topic Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014 in Credit Cards

Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

09Lexie — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 07:18:58 GMT

Woohoo! I love the summer months. Travel, stay-cations, picnics etc! Perfect time to let those inq and new tls age, while pushing the luv button on sp cli's. If you have a few baddies hanging around, there is no time like the hot months of summer to shed a few baddies.

What is gardening? Quite simply, it involves refraining from applying for new credit or seeking CLIs that require hard pulls. Soft pulls CLIs, however, are not only acceptable, but are encouraged. The idea is to allow one's current TLs to grow and mature, waiting for inqs to age or fall off, and possibly waiting for "baddies" to be removed or age off. During this time, one tends to one's current accounts and watches their AAoA grow and the new credit ding fade.

So, if you're at the stage of your credit journey where you're ready to enter the garden, please come and join us. You may pick up your complimentary watering can and garden gloves by the front door -- you can even choose your favorite color! We're proud to offer a well appointed clubhouse. There is a snack table set up. July is a wonderful month - summer is just starting and it's a perfect month for enjoying great food. I can smell the bar-b-que, there is fresh, there's a bobbing station set-up for crisp red apples, corn on the cob, baked beans, pasta salad, hot dogs, hamburgers and funnel cake! And as always, we have mini-quiches (enjoy, Relevate!). There's also a nice selection of cold beers and my new favorite, Lemon Drop Martini's. Once again, please feel free to bring and add anything that you'd like to add to the festivities. And, in the corner diagonally across from the front door, there is a fully stocked bar, along with a wide selection of soft drinks. If needed, there are some anti-itch medications stocked in our supply cabinet near the door -- Lanacaine, Benedryl, etc. If you need to place your reports in the deep freeze, we also have a freezer, located next to the bar, so go ahead and throw your reports in!

Our club features a Friday night social. This will be hosted by myjourney, who has done such a wonderful job with managing the buffet and bar. He will present a mouthwatering dinner menu (with graphics!) and announce a discussion topic. Everyone is welcome to hang out and either discuss the topic or anything else that comes to mind. Feel free to let kick up your heels for the evening! The goal of the Friday night social is to enjoy getting to know each other and share in some fun. I'd also like to give thanks to Lexie09 for providing hospitality and help to members both old and new. You'll always find comraderie available here as you work towards your gardening goals.

So come on in and make yourself comfortable. Make a gardening plan and commit to sticking with it! Are you planning to wait six months before applying for additional credit? A year? Until the last of your baddies drop off? Whatever your goal, we're here to support you. If you feel the "app-itch" coming on, let us know and we'll try to help you through it. We even have and Emergency Response Team (ERT) available to step in and help keep you on track!

Now, if you happen to leave the garden prematurely, that’s your decision and we respect that. You are always welcome to come back, pick up your gardening tools and start over again. But please, celebrate any approvals on another thread. While we are happy with members’ success stories, we really do want to keep this thread’s focus and tone to be consistent with gardening efforts. You are certainly welcome to celebrate soft CLIs on this thread, though, as they do not involve inqs or apps for new credit.

GARDEN CLUB CHALLENGE AND RECOGNITIONS:

Garden Club Challenge: Pick a firm date for staying in the garden and post it in your siggy!

Garden Club recognition levels: To qualify, your reports must contain:

No new tradelines of any type on one's accounts (this includes backdated Amex accounts, as they are STILL new "seedlings").
No HPs for anything that would allow for the possibility of a new tradeline being issued or increasing the CL of an existing tradeline.

*The Garden Club community recognizes that certain inquiries are necessary for factors beyond those listed above. Therefore, Hard Pulls/Inquiries for the following bona fide reasons are exempt but not limited to: Opening checking/savings accounts (so long as no line of credit is being opened in addition to these accounts), Employment Applications, Apartment Rentals, Utilities and other such services. These are not considered to be applications for credit per se.

You will be able to add the following to your siggy if you have abided by the above for the following time periods...

Less than 1 month - seedling

1 month - bronze spade

3 months - silver spade

6 months - gold spade

9 months - palladium spade

12 months - platinum spade

15 months - ruby spade

18 months - emerald spade

21 months - sapphire spade

24 months or more - diamond spade

Please note: recognition levels reset once you add an account or incur a HP. We recognize that there may be very good reasons for "leaving the garden," and we respect whatever thoughtful decisions members make. As stated previously, members are always welcome to come back, grab their gloves and start gardening once more.

To ensure that your graphic comes out properly on your siggy, please be certain that it has been added as the very first line of code.

