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Credit Card Rewards: Bring 'Em On

September 2nd, 2012 at 10:21 pm

I am closing in on the final spend needed to earn $250 in gift cards from American Express Premier Rewards Card. I'm in the 3rd month and just $400 away from having spent $2,000 in 3 months.

I need to make sure to cancel this card afterwards as there is annual fee after the first year.

As SOON as I wrap up with the Amex card, I'm going to apply for the Chase Sapphire Card, which just lowered its spend requirement to $2,000 in 3 months. (It used to be $3,000 and I had until now ruled this one as too much.) Once you spend the $2,000, you earn $400 in CASH or $500 in plane tickets! (I'm going for the cash.)

Since it looks like I can meet the spend goal for the Amex card fairly easily, I think I will charge my upcoming homeowners insurance bill in October to the new Sapphire card.

I had thought that by now I would have "done" all the really good credit card reward offers, but I'm pleasantly happy to still be going after some juicy rewards.

So far, so good!

Today was more manual labor trying to dig out underground roots of the silky dogwood i'm trying to get rid of it because of its tenacous way of spreading through underground roots, with seedlings popping up from those roots everywhere in the lawn and turning it into a forest where I don't want a forest. Smile

I did also dig up a butterfly bush and a pokeberry and some spreading Mexican ornamental oregano, all contributing to the overgrown look as you drive up the driveway.

The ultimate goal is to plant grass seed in the ever expanding dirt pit I'm creating by having to dig up roots from the dogwood that extend 10 feet and more from the main plant. I know I won't get them all, but once the grass grows in i should be able to control any remaining dogwood by constantly mowing over them as I mow the grass.

Tomorrow will be the day I get to experience what it's like being Britney Spears (or any other celeb). That's because I'll be marching in my hometown Labor Day parade and will receive the adoring fans snapping photos, cheering, applauding and clapping. What's not to like there?

Today I received my official baseball cap and matching t-shirt with the name of the organization I'll be representing.

Today I made my three-bean salad, more homemade ice tea (I drink it by the gallon) and roasted some fresh beets I got from the organic farm in town. I don't think I'll try roasting beets again as it too forever and I think I should have peeled the skin off them.

10 Responses to “Credit Card Rewards: Bring 'Em On”

  1. Dido Says:
    1346637169

    Have fun at the parade! glad you're still getting some good rewards deals. Your earlier post inspired me to get a Target Red card.

    Every recipe I've seen about roasting beets says to leave the skin on for the roasting--it comes off more easily afterwards.

  2. My English Castle Says:
    1346638120

    I usually roast beets in foil. I think it's more steam than roast then, but the skin slips right off--especially if your rub them with some oil.

  3. ceejay74 Says:
    1346638456

    You spurred me to try and get that Chase Sapphire card, but every link takes me to a "Spend $3000" application. Bummer -- I think they moved the minimum spend back up! Let me know if you come across a live link for the "spend $2000" one.

  4. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1346641149

    Hope the parade goes well!

  5. ceejay74 Says:
    1346645119

    http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfromthewing/2012/08/22/rumor-confirmed-new-40000-bonus-points-after-2000-spend-chase-sapphire-preferred-offer-being-pulled-at-3pm-today/

  6. patientsaver Says:
    1346671044

    Ceejay, that is a HUGE bummer...I had read about it on My Money Blog (which should be req'd reading for anyone who follows CC rewards), and that post was dated 8/21/, so i wonder what happened with that.

    As for the beets, I had coated them in olive oil, but i can't say the skins came off easily at all. they were still a little hard after roaasting for i'd say 50 minutes. Tinfoil sounds like a good idea. Do you still brush with oil if they're in tinfoil, and do you poke them with a fork? How long and at what temp? I really want to get it right cus I love beets!

  7. ceejay74 Says:
    1346678939

    I know it's not ideal, but you could do 4 credit cards with a "spend $500, get $100" deal. After looking around, I decided to apply for 3 Bank of America cards with that offer, one in each of our names.

    You could do it all in your name by using the various offers out there: BOA, Chase Freedom, Citi Dividend and Capital One Cash Rewards. It would come out to spend $2K get $400.

  8. patientsaver Says:
    1346681037

    That's true, Ceejay. I'll keep going after those offers as long as they keep approvoing me!

  9. TexasDisneyGirl Says:
    1346985793

    I'm new here....does opening all these different credit cards and then cancelling them after collecting the rewards negatively affect your FICO score? Or does it not matter if you have no mortgage and have no need for additional loans? Thanks.

  10. patientsaver Says:
    1347015225

    that's a good question, Texas Girl. You would think it might, but I can tell you, and others here as well, that it really doesn't have much impact at all. It may be because cards you have owned for longer periods of time carry more weight, so if you only keep a card for a few months and then cancel,you're really not making much of an impact.

    I have opened and closed many cards in the past year and my score is still pretty much the same.

    Credit cards are a form of "revolving" debt,meaning you pay them every month, whereas something like a car loan or mortgage loan is considered "installment" debt becus you're paying something off in installments. Credit bureaus like to see both types of debt when they see your credit but i'm not sure if the lack of a mortgage will have an impact on whether you get approved for a credit card.

    You can apply for a loan and then if you're turned down, i guess that answers your questions. I figure i'll keep on applying (and later cancelling) the best rewards cards for as long as they keep approving them.

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