topic Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks in Credit Cards

What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:29:09 GMT

I am posting this question because I am one of those who loves reading through the approval threads, congratulating members who had recent success with their applications. Sometimes, when I read up approval stories, and some new posts about new great looking cards or competative cards that get launched, I often find myself opening a new window on the lender's application landing page, then i close it immediately! I find myself going back and forth if I should apply now or LATER. With the recent competative cards that have been launched/ relaunched it really makes it challenging to stay rooted in the garden (talking about myself). As of right now, I am trying my hardest to commit to gardening until December of this year (i hope). But seeing more and more of these new cards getting launched definitely makes it difficult. So I ask anyone, what other effective tricks have you implemented to help curve those urges to apply for a new card.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Meanmchine — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:32:34 GMT

Forget the approvals section and chill out in the applicaions threads

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

redpat — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:40:15 GMT

That's easy, if it's not MR, UR or AA I don't want it. All my business and personal spend is centered around these reward programs.

For the moment I don't need any AA SUBS, I have a crap load of miles anyway.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:44:34 GMT

I know, I want to, but it's easier said than done I did recently tried some of the ff:

- Changed my Discover IT design from Garnet to Greenery (for summer) it made me feel as if I had a new card

- Upgrading my BCE to BCP (No annual fee for first year with a $150 SUB for 2K Spend) had me something to work towards so I get the SUB and about $400 away from reaching the goal.

- Using this time to build new relations with a bank that I would eventually want to have a CC product with (aka Chase) got a new checking account with them and recently had completed the SUB as well for opening one.

I also have an existing offer to upgrade the AMEX green to the PRG with a 40K MR offer for a 2K spend, but I am trying to hold off until I know for sure that I would be able to justify the annual fee. Since it's immediately enforced once I accept the upgrade. I am traveling this year, but not overseas so I don't think it would make sense, but I do like that 40K MR offer. I can add the ED card next year to bank those rewards points I've earned.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

wasCB14 — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:48:57 GMT

@Meanmchine wrote:
Forget the approvals section and chill out in the applicaions threads

I'd extend this to:

Find a hobby unrelated to credit and just stay off credit forums for a while.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:52:25 GMT

Work lots of OT...

Pay down what you can. Stay ahead of payments.

Eat.sleep.gym. miscellaneous....

Stay on forum and live vicariously through other's approvals lol

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

AverageJoesCredit — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:52:55 GMT

Enter Garden club and do battle with Miesterbro on how to eat a proper breakfast

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:58:58 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Work lots of OT...

Pay down what you can. Stay ahead of payments.

Eat.sleep.gym. miscellaneous....

Stay on forum and live vicariously through other's approvals lol

LOL! That's actually what I've been doing over and above the one's I've mentioned. I definitely need to find another hobby while at work. This forum has kept me entertained while I am working. I think I've outgrown FB so I don't go on as much. I am definitely working to pay down a balance that I had recently moved from AMEX to Disco, that would be fully paid by Sept. so as that happens, my scores have actually lowered so another excuse to stay firmly planted.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 14:58:29 GMT

@AverageJoesCredit wrote:
Enter Garden club and do battle with Miesterbro on how to eat a proper breakfast

AJC, I am in the Garden club, quietly reading posts on there. Just haven't participated on any discussion as of late.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

arkane — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:00:32 GMT

Easy, I ask myself these 3 questions:

1. Does it have a SUB?

2. Is it no-AF or at least waived in the first year?

3. Can I meet the SUB spend without resorting to MS?

If any of the answers is "no" then it's an auto-denial. Only recon allowed is for the "no-AF" part if the SUB is large enough to offset the AF for a decent net gain.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Malcono — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:07:25 GMT

@Meanmchine wrote:
Forget the approvals section and chill out in the applicaions threads

This +1.

I also made a long term 2 year plan, with set breaks in between applications.

As long as I follow the plan, I'm good.

It's the same as waiting every couple months for Christmas, or my birthday, or summer, etc.

