Garden Club Meeting - February 2013

[tinuviel]

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@fuzzybean wrote:

Ugh, I can't get my seedling to show completely! 

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Do you have the code for the graphic positioned so that it's the first line in your siggy?

[tinuviel]

Yay, gardening results -- one of my new accounts is starting to grow!

My Citi Diamond Preferred received a $750 CLI today, with a soft pull. This brings my CL up to $7550, which is my highest limit on any of my cards. So happy to see positive progress!

ETA: Another SP CLI -- JC Penney!!! A $1400 CLI, from $2800 - > $4200!!!

[tinuviel]

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@SnackTrader wrote:

Here I am, 8 months to the day since beginning my credit card journey. After being approved for the Capital One card, I gardened for 6 months and then applied for the wonderful cards in my signature (BCP, Forward, Freedom) to complete the first stage of my journey. I feel so much better about my financial health with these cards in my arsenal and thought I would mark the occasion with a post in the Garden thread. I owe so much of this success to the discipline I leavened from this thread. 

I also just hit 500 posts on the forum the other day, and I am so happy that I have been able to pass on some of my good fortune by hanging around and giving credit advice my best effort.  After all, this is where I learned all my knowledge. 

Keep Gardening everyone!

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Thanks for sharing. I love hearing feedback from forum members about how this thread has helped them. And remember to give yourself a big pat on the back for your success, because you are the one who both sought out information and then put what you leaned into practice -- good for you!

[tinuviel]

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@Roarmeister wrote:

GGRRRR....  A little ticked off at myself is me.  I went for some CLI's this week, the problem is the CCCs did hard pulls on my account!  Now I have 2 extra hard pulls that I wasn't counting on.  So I went to check my score and yep I confirmed it -- down 3 points!  I'm going the wrong direction these days.  That's on top of a 6 point drop for consolidating my credit to one card.  Just went you think you've done the right thing - pow! right in the kisser.  On the bright side, I did get the CLIs and I won't be going for credit anytime soon; credit scores don't have memory so by the time I will be seeking credit my scores should recover....  although my year end goal is in serious doubt now.

Back to the seedling again...  (while others may argue that I wasn't actively seeking credit and therefore I should still be in the garden, I shall disagree because there was a high likelihood of them doing a income verification for the amounts I was asking).

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Yeah, that's a bummer... so sorry to hear. I wish that they would make it clear, right up front, as to whether or not a request will result in a HP. At least you got the increases and yes, your scores will recover. It's still early in the year, so try to keep your chin up and continue your gardening efforts; you may very well find that you'll meet your year end goal after all. Best wishes!

[zullyquirke]

Today marks two months into gardening for me, and though the primary objective i had here was to wait for some inquiries to fall off of my account to improve my score, the wait time has also given me time to pay off my card balances. They're almost all at zero now, and my total utilization is down to 18% for this month. I just did a cross-country move and was able to financially plan it so I didn't touch any of my credit cards (save for the occasional middle of nowhere gas pump that didn't take credit/debit card combos, didn't even know those existed anymore). Instead of leaning on my cards to skate by to my next paycheck I'm able to financially plan so I don't use my cards at all, save for the occasional splurge. 

Here's to another month of gardening, when I pick up my next spade!

[dodgeball]

Day 6 in the garden, starting to feel depressed nobody left to app to. Accounts to new to ask for CLI, life sucks. Im a credit addict. The funny thing is I dont even use 1% of the credit I have now just addicted to obtaining it. 

[Omri]

Just finished my last app spree before a long gardening stint - I'm hoping that my next app will be for a mortgage in about a year or so. *Puts gardening gloves on.*

[creditnocash]

Is it weird that I'm already planning my hard pulls? 

I feel like I can get too next January no problem. (earning me the plat spade) 

but I feel like I've gotten that far I might as well go for the diamond.  and not go back too seedling. I know its 9 months away but still. 

Also with all my accounts for at least the next ten years ill be golden. (so far 10 revolving/1 Installment) 

Next Jan my aaoa will be 21 months or 1 year 9 months 

if i add a brand new account it only drops 2 months 

and if i add a backdated amex it will actually stay the same(2 years) 

and both will only drop one month. 

hmmm. 

[MzKoli]

I hadn't applied for any new credit in 4 years. The second I said the words "i'm gardening" I opened 3 new accounts. Oh well... i won't give it it name next time!

[daybreakgonesXe]

I am officially at month 3 next time i am able to get on my computer i will update my spade! Since last month, my Orchard Bank card has been unsecured due to the transition to Capital One and i sent a message to Orchard seeing about a CLI. Worse comes to worse we'll see what their policy is after they brought back the CLI button. Heres to another 3 months until my next spade!