The game is dead unless you can find a Kroger that will still let you cash your GCs for MOs.

r/Churning has turned to opening/closing bank accounts that will let you initially fund via CC. Too much work for me.

We still buy GCs to help meet spend, though. It's like a loan from our cash stash. Purchase $1-2k in GCs three or four times a year to meet spend reqs. and spend them down between applications.

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No, you will not be able do use the credit through MPX like with the Amex Platinum and PRG, this is an Amex-only trick.

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I understand if you are trying to get the sign up bonus ASAP but is it really that difficult for y'all to spend $4000 over 3 months? That's $1333 per month.

If so, what is your voodoo magic wizardry?!

I feel like I generally have low spending compared to others but I wish I was spending under $1333 per month on average!

Woah... I just looked at the churning forum on reddit. I never realized this was such a huge craze with credit card points/miles. I always just got a new CC every couple of years or so and took advantage of the bonus points then, but never thought to get multiple new CC's per year.

Total spending is not a problem. However, I have some bills setup on a different card right now and switching over would be somewhat of a hassle. Since the Reserve authorized user card costs $75, I wouldn't get one for my wife to use. I would probably leave it at home for her to use for grocery shopping and gas and then I would take it when I would need it until I knew I would hit my threshold, at which point I would just keep it with me the whole time.

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I understand if you are trying to get the sign up bonus ASAP but is it really that difficult for y'all to spend $4000 over 3 months? That's $1333 per month.

If so, what is your voodoo magic wizardry?!

I feel like I generally have low spending compared to others but I wish I was spending under $1333 per month on average!

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Are you referring to khkman22? He was answering about both him and wife signing up, so that is $8k in 3 months.

Even $1333 a month can be a lot for most people when you take out mortgage and cars, which usually can't be paid with CC. Also, most of my utility bills charge a fee for CC, so they are bank draft.
That just leaves shopping/groceries.

We just entered the 2 daycare bills zone; our monthly spending budget after house/car/monthly bills has plummeted to $1300. And $500 of that is gasoline/diapers/formula/pets.

Certainly not being critical. Just impressed!

I do not have kids so I find it even more impressive. I do help my mom out with anywhere from $300-500 in expenses per month but that is less than the cost of a kid(s). So major kudos!

I do spend some extra money on work expenses that I get reimbursed for but if I take that out, my average spend on credit cards is between $2000 - $3000 per month depending on unexpected expenses for home repair, new tires, etc. I'm not sure I could cut much further on non-necessities (restaurants, entertainment, leisure travel) and maintain the same moderately exciting lifestyle.

Mortgage and car are paid separately from credit card; I wish I could pay with my CC.

I definitely understand how trying to spending $8k in 3 months would be daunting...

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Certainly not being critical. Just impressed!

I do not have kids so I find it even more impressive. I do help my mom out with anywhere from $300-500 in expenses per month but that is less than the cost of a kid(s). So major kudos!

I do spend some extra money on work expenses that I get reimbursed for but if I take that out, my average spend on credit cards is between $2000 - $3000 per month depending on unexpected expenses for home repair, new tires, etc. I'm not sure I could cut much further on non-necessities (restaurants, entertainment, leisure travel) and maintain the same moderately exciting lifestyle.

Mortgage and car are paid separately from credit card; I wish I could pay with my CC.

I definitely understand how trying to spending $8k in 3 months would be daunting...

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Oh yeh before kids, we easily spent $3-$4k a month on credit card. In 2014 (1st child born in 10/14) we spent $45k on credit card according to year end report. (not including a $15k single one time purchase)
2015 was $31k. (day care was the other $15k)
2016 on track for about $20k. Next year better be about $15k or less! ($30k on daycare)

So ~$40k was likely our sweet spot for many years before kids.

Shows how much it can vary even within the same household. In 2014 I spent $4000 on beer just from the store, so it's pretty easy to identify things that need to stop when needed!

Just got the new Reserve in the mail, will plan to transfer points from my Preferred and then lower the Preferred to a Freedom.

Seems like a great deal so far. Will probably do the same again in another couple years.

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Just got the new Reserve in the mail, will plan to transfer points from my Preferred and then lower the Preferred to a Freedom.

