Lifestyle – Credit
Please be aware that the information provided here may evolve over time and is influenced by my personal experiences. I am not a financial advisor, so it’s essential to conduct your own research before making any decisions based on the information I’ve shared.
A Note About My Current Card Setup
Last updated: August 2026
A growing number of the cards in my wallet are no longer available to new applicants. I’ve been grandfathered into several products or reward structures that have since been discontinued or significantly changed.
I’m still including them here because this page documents my actual credit card strategy, but they shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as recommendations. In many cases, their continued value to me is precisely why I’m not pursuing newer cards that might otherwise look attractive for the same spending category. I’ll mark these cards as (Grandfathered) so it’s clear which ones are no longer available.
For example, if I already have a grandfathered card earning 5% in a category, there’s very little reason for me to open another card earning 3–4% there simply because it’s currently available.
Domestic vs. Worldwide Spending
I’m also separating my strategy into Domestic and Worldwide spending.
The distinction is simple:
- Domestic: I’m willing to use cards with foreign transaction fees because that fee is irrelevant for U.S. purchases.
- Worldwide: Only cards with no foreign transaction fee are considered.
This makes the worldwide table more useful when traveling because I don’t have to mentally subtract a 3% foreign transaction fee from every reward rate. It also highlights situations where my optimal card abroad is different from the one I would use for the exact same purchase at home.
My Current Card Setup
Domestic
| Expense Category | Cashback → Card | Spending Category Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery | 7-11% → Citi Thankyou (Grandfathered) 5% → AAA Daily Advantage Visa 5% → Discover More (3-Months) 4% → Verizon Visa | Citi Thankyou → $10k/year combined w/ Dining AAA → $10k/year Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category Verizon Visa → No cap |
| Gas | 9-13% → Citi Thankyou (Grandfathered) 5% → Discover More (3-Months) 4% → Verizon Visa | Citi Thankyou → $10k/year Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category Verizon Visa → No cap |
| Dining | 7-11% → Citi Thankyou (Grandfathered) 5% → Discover More (3-Months) 4% → Verizon Visa | Citi Thankyou → $10k/year combined w/ Dining Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category Verizon Visa → No cap |
| Travel – Flights | 5.5% -> AMEX Platinum (Charles Schwab) | $500k/year |
| Travel – Transit/Parking | 5% → Citi Custom Cash Mastercard (Grandfathered) | 5% → $500/month |
| Travel – Car Rental | 7x Points (3.5%) → Hilton Aspire (AMEX) *Includes secondary CDW coverage in the U.S. Without that benefit, I would use the Citi Custom Cash Mastercard since I already have it allocated to transit spending. | No cap |
| Travel – Hotel | 3% → Wells Fargo Autograph *Primarily use whichever hotel card I have associated with the property I’m staying at. I rarely pay for hotels these days thanks to annual hotel credits. | No cap |
| Jeep Maintenance | 7% → Jeep Reward Mastercard | No cap |
| Streaming | 5% → USBank Cash+ | $2k/quarter shared with another category |
| Movie Theatres | 5% → USBank Cash+ | $2k/quarter shared with another category |
| Gym | 5% → USBank Cash+ | $2k/quarter shared with another category |
| Sporting Goods (REI) | 5% → USBank Cash+ | $2k/quarter shared with another category |
| Electronic Stores (Apple Subs) | 5% → USBank Cash+ | $2k/quarter shared with another category |
| Ground Transport (Uber) | 5% → USBank Cash+ | $2k/quarter shared with another category |
| Online Shopping | 3% → Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards Visa 5% → Discover More (3-Months w/Amazon) | BoA→ $2.5k/quarter Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category |
| Pharmacy | 3% → AAA Daily Advantage Visa | No cap |
| Splitting Bills (Sending $) | -3% → Venmo Visa * Used to be 0%, which was the main reason I applied. It’s now 3%, but the extra month of float can still be valuable. | N/A |
| Everything Else | 2% → Fidelity Visa | No cap |
Notes:
- Due to several U.S. Bank products being discontinued and nerfed, I’ve ended up with three Cash+ cards, giving me six category slots to choose from on what is effectively the last reasonably useful card they still offer.
- Promotions are commonly offered by major banks, so it’s worth checking them every so often. For instance, TurboTax and TaxAct offers seem to show up every tax season. In my experience, Amex tends to have the most lucrative offers, but I’ve seen some worthwhile ones from U.S. Bank as well.
- Online shopping is typically a vague category because it means different things to different issuers. Usually, it refers to tangible goods, but Bank of America is surprisingly broad with its definition, explicitly listing services like Netflix, Comcast, and even Ticketmaster as qualifying online shopping purchases.
- Electronics Stores – There’s an interesting data point with Apple.com: subscriptions billed through Apple have been coding as electronics store purchases. So, until this loophole is closed, you can effectively earn 5% back on those subscriptions using the U.S. Bank Cash+ with Electronics Stores selected as one of your quarterly categories.
- Verizon Visa – In a sea of nerfs and discontinued cards, the Verizon Visa has surprisingly improved. Verizon Dollars can now be redeemed toward the card balance (feels more like a true cashback card ), and Verizon’s free Loyalty program provides 3% back on eligible Verizon bills, plus another 1% when paying with the Verizon Visa. Combined with my Auto Pay discount, this now provides more value than using my 5% U.S. Bank Cash+ cell phone category, freeing up that category slot for something else.
