new mattress and custom bed as well as take the card to Iceland next month. shouldn't have any issues with the $4k milestone.

Also I have had nothing but trouble with my Barclay card internationally. Chase has always saved my butt here.

9/27/2016 10:55:14 AM

Quote :

"and there's that $300 travel credit but I'm not sure when you get that exactly."

Instantly. Right when I started using the card all my travel purchases were refunded up to $300. My $450 fee hasn't even hit yet so it's effectively $150. Also you'll get another $300 starting January 1st 2017 way before your next $450 hits.

9/27/2016 1:04:56 PM

Also $100 credit on Global Entry or TSA Pre-check. Probably gonna make that happen pretty soon. Seems pretty easy to make this card worthwhile despite the annual fee. The points and the benefits are excellent. This is pretty much going to pay for my next vacation.

9/27/2016 1:24:07 PM

Quote :

"Instantly. Right when I started using the card all my travel purchases were refunded up to $300."

Nice. What purchases did you make? Would something like VRBO qualify? Obviously hotels and airlines would qualify I guess.

[Edited on September 27, 2016 at 1:34 PM. Reason : Do I need to use the $300 before the next one hits in January?]

[Edited on September 27, 2016 at 1:55 PM. Reason : V awesome thx]

9/27/2016 1:34:06 PM

yup. Airbnb, ubers, VRBO, all counts.

9/27/2016 1:52:40 PM

When I get time I can't wait to read this thread.

I've worked for AmEx for 8 years now.

9/27/2016 2:08:50 PM

Quote :

"Amex Blue Cash? 6% at grocery stores."

it says 3% on up to $6k, then 1% after on their website

_____________________________________________________

if I get a saphire reserve is it bad to close my saphire preferred? i don't feel the need to pay for the preferred for basically the same benefits but less good. how much would closing that account impact my credit?

9/27/2016 2:43:08 PM

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/site/card/blue-cash-preferred/25330

9/27/2016 2:50:27 PM

^^you can call and change your Sapphire Preferred to a regular Sapphire with no annual fee. It's really easy. The standard Sapphire is pretty neutered though. 1 point per $1 on everything and there are foreign transaction fees.

But it's a good alternative to cancelling the card, just don't plan to take it out of the country.

9/27/2016 3:07:59 PM

Anyone tie their SPG and Marriott accounts together yet? Apparently you can start doing it and get status matching plus point transfer.

9/27/2016 3:20:49 PM

^^ sweet, thanks

the reserve is a no-brainer over the preferred

[Edited on September 27, 2016 at 3:40 PM. Reason : .]

9/27/2016 3:39:42 PM

Quote :

"David0603, have you taken advantage of the Chase Sapphire Reserve? Is the 100k bonus worth the $450 fee? "

Hah! I wish. 18 opened in the past two years. It's obv worth the fee. Essentially $300 X 2 travel credit plus the 100K points worth at least a grand if you use it for cash back and easily 2X or more than that if xferred elsewhere.

9/27/2016 10:42:35 PM

Quote :

"i didn't read all of the history - is that due to being heavy on cash or using debit for the most part?"

It's neither. I actually hate dealing with cash, and I use debit maybe once or twice a year if spending at a local / non-francise business that I don't want to hit with the higher credit card fees. Here are the main secrets:

1. Live in a rural and/or economically-depressed area -- low cost of living and low property taxes.
2. Stay single.
3. Drive a beater car from 1994 that gets 40+ MPG with liability insurance only.
4. Don't eat out except during travel (company pays).
5. Generally live like you are in college (but without the frequent ramen noodles).

Partially because my overall spending is low, I don't want to have to do a lot of work or thinking to satisfy the requirements for card bonuses, or try to shuffle WHEN I spend in certain categories for cards with rotating bonuses. With the Sapphire Reserve card, I expect my credit history would qualify me for it, but I would have to significantly modify my spending or play the gift card game just to get the sign-up bonus, because $4000 constitutes close to my annual spend. Sure, I could tie it up in gift cards that I would eventually use, but then I also earn no interest or return while it's holding on the gift cards waiting for me to spend.

My goal is to save enough that I don't have any pressure to have to work. That doesn't mean I would necessarily quit my job as soon as I judged I was financially able, but it would make it a lot easier to push back on any things I don't want to do without as much fear of reprisal. It changes the whole employment dynamic, really. If I got pissed off about something, I could easily leave and get another job doing something less stressful, even part-time. Of course, the idealized case is always that you LOVE your work and would do it for free purely out of enjoyment and such, but in reality I think this is pretty rarely the case. I enjoy my work, but given the option, most days I would rather do nothing or work on some hobby or something. I don't LOVE getting up to an alarm clock and driving in to a soulless open office environment on most workdays, but I can deal with it.

Seeing how much I can save and how cheaply I can live (within socially and reasonably acceptable limits, of course) is sort of a game to me -- not all that dissimilar from the game of card churning. It feels like beating the system in a way.

9/28/2016 8:15:46 AM

Quote :

"Sure, I could tie it up in gift cards that I would eventually use"

Gift cards --> Money Orders --> deposit into your account. The whole process takes like 20 minutes. Again, you don't actually have to spend the money.