Seems like a great deal so far. Will probably do the same again in another couple years.

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Good plan. I posted on another thread but I am debating which to open first between the Chase Ink Plus for 70,000 points or the Sapphire Preferred for 55,000 points then downgrading to a Freedom Unlimited (already have the regular Freedom).


Link to post here:

https://texags.com/forums/57/topics/2772743/replies/46993613

Good info here.

Is the application link not working for anyone else?

Any one have a Chase Sapphire Preferred referral link they want to send me?

I am about to sign up to get the 55,000 sign up bonus points then downgrade to the Freedom / Freedom Unlimited.

You got it, what email do you want it sent to?

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You spent $4K on beer from the grocery store? How much do you drink?

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Party pooper alert!

Draper, what is your email?

i have a link to send for the CSP (i, too, just got the CSR)

They were having issues, link works again.

Just got approved for the CSR.

Me too.

How long did your approval take? I just applied yesterday to move up from my CSP that I'll downgrade to a free card after combining points. Between what will be 250k Chase points and 150k American miles I don't think i'm going to pay for a flight for a long time.

Approval came right upon finishing the application

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Certainly not being critical. Just impressed!

I do not have kids so I find it even more impressive. I do help my mom out with anywhere from $300-500 in expenses per month but that is less than the cost of a kid(s). So major kudos!

I do spend some extra money on work expenses that I get reimbursed for but if I take that out, my average spend on credit cards is between $2000 - $3000 per month depending on unexpected expenses for home repair, new tires, etc. I'm not sure I could cut much further on non-necessities (restaurants, entertainment, leisure travel) and maintain the same moderately exciting lifestyle.

Mortgage and car are paid separately from credit card; I wish I could pay with my CC.

I definitely understand how trying to spending $8k in 3 months would be daunting...

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Oh yeh before kids, we easily spent $3-$4k a month on credit card. In 2014 (1st child born in 10/14) we spent $45k on credit card according to year end report. (not including a $15k single one time purchase)
2015 was $31k. (day care was the other $15k)
2016 on track for about $20k. Next year better be about $15k or less! ($30k on daycare)

So ~$40k was likely our sweet spot for many years before kids.

Shows how much it can vary even within the same household. In 2014 I spent $4000 on beer just from the store, so it's pretty easy to identify things that need to stop when needed!

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You spent $4K on beer from the grocery store? How much do you drink?

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Well, presumably some of the beer was for guests, and not drunk by him. But, doing the math: 4000/12 = $333/mo spent on beer. Presuming $10/six pack for simplicity, one can suggest a little more than 1 six pack per day.

Is the Priority Pass Select membership worth a crap?

I travel almost exclusively domestic.

***** Kids are out of daycare, but we run 4-10k per month through cards.

What the heck. Got the card even though the airport lounge access is worthless and the crappy $75 fee to add a second card. Hopefully extracting that $1500 of value won't be a pain and will actually net out $1500 in benefits.

Genuinely curious about the "worthless" lounge membership? Seems like it is touted as a legitimate perk... bit i am not a regular lounge participant so i dont know much about that stuff.

IIRC, they only allow you in during certain hours, it's not usually the best lounges, and you can't bring a guest without paying a fee.

Out of the 900 lounges you have access to, looks like
Maybe 15 of them are in the us and those are almost all in the international terminals. It's really only for international travel.

And rather than pay $75 for an additional card, I just got a second one for my wife.

I guess chase would rather have me pay $450 instead of $75 and get another 100k in points and another $300 travel credit and then downgrade the wife's after we use the credit and transfer the points.

I thought someone confirmed that guests are allowed with the CSR but I could be wrong.

I'm sure it's like the Amex PP - free to member and $27 per guest. We've used PP in Europe. Lounges are hit-or-miss, but most have been nice.

Domestically, it doesn't compare to the Centurions lounges.

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Just got the new Reserve in the mail, will plan to transfer points from my Preferred and then lower the Preferred to a Freedom.

Seems like a great deal so far. Will probably do the same again in another couple years.

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What's the process like for transferring points and downgrading cards? Do you need to do it over the phone or in a branch or can you do it online?

I'm in the same boat but haven't applied yet

My new card is plastic. #firstworldproblem