- Citi ThankYou Card: The grandfathered Citi ThankYou Card above is a weird one. It started as the old Sears card, became the Shop Your Way (SYW) card, and eventually converted into the Citi ThankYou Card I have today. Oddly enough, it actually got better with that conversion because its core multipliers are now paid in Citi ThankYou points, which can also be transferred to travel partners when paired with an eligible Citi card.
The catch is that its lucrative promotions have spending requirements. My major recurring promotion targets combined gas, grocery, and dining spending and currently pays $80 for every $1,000 spent. Because the bonus doesn’t increase until I cross the next $1,000 threshold, its effective value ranges from roughly 4–8%. Exactly $1,000 earns 8%, while $1,500 still earns only $80, or 5.33%. At $2,000, the reward jumps to $160 and the effective rate returns to 8%. When stacked with the card’s core 3% on grocery/dining and 5% on gas, that produces the 7–11% and 9–13% ranges shown above.
Last year, the promotion was even easier to maximize, requiring only $500 in monthly spending. This year, the requirement increased to $1,000 per month, which quite frankly isn’t sustainable for me alone, so my partner and I split the spending and rewards, putting roughly $500 each toward the requirement.
Another limitation is the card’s $10,000 annual cap on combined grocery and dining spending for the core 3x multiplier. Grocery alone is unlikely to get me anywhere near that, although grocery and dining combined potentially could. Normally, I’d need to keep a close eye on that limit, but importantly, the cap applies only to the core rewards and not the promotional offers. Even after exhausting the core-category cap, the recurring promotion still provides roughly 4–8% back, meaning I can still earn at least ~5% total after accounting for the card’s 1% base rate—matching or beating the other cards available to me.
Taking it a step further, as long as I manage the spending carefully and avoid going much beyond each $1,000 promotional threshold, falling back on my other cards for excess spending, I can keep the promotional return close to 8%. That means roughly 11% on grocery/dining and 13% on gas while the core multipliers remain available, and still around 9% even after a core-category cap has been exhausted.
There’s also the question of using this card internationally despite its 3% foreign transaction fee. With rewards this high, there are situations where eating the 3% fee can still make mathematical sense, and I’ve done that before. However, it makes less sense with the current promotion requiring $1,000 in monthly spending. There are only a handful of countries where I’d realistically spend that much across gas, groceries, and dining in a month, and more importantly, I don’t want a credit card promotion influencing me to spend more while traveling just to hit a reward threshold. For that reason, I generally leave this card out of my worldwide strategy and fall back on cards with no foreign transaction fees.
A Note About Worldwide Spending
This section is intentionally much smaller than my domestic strategy. It focuses on the expenses I’m likely to encounter while actively traveling and exploring another country, rather than every expense I might continue paying while abroad.
For example, if I order something from Amazon to my U.S. address or continue paying my U.S. cell phone bill while traveling, those are still domestic transactions and generally aren’t suddenly subject to a foreign transaction fee simply because I happen to be outside the country. Because of that, I’ve removed many of these “life maintenance” categories from the worldwide table.
You could probably apply much of this strategy to temporarily living abroad as well, but I wouldn’t treat it as a guide for permanently living in another country. At that point, your banking and payment needs can be very different, and there are people much better suited to giving advice for that lifestyle.
Cash is a good example. Some countries are considerably more cash-dependent than others, so having an account that reimburses or waives ATM fees can become more important than maximizing credit card rewards. Fidelity’s Cash Management Account and Charles Schwab’s checking account are examples of accounts I use or would consider for accessing cash abroad.
A Note About Card Acceptance
While I have both American Express and Discover cards listed in this table, Visa and Mastercard are generally going to be the best cards to carry while traveling due to their broader acceptance.
Discover is included because there are situations where it can provide a strong return, but realistically, I’m unlikely to physically carry it with me internationally because of its more limited acceptance.
American Express is a different story. I’ll generally carry my Amex cards despite their more limited acceptance because of the valuable travel benefits they provide. I’ll also carry any hotel cards associated with properties I’m staying at to make sure I receive the relevant status benefits, credits, and other perks offered through those programs.
In other words, Visa and Mastercard are my dependable payment networks abroad, while Amex come along primarily for their benefits.
My Current Card Setup
Worldwide
| Expense Category | Cashback → Card | Spending Category Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery | 5% → AAA Daily Advantage Visa 5% → Discover More (3-Months) 4% → Verizon Visa | AAA → $10k/year Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category Verizon Visa → No cap |
| Gas | 5% → Discover More (3-Months) 4% → Verizon Visa | Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category Verizon Visa → No cap |
| Dining | 5% → Discover More (3-Months) 4% → Verizon Visa | Discover → $1.5k/quarter likely with a shared category Verizon Visa → No cap |
| Travel – Flights | 5.5% -> AMEX Platinum (Charles Schwab) | $500k/year |
| Travel – All Flights, Transit, Hotels, Parking & Car Rentals | 3% → Wells Fargo Autograph Visa Includes primary CDW coverage when renting outside the U.S. | No cap |
| Pharmacy | 3% → AAA Daily Advantage Visa | No cap |
| Everything Else | 2% → Fidelity Visa | No cap |
Notes:
- May switch car rental and flight purchases to the Ritz-Carlton Card once I product change to it next year. I’d almost certainly be giving up some of my current return in exchange for stronger travel protections, but the fact that the Ritz runs on the Visa network makes those benefits considerably more useful to me than comparable Amex protections. I’ll certainly keep the Amex Platinum as long as its benefits and access continue to provide enough value to justify the annual fee; it’ll just likely stop being a card I actually spend much money on. Car rentals are a closer call since the Ritz is only slightly better than my Wells Fargo card, so I’ll revisit that once I actually have the card.
