TurboMinivan
Still plays with cars
- Location
- Lehi, UT
I just experienced something completely new to me, and I'm so excited I feel like I need to tell someone.
I know uncontrolled credit card spending is a very common financial disaster, so it is something I have avoided at all costs for quite some time. In fact, I quit cards completely and used to be a cash-only guy for many years. I wouldn't even pay for gas at the pump; instead I would go inside and hand them cash, go back out and fill my tank, then go back inside and get my change. It was just my way of life, and I was happy.
One co-worker in particular began teasing me about it. "I can't believe you of all people don't use cards." He went on and on about the annual cash-back reward from his Costco credit card, and how I, too, could get some free money just from the spending I already do. And so it was that, about two years ago, I signed up for a Cap One Quicksilver card and began receiving 1.5% cash back on all my purchases. Of course, in order to maximize this reward I gave up using cash entirely and now paid for everything with this card, carefully making sure to pay off my balance in full every month. Things were good.
Meanwhile, another co-worker (who now sits directly beside me) is big into the whole AmEx/Delta points ecosystem. Thanks to his former job as a Chrysler Financial executive, he has literally racked up over a million Delta flyer miles and is now a lifetime Gold member. He earns miles at an accelerated rate, and is constantly cashing them in on free/reduced airfare, free upgrades/perks, etc. It didn't take long before he began goading me to switch from camp cash back and join him in camp travel rewards. Wanting more info, I discovered that YT is littered with travel rewards influencers. I began watching a number of how-to videos posted by various gurus who politely walked you through the process. Hmm, could it be that easy?
Because my new wife is big into travel, and because we were planning a big trip to Europe, back in February I bit the bullet and opened another Cap One account, this one for a Venture X card that earns 2x points/miles on all purchases. At the time, it offered a generous sign up bonus of 75,000 points if you spend $4000 within the first three months (or something like that). It also grants 5x or 10x points on all hotels and flights purchased through the Cap One travel portal. Once my new card arrived, I paid off my Quicksilver card and switched over to the Venture X exclusively. In less than two months, I had earned the signup bonus.
There I was, sitting on a small stockpile of points, trying to figure out if I could work the system in my favor. Our upcoming vacation will take us to Paris, so I've been eyeing flights for a couple of months. The prices are hideous! Any flight I'd actually want to take costs around $1300+ per person, and that's in the cheapest Economy class. Ouch. After re-watching a YT video and being reminded about some search tips, yesterday I finally found my holy grail: Air France flies direct from Houston to Paris for only 20,000 points + $64 per person, including luggage/fees/taxes. Are you kidding?!? I could barely contain my enthusiasm as I transferred some points from my Cap One account to my Air France account, then completed my purchase. Yes, that means we need to get ourselves from here to Houston, but American Airlines will do that for $205 each all in. We are getting from SLC to Paris for $269 each! I feel like I just discovered the fountain of youth, or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, etc.
Maybe my co-worker was on to something after all.
I know uncontrolled credit card spending is a very common financial disaster, so it is something I have avoided at all costs for quite some time. In fact, I quit cards completely and used to be a cash-only guy for many years. I wouldn't even pay for gas at the pump; instead I would go inside and hand them cash, go back out and fill my tank, then go back inside and get my change. It was just my way of life, and I was happy.
One co-worker in particular began teasing me about it. "I can't believe you of all people don't use cards." He went on and on about the annual cash-back reward from his Costco credit card, and how I, too, could get some free money just from the spending I already do. And so it was that, about two years ago, I signed up for a Cap One Quicksilver card and began receiving 1.5% cash back on all my purchases. Of course, in order to maximize this reward I gave up using cash entirely and now paid for everything with this card, carefully making sure to pay off my balance in full every month. Things were good.
Meanwhile, another co-worker (who now sits directly beside me) is big into the whole AmEx/Delta points ecosystem. Thanks to his former job as a Chrysler Financial executive, he has literally racked up over a million Delta flyer miles and is now a lifetime Gold member. He earns miles at an accelerated rate, and is constantly cashing them in on free/reduced airfare, free upgrades/perks, etc. It didn't take long before he began goading me to switch from camp cash back and join him in camp travel rewards. Wanting more info, I discovered that YT is littered with travel rewards influencers. I began watching a number of how-to videos posted by various gurus who politely walked you through the process. Hmm, could it be that easy?
Because my new wife is big into travel, and because we were planning a big trip to Europe, back in February I bit the bullet and opened another Cap One account, this one for a Venture X card that earns 2x points/miles on all purchases. At the time, it offered a generous sign up bonus of 75,000 points if you spend $4000 within the first three months (or something like that). It also grants 5x or 10x points on all hotels and flights purchased through the Cap One travel portal. Once my new card arrived, I paid off my Quicksilver card and switched over to the Venture X exclusively. In less than two months, I had earned the signup bonus.
There I was, sitting on a small stockpile of points, trying to figure out if I could work the system in my favor. Our upcoming vacation will take us to Paris, so I've been eyeing flights for a couple of months. The prices are hideous! Any flight I'd actually want to take costs around $1300+ per person, and that's in the cheapest Economy class. Ouch. After re-watching a YT video and being reminded about some search tips, yesterday I finally found my holy grail: Air France flies direct from Houston to Paris for only 20,000 points + $64 per person, including luggage/fees/taxes. Are you kidding?!? I could barely contain my enthusiasm as I transferred some points from my Cap One account to my Air France account, then completed my purchase. Yes, that means we need to get ourselves from here to Houston, but American Airlines will do that for $205 each all in. We are getting from SLC to Paris for $269 each! I feel like I just discovered the fountain of youth, or the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, etc.
Maybe my co-worker was on to something after all.
