Current cards: (list cards, limits, opening date)
• CSP, $34,500, Jan 2018
• Amex Gold, No limit, Dec 2023
• FICO Score: 800+
• Oldest account age: 15+ years
• Income: $150,000
• Average monthly spend and categories:
• Dining: $300
• Groceries: $900 (Costco: $300)
• Gas: $200
• Travel: Once a year
• Amazon: $200
• Open to Business Cards: No
• Main goal for next card: Reward points for hotels or flights
• Prefer category spending or general spending? Probably general
My wife and I are careful with money, but when it comes to credit cards, I always wonder if I’m really getting the best deal. I’ve had CSP for 7 years, but they annoyed me last year, so I grabbed the Amex Gold. I was going to cancel CSP but realized I still need a backup for places that don’t take Amex. Now I’m stuck paying these annual fees, and I’m wondering if Amex Gold needs to go…
I do use the Uber Eats credit and Resi for dining, but I’m not sure it’s enough to justify keeping the card.
We put everything on a credit card and pay it off each month. Most of our spending is on groceries, dining out, and bills. We save points for hotels or flights, but I don’t go crazy with maximizing redemptions.
I see people suggesting the Chase trifecta or similar setups, but I like to keep things simple. If I can get one solid card that covers most things, I’d prefer that.
Campbell said:
I was going to suggest the Capital One Duo, but since you only travel once a year, are travel points really better for you than cash back?
I always thought travel points were a better deal than cash back.
@Merlin
That’s just marketing. Sites like Nerdwallet push travel cards because they get bigger affiliate commissions.
If you rotate between cash back cards, you can easily get 4-5% back. Travel cards don’t usually go over 3x except in their own portals (which are often overpriced).
I think you should decide what matters more: simplicity or maximizing rewards. If you don’t want to juggle multiple cards, go with a strong all-rounder. If you want to squeeze every point, look at a multi-card setup.