A Note About the Cards I Keep
The category tables above show how I actually use my cards, but they don’t fully explain why I have each one. This section goes through every card in my setup, including those already mentioned in the category tables, cards that don’t currently fill a specific spending category, and why I sometimes hold duplicates of the same category. The goal is simply to explain what value each card brings.
Why I Have Each Credit Card
| Card | Value/Purpose |
|---|---|
| Citi Custom Cash+ (Grandfathered) $0 Annual Fee | Automatic 5% back on your highest-spend eligible category each billing cycle. I currently use this for domestic transit, mainly my monthly city parking garage, and I typically stay under the $500/month cap. Rental cars also fall within the same category and can be used to maximize the 5% return, but I usually prioritize cards with stronger rental car protections since I prefer having as many safeguards as possible when renting. |
| Citi Thank You (Grandfathered) $0 Annual Fee | The too-good-to-be-true card that I’ll keep riding until I either can’t justify the promotional spending thresholds or the card stops existing. I primarily use it for the consistently greater-than-5% value I get across dining, groceries, and gas, all with no annual fee. If I didn’t have this card, I’d get the Amex Gold for my domestic grocery and dining spend. |
| U.S. Bank Cash+ (3) $0 Annual Fee | Most people probably get the most value from this card through Utilities, Cell Phone, and Cable/Internet Providers, which are arguably some of its strongest 5% categories. I just don’t have much reason to use them. Martina’s apartment includes utilities and internet without a cap, which in my experience has been stellar, and I already use the Verizon Visa for my cell phone bill. These are my cards for the more niche quarterly 5% categories that you select yourself. I have three of them, mostly as a result of devaluations and closures of previous U.S. Bank products that eventually left me holding three Cash+ cards. I’ve never exceeded the $2,000 quarterly cap on any one card, but if you really needed more capacity, getting another Cash+ is apparently an option—as my setup demonstrates. I actually get use out of quite a few of the categories: – Sporting Goods Stores: Mainly REI, where I’d rather earn 5% cash back than get an REI dividend. As one could imagine, I’m there fairly often for outdoor gear. – Electronics Stores: One of my favorites because Apple.com codes as an electronics store, allowing me to funnel eligible subscriptions through Apple and earn 5% back. – Department Stores: eBay oddly counts as a department store, so I use this category when I’m not earning 5% on Amazon purchases through one of my quarterly rotating-category cards. – Gyms/Fitness Centers: Not currently using this one, although I’ve considered it for Planet Fitness. Their huge network of locations—and therefore showers—can be surprisingly valuable for road trips. – Ground Transportation: Useful for Uber, Lyft, trains, and similar transit spending. – Movie Theaters: Something Martina and I have actually been using more lately when there’s a new movie we want to see. The biggest downside, aside from this being one of the last genuinely useful U.S. Bank cards for me, is that it’s effectively domestic-only. Once you account for the foreign transaction fee, using it abroad can reduce the value to roughly that of a 2% card—or worse. |
| AMEX Platinum $895 Annual Fee | See table below |
| AMEX Hilton Aspire $550 Annual Fee | See table below |
| Redstone CU Signature (Grandfathered – residency requirement) $0 Annual Fee | Despite the nerf and new restriction requiring AL or TN residency, this card still offers 5% back on quarterly rotating categories, capped at $1,500 in spending. Some categories have been genuinely useful, including broad ones like restaurants and travel, while others are much more niche, such as utilities. It also has no foreign transaction fees, which can occasionally add value. Still useful, but nowhere near the gem it used to be. |
| Capital One REI Co-op $0 Annual Fee | I don’t have much use for this card anymore, but it’s the second-oldest card I opened, so it carries a lot of credit history. It originally started as a U.S. Bank card before eventually moving into Capital One’s ecosystem, so I largely keep it open for the extensive account history. |
| Chase Marriot Bonvoy Boundless $95 Annual Fee | I got this card primarily to eventually upgrade to the Ritz-Carlton, since Chase offers strong travel and rental car protections on the widely accepted Visa network. That said, the Marriott Bonvoy card has been quite nice on its own. Like the Ritz, it comes with an annual free-night certificate that can be topped off with points, making it relatively easy to get at least one hotel stay out of the card each year. I also happened to apply at a great time: the welcome offer was five free-night certificates plus a $50 United credit, and I had finally dropped below Chase’s 5/24 rule, so the timing worked out extremely well. |
| Chase IHG $99 Annual Fee | I got this card entirely for the annual “free” night locked in at a $99 annual fee, which is becoming increasingly difficult to find. For me, this is mostly about mitigating spending in stays rather than everyday rewards. Most of these hotel cards also come with some level of status, so I’m effectively getting a discounted annual stay plus status benefits whenever I stay with the brand. |
| Discover More (Discover It) $0 Annual Fee | I have this card largely because it was the first credit card I opened, back when I was in college and earning more money from my Raytheon internship after my sophomore year. Because it’s my oldest card, keeping it open also preserves a significant part of my credit history. Surprisingly, though, it still has some genuinely useful features. Discover allows you to get cash back at the register at any participating grocery store when making a purchase, essentially giving you access to cash through the card without treating it like a traditional cash advance. It also offers rotating 5% categories each quarter on up to $1,500 in spending, often covering major categories like groceries, gas, dining, Amazon, and travel. The card could change now that Capital One has acquired Discover, so I wouldn’t assume these benefits will exist forever. The acquisition is particularly interesting because Discover operates its own payment network, giving Capital One an alternative to relying entirely on Visa and Mastercard. |
| Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards $0 Annual Fee | This is a product change from an Allegiant card I originally opened mostly for the intro bonus. However, this card does still offer some value. It earns 3% back on online shopping, which I use for miscellaneous online purchases, although the category can be surprisingly vague. It generally covers tangible goods rather than services, yet Bank of America specifically lists merchants like Ticketmaster as examples, so you have to be careful about what actually qualifies. The card is also well known for Bank of America’s banking and brokerage relationship bonuses. With enough qualifying assets, you can receive up to a 75% rewards bonus, effectively turning the 3% category into 5.25% back, subject to the card’s $2,500 quarterly spending cap. The catch is that reaching the highest tier requires keeping a pretty substantial amount of money with Bank of America/Merrill, which isn’t exactly a brokerage relationship I’d personally prioritize just for the extra cash back. |
| Wells Fargo Autograph $0 Annual Fee | This is probably one of the best all-in-one credit cards on the market right now. The biggest thing it’s missing is groceries, but for a $0 annual fee card, it offers a ridiculous amount of value: rental car and cell phone protections, no foreign transaction fees, and transferable points, which is extremely rare for a no-annual-fee card. Its 3× categories have a baseline value of 3% cash back with no spending limit, but potentially more through transfer partners. At just 1.33¢ per point, 3× becomes an effective 4% return, so I personally view this as roughly a 3–5% card. Its travel category is especially broad, covering flights, hotels, Airbnb, rideshare, trains, ferries, parking, and other transit expenses. The main weakness is Wells Fargo’s transfer service itself, with a limited but growing list of transfer partners. I primarily have this card for its broad travel category on the Visa network, particularly internationally. It also acts as my backup if my Amex annual-fee cards ever stop making sense, which I imagine would most likely happen if I were no longer living in the United States. |
| Wells Fargo Choice Privileges Select | Got this card for the insane intro bonus when it first came out, but it was also the card that made me realize how valuable hotel cards with anniversary free-night awards can be. For a $95 annual fee, you can essentially get two off-highway nights or one really nice night each year. Later, I realized the brand can offer much better value internationally, where the experience isn’t nearly as bottom-of-the-bucket as it often is in the U.S. So now I primarily keep it for international travel, especially since most highway nights for me can just be spent in the back of my Jeep. |
| Venmo | I primarily keep it for the occasional ability to pay someone with a credit card for a 3% fee (used to be 0%), letting me float the expense rather than pull from my bank account, which I currently reserve for bills. |
| FNBO Jeep Rewards $0 Annual | It has a surprisingly solid 2% catch-all category for such a niche card, but I primarily use it for the occasional Jeep service that makes sense to have done at the dealership, where it earns 7% back. My dealership charges a 3% credit card fee, so in practice that’s closer to 4%, which is still really good. Why this dealership? I also happen to get free car washes, oil changes, and tire rotations at that specific location, so I take advantage of those benefits when they make sense. |
| AAA Daily Advantage No AAA membership required $0 Annual Fee | This is the best cashback grocery card I’ve found for international use on the Visa network, earning 5% on groceries with no foreign transaction fees. Domestically, my Citi ThankYou card still earns more because of its ongoing promotional offers, so I rarely use this card in the U.S. I mostly keep it as my international grocery card and as a backup to Citi. If those promotions ever stop making sense, get nerfed, or disappear entirely, I already have a straightforward 5% grocery card ready to take its place. |
| Synchrony Bank Verizon Need to be a Verizon Customer (Account holder or manager) $0 Annual Fee | This card has a lot of overlap with other cards in my setup, so it honestly feels a little wasted on me. Still, with all the nerfs happening in the credit card space, I’m glad I have it as a backup. As a Verizon customer, it earns unlimited 4% back on gas, groceries, and dining with no foreign transaction fees on the Visa network. That makes it a strong international backup, although I can potentially get more value from my Wells Fargo Autograph for travel and my AAA Daily Advantage for groceries. Its primary purpose for me is much simpler: paying my Verizon bill. Using the Verizon Visa lets me keep the autopay discount while still earning rewards on the bill itself. Between the Verizon benefits and rewards, it beats every other card I have for that expense. |
| Fidelity Rewards $0 Annual Fee | The best catch-all card on the market for me, and one that thankfully doesn’t seem to be getting worse. It earns unlimited 2% back on everything, with rewards deposited directly into an eligible Fidelity account. That doesn’t even have to be an individual brokerage account; it can be an IRA, HSA, Cash Management Account, 529, and more. Fidelity also happens to be one of the best brokerages you could have. Honestly, if I wanted to be a one-credit-card person, this would probably be the card I’d choose. It has no annual fee or foreign transaction fees, runs on the Visa network, and even covers Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. What I especially like is that the cashback can go straight into my brokerage and be invested. Put it into something aggressive like a Nasdaq fund and that 2% has the opportunity to compound over time rather than just sitting as cashback. It’s simple, useful worldwide, and requires basically no optimization. |
Approach → Cashback Cards Only
Drawing from past experience, I still generally prefer cashback rewards over building a strategy entirely around travel points. For a deeper explanation of why I originally moved away from a travel-points-focused setup, you can read about it here.