9/28/2016 8:20:51 AM

I imagine The Coz lives in a single bedroom apartment with plain white walls and the kitchen has one plate, one bowl, one cup, one fork, one knife, one spoon, and a brita pitcher of water.

9/28/2016 8:47:07 AM

Quote :

"My goal is to save enough that I don't have any pressure to have to work."

And then what, stay at home by yourself playing solitaire all day?

9/28/2016 8:52:23 AM

Quote :

"Sure, I could tie it up in gift cards that I would eventually use, but then I also earn no interest or return while it's holding on the gift cards waiting for me to spend."

I haven't posted ITT in months due to the shenanigans and lack of math (is the $450 fee on the CSR worth it if I get $1000 ((minimum, more like 2 grand if you transfer the points out to travel partners)) in cash back from the signup bonus and $600 in travel credits the first year along with TSAPre/GE credit???) on display but most of what you post is exactly what people at the beginning of the game think. I cringe when I see someone who's capable of 7th grade math say "I'll just use a 2% cash back card because I don't have time or concern to pursue the credit card games."

People never have gift cards tied up, they are immediately liquidated. What you're experiencing is a total closed mind on how everyone else does what they do in this space mixed with a moderate dose of fear. You want the methods spoonfed (like everyone else in the beginning does) to fall right in your lap, or write it off altogether. It takes a decent bit of reading on various methods (none of which are ITT obviously) on sites designed for the space. For people like you and I that know most every penny entering and exiting our accounts and don't spend on unnecessary garbage, the game suits you just fine, you just don't know it yet because you haven't take the time. It's a real disadvantage to not have any business travel/spend early in your career because most people get a good view of the space from business travel and then dip into it with their personal cards once they see the benefits first hand.

There's also the swimming pool reference. You don't go from never entering the space to manufacturing 7 night stays at an all inclusive resort with airfare in a day. Doesn't work like that. Enter the space, step by step gaining comfort with each move up. David and I didn't go from our first card to first class flights to Singapore in one statement cycle (not that I redeem for FC anyhow) although one would damn near be halfway there with the CSR, which we can't apply for with the 5/24.


[Edited on September 28, 2016 at 10:31 AM. Reason : ..]

9/28/2016 10:29:08 AM

we're way off topic now

Quote :

"Seeing how much I can save and how cheaply I can live (within socially and reasonably acceptable limits, of course) is sort of a game to me -- not all that dissimilar from the game of card churning. It feels like beating the system in a way."

good luck - sounds like maybe you need to figure out how to make more money so you don't have to live so cheaply and can still work towards your goal

9/28/2016 11:24:17 AM

Yeah, fuck being miserly. What's the point of working hard and being thrifty if you're bored or unhappy?

I save quite a lot of what I make, maxing out a Roth, contributing over the match amount to my 401k, and 10% into a regular money market/savings account as an emergency fund, but I still manage to do enjoyable stuff like eat out, have a nice car, comfortable furniture, and travel/go on vacation. It's not super difficult if you've got a decent income and some basic financial acumen.

I'm on track to retire around age 50-55 or maybe semi-retired before then if I play my cards right or the market is very good. Had I gotten my shit together straight out of college instead of pissing away a bunch on booze and strippers I'd be in even better shape.

I'm sure this isn't breaking news to anybody here ITT, but it's not that hard to be financially sound if you spend a little bit of time learning about money.

9/28/2016 12:38:54 PM

Quote :

" (not that I redeem for FC anyhow)"

Heh, I did it once for New Years on Virgin LAX -> Sydney, but with 500K+ plus delta miles burning a hole in my pocket it wasn't a difficult choice. So hard to justify it otherwise unless you're just going on 1 trip a year or something.

9/28/2016 9:59:48 PM

I'm going to address some posts directed specifically at me, then stop side-tracking / hijacking this thread, since my questions have already been answered.

Quote :

"I imagine The Coz lives in a single bedroom apartment with plain white walls and the kitchen has one plate, one bowl, one cup, one fork, one knife, one spoon, and a brita pitcher of water."

It's a 3-bedroom house with various solid color earth tone walls, but everything else is staggering accurate. I have two knives though -- a steak knife and a butter knife. It's all about practicality.

Quote :

"And then what, stay at home by yourself playing solitaire all day?"

Literally whatever I want to do on any timescale I want to do it. Bike, run, hike, fish, explore, travel, volunteer, read on topics of interest, learn new skills, be available to assist family when needed. I would think most people would find having that flexibility appealing. I wouldn't be sitting at home counting money like Scrooge McDuck. I do have hobbies and I do know people. Living cheaply while your family situation allows it doesn't make you an automatic social misfit. I mean, of course I AM one, but not because of that.

Quote :

"I cringe when I see someone who's capable of 7th grade math say "I'll just use a 2% cash back card because I don't have time or concern to pursue the credit card games.""

