My American Express Blue Cash Everyday card arrived in the mail today. I forgot that this card has 0% interest through September 2014, just like the Citi Thank You card I applied for.
I will use one of the cards to make the full payment for the Washington DC trip, which I must do by the end of the month. This way I can make payments towards the balance over the course of the year without paying any interest or dipping into other cash savings. If I used the AE card, the rewards are offered as a statement credit, so this would work well for redeeming.
I expect to pay off the balance long before the trip in April, but at least I have a little wiggle room and can control when I pay it off. This way is much better than making payments directly with the travel company as they charge all sorts of processing fees. Yuck. I also have the protection from the credit card company if anything goes awry with the travel agency.
The bonus offer on the AE card is $150 for spending just $500. This transaction will be $1250, so there is no problem meeting the minimum. The rewards are given as a statement credit as I understand it. I will redeem at one time when I would have made a payment and keep the payment money in cash to save towards our mortgage goal.
It does help, I think, to use the card for large transactions, rather than a lot of little ones. It is just easier to manage and track the where I am in meeting the requirements.
Anyone know of any good bonus offers for opening any other type of account, brokerage, checking or savings? I'd be interested in those offers as well as a way to bring in extra cash to meet our goals.
The Fun Begins
June 6th, 2013 at 12:25 am
June 6th, 2013 at 10:26 am 1370514371
I keep getting offers from Chase where you get $200 if you open a checking account with them. I'm sure you've seen those. They promote it constantly.
June 6th, 2013 at 12:39 pm 1370522344
June 6th, 2013 at 01:35 pm 1370525730
June 6th, 2013 at 02:24 pm 1370528659
As responsible consumers, we are simply taking advantage of offers that net us income while still spending responsibly and within our means. I don't suggest to anyone that they take on credit card debt if they cannot pay the balance in full.
June 6th, 2013 at 08:50 pm 1370551838
June 6th, 2013 at 09:57 pm 1370555870
June 7th, 2013 at 02:22 pm 1370614937
Paying in cash give me no benefit at all and is more cumbersome, harder to track, and you don't have any guarantee if you're dissatisfied with a purchase.
Paying cash is oldthink, IMHO.
June 8th, 2013 at 08:53 pm 1370724780
We opened 3 new credit cards this year (all Chase)...and with them we are getting a few free nights of hotels and 110,000 Southwest Airlines points! We love to travel, so we decided to switch things up to get some stuff for free. Chase actually moved our credit from other cards for these new cards, and our credit scores have actually gone up slightly. Go figure!