That said, my thinking has evolved a bit.
I used to look at cashback and travel points as more of an either/or decision. Today, I care more about having a reliable cash value as a baseline while preserving the opportunity for additional value through travel.
Points can absolutely enhance a trip, but higher redemption values don’t always translate into actual savings. Getting outsized value toward a business or first-class ticket, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve reduced the cost of getting from Point A to Point B. Sometimes you’ve simply received a much nicer seat for the points you spent.
Cashback remains attractive because of its flexibility. I can spend it wherever I choose, save it, or invest it rather than leaving the value locked inside a rewards ecosystem. However, I’m increasingly willing to earn transferable points when the card either provides a reasonable cash-equivalent floor or offers enough additional travel benefits to justify giving up some flexibility.
The Wells Fargo Autograph is a good example of this middle ground. Its 3× categories provide a baseline 3% return when redeemed for cash, while still giving me the option to transfer those points to travel partners when I can get substantially more value from them. I only need roughly 1.33¢ per point to match a 4% cashback card or 1.67¢ per point to match a 5% cashback card.
So my strategy is no longer strictly cashback versus travel points. It’s about maintaining a strong guaranteed return while selectively taking advantage of points, credits, protections, status, and other travel benefits when they provide genuine additional value.
Approach → Mindset
I use credit card rewards as one of many ways to make a slimmer budget go further. I’m fully aware of the psychology surrounding credit cards, so I regularly remind myself that it’s always better to keep 95% of my money by not spending it than to spend unnecessarily just to earn 5% back.
Rewards should optimize money I was already going to spend, not provide a reason to spend it.
If exercising that restraint is difficult, I strongly discourage getting heavily involved with credit cards. Dave Ramsey, a vocal opponent of credit card usage whom I tend to think of as something of a money therapist, has compared credit cards to playing with snakes: eventually, you risk getting bitten.
For me, that means paying every statement balance in full, maintaining an emergency fund, and never allowing rewards to justify spending I otherwise wouldn’t make.
Approach → Mindset → YOLO
There’s also another side to this philosophy: maximizing financial value isn’t always the same thing as maximizing value in my life.
That can be difficult for me to remember when I’m focused on financial independence. Every purchase has an opportunity cost, and money invested today potentially has decades to compound. But optimizing indefinitely has an opportunity cost of its own.
Travel is one area where I’ve deliberately allowed myself more flexibility. Certain premium cards may not maximize pure cashback on every transaction, but their benefits can make experiences I already value considerably better.
That’s one reason I’ve kept the Charles Schwab Amex Platinum in my strategy. Flights earn 5× Membership Rewards points, which I can convert into cash through my Schwab account at 1.1¢ per point—an effective 5.5% return—while still retaining the option to use those points for travel when doing so provides greater value. More importantly, the card provides travel benefits that I actually use.
That represents where I’ve ultimately landed: maximize value, but don’t confuse maximizing money with maximizing life.