It's nice having everything spread out over several months.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:25:39 GMT

Write geeky Excel formula like

="Under 5/24 on "& TEXT((EOMONTH(EDATE(LARGE(B2:B23,5),24),0)+1),"mmmm d, yyyy")

that tell me exactly when I'll be under 5/24 again

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:52:49 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Write geeky Excel formula like
="Under 5/24 on "& TEXT((EOMONTH(EDATE(LARGE(B2:B23,5),24),0)+1),"mmmm d, yyyy")
that tell me exactly when I'll be under 5/24 again

I've actually diverted my attention to the threads concerning FICO scoring etc. Since my scores had recently taken a dip of about 16 pts. when I paid down a $10 balance to $0. I managed to get those 6 pts. back when I requested Disco to do an off cycle reporting so I can gauge my progress and what I can work on to bring it back up again. Getting myself educated on those aspects of the credit game helps a lot in keeping me off the app threads.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Zolomon — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:06:34 GMT

My most effective gardening trick is to apply for business cards that don't incur an inquiry and an account that appears on my report.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:24:43 GMT

@Zolomon wrote:
My most effective gardening trick is to apply for business cards that don't incur an inquiry and an account that appears on my report.

That'll be too much for me. Love the idea though.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Shadowfactor — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:32:55 GMT

If you have the green card and plan on keeping it. It’s almost foolish to not upgrade to the PRG unless you don’t think you can meet the sub.
The 40K 2K spend offer is better then what most people get just apping for the card.

They have the same net annual fee but the benefits and rewards on the PRG are much better.

You can always buy giftcards for airlines to use the airline credit and the giftcards don’t expire.

Plus the PRG includes free roadside assistance in the US. That alone eats most of the remaining annual fee. I know most people have AAA so cancel that and use Amex’s service.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:37:37 GMT

@Shadowfactor wrote:
If you have the green card and plan on keeping it. It’s almost foolish to not upgrade to the PRG unless you don’t think you can meet the sub.
The 40K 2K spend offer is better then what most people get just apping for the card.

They have the same net annual fee but the benefits and rewards on the PRG are much better.

You can always buy giftcards for airlines to use the airline credit and the giftcards don’t expire.

Plus the PRG includes free roadside assistance in the US. That alone eats most of the remaining annual fee. I know most people have AAA so cancel that and use Amex’s service.

Thanks SF, I am definitely considering that, just waiting to finish with the BCP SUB so I don't overwhelm myself. It's been on my dashboard since April. I had both upgrade offers for the BCP and the PRG so I went for the BCP first and will probably end up doing the upgrade for the PRG as well.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

yfan — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:38:07 GMT

This one is simple. First figure out what your credit needs are, what benefits and what type of reward works best for you. Only apply for a new card if it satisfies a currently unmet need within your criteria.

Knowing what you're after is often the best way to not become tempted by the latest shiny object.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:41:49 GMT

@yfan wrote:
This one is simple. First figure out what your credit needs are, what benefits and what type of reward works best for you. Only apply for a new card if it satisfies a currently unmet need within your criteria.

Knowing what you're after is often the best way to not become tempted by the latest shiny object.

+1 yfan, does Y stand for Yankee?

What seems to be missing from my existing cards is a good dining card and travel card. I have some on my wish list, but I actually have not apped for them yet.

Re: What's Your Most Effective Gardening Tricks

wasCB14 — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:47:56 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@yfan wrote:
This one is simple. First figure out what your credit needs are, what benefits and what type of reward works best for you. Only apply for a new card if it satisfies a currently unmet need within your criteria.

Knowing what you're after is often the best way to not become tempted by the latest shiny object.
+1 yfan, does Y stand for Yankee?

What seems to be missing from my existing cards is a good dining card and travel card. I have some on my wish list, but I actually have not apped for them yet.

If you're over 5/24, hunger for a CSR might help you resist smaller game.

But, still...my main advice is to stay off credit websites.