Application credit cards

[Nick87]

Discover will re-up your zero percent interest annually. Just need to call and ask for it.

I have visa. Worth a phone call.

 

[Wildabeest]

Credit scores are based on the amount of CC credit available and length of credit

Current balance as a % of available credit (% credit utilization) also plays a big factor in your score.

 

[Nick87]

in the end it's largely all the same. negative balance on the card or positive balance in the checking account. so i say no problem.

technically you circle back to opportunity cost because it's money you could put in high yield or the market once it comes back. but fungibility applies, you get a negative 2,000 on your credit card that then frees up +2,000 in the checking or saving account if you want to invest it.

let the negatives be negatives IMO.

Yah. Everyone's got there own way of saving or managing it that works for them I guess. We don't let much sit in checking for too long. Not that it's in there too long with 3 kids anyway lol. We try to put it in savings or invest it quicker than we used to. Helps with us saving if it's not as readily available, if that makes sense.

 

[TOGIE]

Yah. Everyone's got there own way of saving or managing it that works for them I guess. We don't let much sit in checking for too long. Not that it's sitsnthere too long with 3 kids anyway lol. We try to put it in savings or invest it quicker than we used to. Helps with us saving if it's not as readily available, if that makes sense.

yeah and that's exactly what i mean. come app refund time if the CC goes negative that means an equal but opposite amount in checking should now be available to save or invest. due to the negative balance you can spend that same amount without having to draw it out of checking to pay off the balance.

ultimately no different than getting a zero apr IMO. just tracking it differently.

 

[Nick87]

yeah and that's exactly what i mean. come app refund time if the CC goes negative that means an equal but opposite amount in checking should now be available to save or invest. due to the negative balance you can spend that same amount without having to draw it out of checking to pay off the balance.

ultimately no different than getting a zero apr IMO. just tracking it differently.

Yah that makes sense. It's just easier for us to track it I guess. Especially since all but one or maybe two of my apps are like less than 3% odds every year.

 

[SaskHunter]

I just use my regular CC, pay it off and collect points!

Hoping the exchange rate gap narrows because Wyoming elk app is just around the corner and right now your USD is costing me 1.43 CAD...

 

[Mallardsx2]

We have always been dead beat capitol one users. 0 complaints on their cards. We get a ton back in points because we use it for almost every purchase we make unless of course the store charges to use the card, then we pay cash.

Capitol one has live purchase tracking, so when some a$$hole from California goes to buy a bong using my credit card number, I can shut the card down immediately.

 

[WildWill]

We switched to Amazon about 2 years ago and it has been by far the best benefit you can get if you order non stop for everything from there.

The main benefit for Amazon we have found is they don't take back your bonus earned on refunds. When we had the Cabelas card, we found that with application season we would earn bonus points on the draw apps and then regardless if we spent them or not, when the refund came back to the card, they would remove the bonus points. This does not happen with Amazon. So for example, the application cost was $1000 and with 2% you earned $20 in Amazon credit. 3 months later, you get that $1000 refunded and regardless if you spent that $20 or not, it remains. With Cabelas, we would see a -$20 posted on the bonus points at the same time as the refund of $1000.

This is what I've been using and love it.

 

[cgasner1]

@TOGIE how many states don’t apply for? Couple years ago I had 10k out floating around at one time in applications. I get if you can’t bank roll it you probably shouldn’t go but it’s also hard explaining to the wife why I have 10k out on loan

 

[Nick87]

@TOGIE how many states don’t apply for? Couple years ago I had 10k out floating around at one time in applications. I get if you can’t bank roll it you probably shouldn’t go but it’s also hard explaining to the wife why I have 10k out on loan

This exactly. Not quite ten for me this year but not one or two apps like it used to be either. Adds up quick. Why front that if I don't have to. Especially if it's 95% odds I'm getting it refunded.

 

[cgasner1]

This exactly. Not quite ten for me this year but not one or two apps like it used to be either. Adds up quick. Why front that if I don't have to. Especially if it's 95% odds I'm getting it refunded.

Some seasons my application strategy is like a dog cashing a car. Some years I focus in more on one or two tags. But when you throw at 9 states and they have a lot of up front costs I like the no interest card and I make the payment of fees I won’t get back when I apply

 

[Nick87]

Some seasons my application strategy is like a dog cashing a car. Some years I focus in more on one or two tags. But when you throw at 9 states and they have a lot of up front costs I like the no interest card and I make the payment of fees I won’t get back when I apply

Thanks you just pretty much confirmed my plan. Usually my focus is one or two also. But this year will be the dog chasing year you described.

 

[Nick87]

Some seasons my application strategy is like a dog cashing a car. Some years I focus in more on one or two tags. But when you throw at 9 states and they have a lot of up front costs I like the no interest card and I make the payment of fees I won’t get back when I apply

Thanks you just pretty much confirmed my plan. Usually my focus is one or two also. But this year will be the dog chasing year you described.

 

[TOGIE]

@TOGIE how many states don’t apply for? Couple years ago I had 10k out floating around at one time in applications. I get if you can’t bank roll it you probably shouldn’t go but it’s also hard explaining to the wife why I have 10k out on loan

i mean i guess we all know it shouldn't be out on loan, at least any loan that will get charged interest.

the way i see it if nearly all of it is almost guaranteed to come back, well, then most of it is coming back. so, whether it's on a 0 apr card for a month or two, or just refunded to my CC that was paid off it makes no difference to me and i particularly don't wanna deal with the hassle of constantly opening cards and chasing fresh apr promos.

but i still tend to abide by the general rule that if i can't float that 10k in my budget for a month or two it's not wise to apply for that many tags. more of a principle really.

 

[cgasner1]

i mean i guess we all know it shouldn't be out on loan, at least any loan that will get charged interest.

the way i see it if nearly all of it is almost guaranteed to come back, well, then most of it is coming back. so, whether it's on a 0 apr card for a month or two, or just refunded to my CC that was paid off it makes no difference to me and i particularly don't wanna deal with the hassle of constantly opening cards and chasing fresh apr promos.

but i still tend to abide by the general rule that if i can't float that 10k in my budget for a month or two it's not wise to apply for that many tags. more of a principle really.

It’s also a great way to ruin a hunting season chasing 2-3% draw odds and fighting over the wife with money you haven’t even actually spent. I prefer to wait till it’s spent to argue with her

 

[TOGIE]

I prefer to wait till it’s spent to argue with her

here is the sage advice we needed!

luckily i do all the budgeting so my wife would probably never even notice the 10k missing for a month or two. but it is absolutely a reason i don't apply for that many tags even though we certainly can float the cash. it's the principle of it, and absolutely the risk of raising eyebrows at something that once a spotlight is on it won't serve me and hobby well at this stage in life.

but, also, at the end of the day, i seem to end up with plenty of tags i'm more than happy to have while only putting out 2-3k or so each app season

 

[JLDemo]

PayPal CC. 1.5% cash back, zero interest on purchases (over $150) if paid within 6 months. Super easy and convenient.

 

[Nick87]

PayPal CC. 1.5% cash back, zero interest on purchases (over $150) if paid within 6 months. Super easy and convenient.

Just looked into this. Looks like a no brainer for this situation.

 

[elkantlers]

I’m old enough I just pay cash for my apps.

I wish we could still do that. I hate the Wyoming credit card fee. Many other states charge it also.

 

[thomas89]