AMEX Platinum
| Benefit | Annual Value | Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Credit | $600-800 | If I didn’t have a partner to share this with, I wouldn’t value it at the amount I’ve listed…I’d be sleeping in my car every chance I got, rental or not. This is by far the credit that feels the most “YOLO.” Still, it’s a great perk if you like treating yourself now and then. I count it at full value ($300 per semi-annual credit + $100 property credit each stay), because with a partner, it really is worth. Without a partner, I’d value it around $400–500. To me, that’s basically two nights covered, plus about $50/night for breakfast and dinner. |
| Clear Membership | $150 | Skip either the regular or TSA pre-check lines in large US airports so it gives me two more options in lines at U.S. airports. The credit’s value to me is $150 (instead of $189) because it’s already part of the perks offered by the Green Amex card, which itself carries a $150 annual fee; a card I would opt for if the Amex Platinum was not in my life. |
| Instant Hotel Status at Hilton & Marriot | > $0 | Status match at National Car to get their Emerald Club Executive Elite status which is not only one of the best car rental agencies in the United States in terms of customer service, but also the best in terms of pricing considering the benefits of how often you get a free day. |
| Instant Hertz President Circle | > $0 | This company has become a mere shell of its former self, likely one of the worst reputations out there for a rental car company. Still, it’s among the most economical options out there. Even though their customer service leaves much to be desired, their prices are often hundreds of dollars lower than competitors’. So, if I’m in a penny-pinching mood and traveling solo, might as well seize the opportunity and make the best of it. |
| Instant Leaders Club Sterling Status | ? | I don’t know enough about this yet to assign it a value, but from what I understand, the program offers special perks — similar to Amex’s Travel Portal — just through a separate network of hotels. At first glance, I don’t think I travel enough to really get much value from this. It seems more geared toward wealthier travelers who care more about flexibility and convenience than squeezing out maximum value. |
| $400 Resy Credit | $400 | My Favorite Perk – If I didn’t have a partner to take to nice restaurants, I’d just use this for gift cards — since I eat, it’ll always have value to me. But with a partner, it’s even better: we get to try a new upscale spot once a quarter, which feels like plenty. |
| Uber/Uber Eats | $200 | I already dine out at least once a month to utilize this spend, but I view this particular credit as a means to offset the annual fee of the card, ensuring that the associated perks don’t place too heavy a burden on my budget. |
| Uber One | $120+ | Well Worth It – I was already paying for this because the membership quickly pays for itself with the frequent buy-one-get-one deals. In my area, it’s usually Asian restaurants that participate, but I’ve also found plenty of options when traveling outside the DMV. You do have to watch out for spots that hike up prices, but many of the deals really are as good as they look. You also get Uber Ride benefits, but this only really benefits my partner as we share accounts. Hard to track, but I get more than $120 of value each year from this benefit. |
| $100 Saks Credit | $0 | Not My Style – I wouldn’t shop at Saks if it weren’t for this credit. It’s a nice perk to have, but without it I wouldn’t spend there. |
| $300 Lululemon Credit | $0 | A Strange Fit – I love Lululemon, but their stuff lasts forever. I basically only need to replace pants and underwear every five years, so this credit feels more like a nice-to-have than a must. I’ll use it, but it’s not something I’d normally spend on. |
| Incidental Credit | $200 | There’s a widely recognized workaround that allows me to apply this credit directly towards flight bookings, a loophole that still remains unfixed as of October 2025. |
| Trip Delay Insurance | ? | Hard to put a firm value on this, but I did use it successfully once when my flight to Bali was delayed over six hours, causing me to miss a connection and spend the night in Singapore. The benefit can be used twice per year, up to $500 per trip. |
| Global Entry Credit (TSA-Precheck included) | $0 | You can already get this for free with the no-annual-fee Fidelity Visa, so I value it at $0. |
| Concierge Service | > $0 | The service was exceptional – I recall a specific occasion vividly when I was stuck in traffic on I-495, to visit a friend with little time to plan logistics. I asked for suggestions for rooftop bars with a quiet ambiance in my friend’s vicinity and managed to secure a reservation over the phone instantly. Additionally, I received an email listing alternative locations in case I changed my mind. |
| Travel Insurances | > $0 | I haven’t had to utilize any of these benefits, but this company truly goes above and beyond for its customers. There was a situation where I had booked a prepaid rental for Iceland, although the reservation went unused for some reason, resulting in a double charge. Despite facing a dead end with Hertz customer service, I turned to Amex as a last resort for assistance who make it easy to help. After submitting the required documents, they intervened, rectifying the issue by removing the unused reservation from the incident. |
| Lounge access | > $60 | While these amenities aren’t particularly my cup of tea, they do help me save on expenses at the airport before flights. Although this service comes with a hefty price tag, it essentially spares me the hassle of seeking food elsewhere, where I’d typically spend around $15 per visit. Given that I usually travel at least once a quarter, I value this at more than $60. |
| Coupons | > $100 | AMEX is known as a giant coupon book, but there are some really useful coupons on there for usual spend like grocery, rental cars, hotels, flights, cable, and gas spend that really add up. I have this marked for $100, but it ranges above that as well. |
| Total Benefit | > $2030 | $2030-895(annual fee) = >$1135 |
Benefits I do not care to leverage:
| Benefits | Potential Value | Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Credit (HBO | YouTube Premium | Disney+ | Hulu) | $300 | I would not personally opt for this if I wasn’t getting it with the Amex card. Potential Plus: – Give Family/Partner Access Side Note: – When audible was included, this benefit was gold. |
| Walmart+ (Comes with Paramount+) | $155 | I would not personally opt for this if I wasn’t getting it with the Amex card. Potential Plus: – Give Family Access – Free shipping |
| Equinox Subscription Credit | $300 | Absolutely no interest whatsoever. |
| Oura Ring Credit | $200 | Absolutely no interest whatsoever. |
Fun fact
To lower the annual fee even more, if you have holdings valued in your Schwab Account (which is a reputable brokerage to hold your money in):
- Greater or equal to $250k; you can get an annual $100 statement credit.
- Greater or equal to $1M; you can get an annual $200 statement credit.
- Greater or equal to $10M; you can get an annual $1000 statement credit.