I'm surprised that I was the one to bring you out of your self-imposed posting exile. I've definitely had several major misconceptions that have already been pointed out by others, but I never requested spoonfed methods, or any methods at all. My question was just about a single-card recommendation. I haven't said a single negative thing about any strategies that are being employed. Maybe it is pure ignorance on my part, but I think it could at least be respected that this stuff isn't for everyone, and that if everyone actually did it, it would probably cease to be an effective strategy because the loopholes would eventually be closed when too many people exploited them. I mean, how many people are getting rich off of this? Am I really missing the boat that badly? I'll fully admit to not having read more than a page or two of this now 47-page topic.

Quote :

"good luck - sounds like maybe you need to figure out how to make more money so you don't have to live so cheaply and can still work towards your goal"

Thank you. I don't HAVE to live cheaply, I just chose to while my circumstances allow. It comes easy to me. I don't really know what I would or should be spending a lot of money on, because I have what I need. I think I do fine with regard to compensation compared to my peer group.

Quote :

"Yeah, fuck being miserly. What's the point of working hard and being thrifty if you're bored or unhappy?"

I am certainly capable of taking a critical view of myself, but you are making some assumptions that are simply not correct. I am neither bored nor unhappy. Miserly, maybe, but I think motivation should also be taken into consideration. It's not for love of money. Money is simply required in a modern capitalist economy. My goal is less about accumulating a certain amount of wealth so I can marvel at and keep it all to myself than it is about having the financial freedom to do what I want at a significantly earlier stage in life than may be typical -- hopefully while I still have my health. Life really isn't that long. I guess I'm already at least a third down. So yes, there are certainly selfish motivations, but philanthropic planning is also a part of it.


Now everyone can get back to the real topic. I did not expect my original question and successive replies to go off the rails like that, but whatever.

If anyone wants any advice about being a cheap bastard, just hit me up, I guess.

9/28/2016 10:26:50 PM

Quote :

"how many people are getting rich off of this? Am I really missing the boat that badly? "

Not rich be any means, but I'm averaging close to a million points a year for the past 4 years
(although that's def going to slow down in the next year)
On average, I could probably straight up sell them for about 1 cent each (which I have in the past) or stretch them to 2-3 cents each on certain hotels or flights.
Like I said, not rich by any means, but for the ~15 min a day I spend scanning the blogs, it's not a bad life.

9/28/2016 10:37:57 PM

$10,000 a year isn't chump change, that's for sure. Thanks.

9/28/2016 11:07:41 PM

That's crazy. Excluding signup bonuses I'm maybe getting 10-12k Chase points a month from CC spend depending on my amount of work travel. I'm not doing any gift card thingies though just spend.

9/29/2016 2:15:25 PM

The only work travel I do they schedule and pay for me, but we probably do at least 5,000 points per month just with utilities, food, and gas which isn't a ton but ends up being enough for a couple plane tickets each year without changing anything about how we spend money or trying to maximize points with gift cards or anything.

so excited about the 100,000 points

9/29/2016 2:34:14 PM

Yeah, I'm looking forward to having a nice trip paid for almost entirely with points sometime next year. Trying to decide between Japan, Egypt, or Greece.

9/29/2016 3:55:10 PM

Enjoy your child-less traveling, jerks.

9/29/2016 4:07:48 PM

9/29/2016 4:16:13 PM

Sitting in the lounge at SEATAC. Haven't gotten my membership card yet but she said they'll reimburse it. Empty lounge with booze and food > crowded loud terminal for work.

9/29/2016 6:35:52 PM

I'm planning a trip in January to Colombia that i'll be using my points for.

9/30/2016 10:08:32 AM

Got my PP yesterday. How long does precheck & global entry take to be processed? Need to remember to do that

9/30/2016 7:21:25 PM

The biggest part of that process is setting up the interview although sometimes you can just drop by an office at an airport and do it on the spot.

9/30/2016 8:58:39 PM

^^ I got mine right before I left the country and pretty sure I was able to use it when I came back a week later.

9/30/2016 9:15:29 PM

^ I don't know how you didn't already have pre-check.

10/1/2016 2:26:38 AM

This was over two years ago.

10/1/2016 4:10:58 PM

Ahh ok that makes more sense.

10/1/2016 4:59:32 PM

So I actually don't have pre-check either (although just signed up for my interview). I've found that the premium lines are almost always faster than the pre-check lines (especially at DIA). I usually try and travel with slip on shoes or flip-flops so I could care less about taking off my shoes. Once I get it I'll mess around with swapping between the premium and pre-check lines but I think it's highly dependent on which airport you fly out/into the most.

10/1/2016 10:19:13 PM

global entry comes w/ pre-check, no need to sign up for it separately...

10/2/2016 3:04:58 AM

That is correct.

10/2/2016 11:14:42 AM

currently using another sweet benefit of my amex mb plat... the boingo wifi!

i'm at an airbnb in france and the internet abruptly went out, was able to access a nearby orange hotspot w/ the boingo account and now i'm watching nfl game pass over my apple tv

10/2/2016 3:49:23 PM

applied for csr and it said they need a little longer to review my application. that's a bummer.

10/2/2016 5:58:48 PM