AMEX Hilton Aspire
| Benefit | Annual Value | Utility |
|---|---|---|
| Uncapped Free Night (No Black Out Dates) | $550 (The annual fee) | I used the free night certificate for a Thanksgiving weekend stay at the Waldorf Astoria in Hawaii, where the room was going for $1,200. That alone makes me value this perk at the full annual fee of the card—in my mind it essentially works like a prepaid luxury night. |
| $400 Select Hilton Resort Credit | $400 | This credit can be tricky since it only applies at specific Hilton Resorts, but I personally value it at around $400. Once you know how to use it, redemption is straightforward, though it tends to be worth more overseas since it’s tough to find a resort in the U.S. under $200 a night (outside of places like Las Vegas). I’ve been able to get full value from it. Similar to the Platinum’s hotel credit, this feels like a classic YOLO credit. |
| Diamond Hilton Status | $90 | This usually means either free breakfast for up to two people or a $15 per person daily credit. I value it at about $90 a year, since I use this card for at least three stays annually. |
| Flight Credit | $200 | $50/quarter, but easy to bank the $ via United Bank in the situation you aren’t booking a flight every quarter so all $200 is being accounted for. |
| CLEAR Plus Credit | $0 | I already get this benefit with my Amex Platinum, so I don’t place any additional value on it. That said, it’s nice to be able to extend it to my partner so we can go through the same airport lines when we travel together. |
| Coupons | > $100 | AMEX is known as a giant coupon book, but there are some really useful coupons on there for usual spend like grocery, rental cars, hotels, flights, cable, and gas spend that really add up. I have this marked for $100, but it ranges above that as well. Yes, this is $100+ over the AMEX Plat. card. |
| Total Benefit | > $1340 | $1340-550(annual fee) = >$790 |
Approach → Credit
I might not be the definitive expert on this subject, but have been in my mind successful largely hinging on the luck of having parents who could impart these essential life skills of knowing the lay of the land and how read the terms and conditions. Nevertheless, one thing I did well was follow my parents’ guidance. While I may not possess all-encompassing knowledge, I can certainly offer tips provided by my parents that helped me achieve an “excellent” credit score.
Approach → Credit Scores → Statement Balance
- Always pay the statement balance like your life depends on it on the due date or prior to that. The interest rates on credit cards are predatory and you do not want to even take a risk on paying less than the statement balance.
- Ensure that your credit card permits weekend payments if the due date falls on a weekend. It’s concerning that some cards offer weekend due dates despite only processing payments on business days, which seems predatory. Personally, I always make payments on weekdays before the due date when it falls on a weekend.
- Limit your spending to the money you already possess. The objective of this tool is to use it, not to be used by it.
- Avoid automatic payments. Having an allocated time to schedule your payments one by one in a check list fashion, not only gives you leverage, but allows you dedicated time to make sure all of your transactions are correct. You can keep receipts (I did for a while), but if you already know where your money is going, you generally really need to look out for things that
- There’s no requirement to settle your statement balance earlier than the due date. You may choose to do so if you’re running low on credit and need more available funds to work with. However, consistently paying the statement balance on the due date each month won’t negatively impact your credit. One scenario that I’ve never encountered personally but apparently exists is that some banks may fail to transfer the necessary funds for the bill on time. While this is unusual, if you encounter this issue, it’s advisable to make the payment a day early to ensure your bank has sufficient time to process it and transmit it to the credit card company on time.
Approach → Credit Scores → Missing a Payment
Don’t miss a payment, however there is a way to reconcile your relationship. Here is an example letter, that I actually have sent and signed that you can use as an example:
I’ve omitted my address and signature from the image above, so please ensure you include your address in the top right header of this page and sign before sending it via mail to the address listed on your statement. The statement document’s fine print should explicitly indicate where to send this type of letter. Usually the reversal occurs in 1-2 weeks. If you don’t get it, than at least you can say you tried.
In this scenario, I inadvertently overlooked the due date and selected what appeared to be the due date on the calendar UI, akin to the image below. Notice how it seems like the due date is May 31? In reality, it’s actually May 24.
Deceptive Calendar User Interface – Due Date May 24
Approach → Credit Scores → Building Credit
Once again, the credit-building achievement I attained was thanks to my parents’ guidance. However, various factors influence credit scores, with payment history being the most significant. If your primary goal is to build credit, I suggest acquiring a card without an annual fee from a reputable bank and using it for a specific expense, given the typically low credit limits when starting out. For instance, my initial credit limit was $500. I used the card exclusively for gas purchases while resorting to my debit card or cash for other expenses. Initially, I held the Discover Student card, which later upgraded to the Discover More card, likely coinciding with an increase in income from my paid internship at Raytheon.
Another crucial benefit of limiting card use to one expense is maintaining a low credit utilization ratio, which represents the portion of credit you’re utilizing compared to your available credit. Over time, this practice will gradually improve your credit score, leading to lower interest rates on loans, increased borrowing power, improved housing options, access to premium credit cards, favorable insurance rates, and more. For expert advice, NerdWallet offers an excellent article on the factors influencing credit scores.
Approach → Credit Scores → Maintaining Credit
Largely you want to continue doing what you did to build your credit, but figure I should mention what I have been doing to maintain my credit so you can also keep them in mind in the back of your head:
- Keep your longest credit line open – While positive credit remains on your history for a decade, closing it means your credit timeline resets to when the subsequent account was opened. If you’re not benefiting from the current card, consider switching to another offered by the same issuer. It might not be obvious, but you need to continue using your oldest credit line. I’m unsure how often, but I’m thinking at least once a year.
For instance, if your first card was Discover Miles and its rewards no longer suit you, consider product changing to Discover It, which offers rotating 5% cashback categories quarterly, ensuring your oldest credit account remains active and beneficial.
If you’re also in the same boat as myself where your oldest credit issuer is Discover, it might be uplifting to know that Capital One is in the process of acquiring Discover, potentially opening up more options to transition to Capital One’s products in the coming year(s), who seem to be growing in the space of travel rewards. - Credit utilization is the second contributor to good credit – My excellent credit utilization might be attributed to my strategy of having a dedicated card for each aspect of my life. Pursuing the optimal rewards for each card naturally divides and spreads out my spending across my credit accounts.
However, my credit utilization may temporarily dip when I pursue introductory bonuses occasionally. I see it as a short-term sacrifice for my credit score, reallocating all my expenses to a new card to seize its introductory rewards. This strategy helps me amass airline miles for future travel, potentially enabling me to travel for free or at a lower cost. By focusing all my spending on this specific card, I am knowingly trading my excellent credit for a temporarily lower one, which is worth it to me because it often means $200-1000 back in untaxed value (rebates aren’t taxed). - Strategic Credit Application: Balancing Opportunity and Credit Health – Recent credit applications pose the weakest aspect of my credit score, but fortunately, they carry less weight in determining creditworthiness. To secure larger lines of credit, such as a mortgage, spacing out applications is crucial. It’s advisable to avoid applying for credit lines at least two years before planning a significant purchase, as inquiries linger on your credit history during this period.
While there are distinctions between hard and soft credit pulls, minimizing both enhances the likelihood of loan approvals. Currently, I don’t foresee needing a significant loan, allowing me to pursue attractive introductory bonus opportunities without hesitation. Although I’ve established a solid foundation of credit cards and don’t plan to add more cashback cards, my application pace may naturally slow down. However, given my current absence from the housing market, there’s no immediate need to halt my application activity. - Deciphering Credit Limits: Unspoken Rules and Strategic Approaches (CAUTION: Recommended only for those actively seeking more credit cards with an already excellent credit score) – Another aspect to bear in mind is my deliberate strategy of reducing credit limits to facilitate applying for more cards, although this isn’t generally advisable. Take, for instance, a recent approval where I received a $13,000 limit on a card, yet opted to decrease it. Typically, lowering credit limits early on can adversely affect credit utilization, potentially impacting your credit score. Nonetheless, given my lack of concern regarding minor score fluctuations, this action also diminishes my prospects of securing additional credit. It appears there’s an implicit guideline among credit issuers concerning excessive available credit. Hence, while I lack a specific target for how much to reduce my credit limit, $13,000 was an exception compared to my usual card applications.
I do keep one card with a generous credit limit, mainly for major expenses. I typically aim to allocate enough credit per month for each card to cover my monthly spending, or even for the entire year if it’s a travel card, considering the need to purchase plane tickets in advance. However, in this case, I pursued the card solely for its introductory bonus. Having a high credit limit was unnecessary in this scenario. The bonus only required $1,000 in spending to receive $241 in rewards, demonstrating the minimal spending required for this type of card. In hindsight, it might have been wiser to make adjustments after receiving the intro bonus to avoid any disruption, but this idea only occurred to me afterward. - Keep your non-annual fee cards active for as long as possible, even if you’re not using them regularly – I adhere to this approach with just my two oldest credit issuers, cutting loose cards that no longer offer benefits. While it’s excellent advice to keep those cards when building your credit score, I want to emphasize that I deviate from this sound advice deliberately as a method of acquiring more lines of credit. I recognize this isn’t wise, but it highlights another scenario where you might temporarily compromise your credit score to obtain cards that better suit your lifestyle. However, while you’re in the process of building credit, it’s not advisable to follow my lead.
Approach → Resources
When absorbing the internet for credit card options, the resources I typically rely on the most include the following. Basically, as long as you know how to ask Google questions, you can find a card that matches your lifestyle.
One commonly used method is to <ask your question> and include “reddit” afterward in your query. This signals Google to prioritize results from Reddit.
Approach → Future
I feel as if I’ve peaked in credit card optimization in the pursuit of maximizing value for my consistent spending profile. I’m still earning around 5% cashback across most of my core spending categories, but my attention has increasingly shifted toward cards that enhance travel value, since travel remains a priority in my life.
The first part of that shift was lodging, mainly through cards that offer an annual “free” night. It’s not truly free, of course, but in most cases it ends up saving me money when I need a hotel stay. As I’ve gotten better at planning, I’ve been able to use these annual-night certificates to book hotels that would normally cost around $300 while paying an annual fee closer to $95. Realistically, at least in the U.S., I couldn’t get a comparable hotel for $95 otherwise, so in a sense this planned spend actually reduces my overall travel costs. Over time, those savings add up.
At this point, I’d consider that goal accomplished. I have most of the hotel cards I was interested in acquiring, so there isn’t much left to pursue on that front. Getting multiples of some of those cards is one direction I could go, and airline cards are another area where there’s still room to improve my travel experience. But I’m also at the point where the returns are becoming increasingly marginal.
So for now, most of my attention is focused on other areas of my life, along with helping Martina build a setup that lets her take advantage of credit card rewards as well. She’s already made incredible progress, starting with a solid catch-all card, so these days I’m having more fun helping her build out her setup than continuing to optimize my own.