Seedling:
<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/2760iB9166C1A493A3CBC" border="0" width="50" height="67" align="right">

Bronze:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/LEYWe.png" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

SIlver:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/Gfc4B.png" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Gold:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/24xvV.png" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Palladium:
<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5761iE36E284CEECEA414" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Platinum:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/vVRv5.png" border="0" alt="" title="" width="120" height="80" align="right" />

Ruby:
<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5625i09098E9833D7A4B2" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Emerald:

Sapphire:
<img src="http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/5627iA714E0C3C98AD3FD" border="0" width="40" height="40" align="right">

Diamond:
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/40nIa.png" border="0" alt="" title="" width="40" height="40" align="right" />

So, please feel free to come on in and share your gardening progress. If you're new or returning, what are your goals? If you've been here for a while, how are things going? Let's all mingle, and support each other in our respective gardening efforts!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

Kenny — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:25:42 GMT

Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

Cookie2120987 — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:34:46 GMT

@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!

Good morning! well early morning!

Congrats! Did you count down the weeks and days? Lol

3 more weeks till I can graduate! Will make it my second longest garden yet! The Garden Club is definitely a vital tool

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

14Fiesta — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:37:30 GMT

@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!

Congrats. I escaped the garden when no one was looking so I am now reset back to a seedling, but DANG was it worth it! My new goal is another 6 months so I can try pick up a Chase Freedom at 1 year.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

Kenny — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:43:26 GMT

@14Fiesta wrote:
@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!
Congrats. I escaped the garden when no one was looking so I am now reset back to a seedling, but DANG was it worth it! My new goal is another 6 months so I can try pick up a Chase Freedom at 1 year.

Congrats on your new Amex!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

Kenny — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 08:44:56 GMT

@Cookie2120987 wrote:
@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!
Good morning! well early morning!

Congrats! Did you count down the weeks and days? Lol

3 more weeks till I can graduate! Will make it my second longest garden yet! The Garden Club is definitely a vital tool

Haha! At first, I was like "I'm so proud! I've made a week!" haha. Now, I'm good you've almost made 3 months. Now you need to see this through at least 6 months to 1 year. At least is what I'm telling myself. I do see a January 1st app happening though. Amex, I'm sure. lol... I can't help myself when it comes to maximum backdating.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

kellymar — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:00:46 GMT

Hello everyone. Hope you're all staying strong. I'm still hanging in there. I was very tempted to sneak out of the garden late one night and app for the Barclay card after receiving a "Congratulations" message on their preapproval site, but I resisted. It was the first time I had received that message, so I thought, "This gardening stuff must be working!" Then I closed my laptop. I think I need to claim my bronze spade!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

Kenny — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:02:24 GMT

@kellymar wrote:
Hello everyone. Hope you're all staying strong. I'm still hanging in there. I was very tempted to sneak out of the garden late one night and app for the Barclay card after receiving a "Congratulations" message on their preapproval site, but I resisted. It was the first time I had received that message, so I thought, "This gardening stuff must be working!" Then I closed my laptop. I think I need to claim my bronze spade!

Congrats on your will power! What date have you been gardening since? We can ask someone to place the spade into your signature if you'd like. I think it requires 30 posts to be able to add an image into the signature yourself.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

lg8302ch — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:35:10 GMT

Good morning everybody !

Another month has passed and today I was able to pick a spade ...Bronze on the way to Gold ..lol..probably won't make it much further than Gold as I still have cards on my wishlist for 2015

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

lg8302ch — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:40:01 GMT

@KennyRS wrote:
@Cookie2120987 wrote:
@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!
Good morning! well early morning!

Congrats! Did you count down the weeks and days? Lol

3 more weeks till I can graduate! Will make it my second longest garden yet! The Garden Club is definitely a vital tool

Haha! At first, I was like "I'm so proud! I've made a week!" haha. Now, I'm good you've almost made 3 months. Now you need to see this through at least 6 months to 1 year. At least is what I'm telling myself. I do see a January 1st app happening though. Amex, I'm sure. lol... I can't help myself when it comes to maximum backdating.

I will probably join you with an SPG app... and I would just wish Amex would accept my MSD without Global transfer as then it would really benefit me by adding 10+ yrs. Right now the US card will just get me out of the "new" accounts next year with the 2yrs I have in the US

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

coldnmn — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 09:58:58 GMT

@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!

WTG Kenny!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

coldnmn — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:01:25 GMT

Good morning GC!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

coldnmn — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:02:54 GMT

@14Fiesta wrote:
@KennyRS wrote:
Happy July everyone! Tomorrow, I get me a new spade! Silver, here I come!
Congrats. I escaped the garden when no one was looking so I am now reset back to a seedling, but DANG was it worth it! My new goal is another 6 months so I can try pick up a Chase Freedom at 1 year.

Congrats on the AMEX!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

coldnmn — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:05:40 GMT

@kellymar wrote:
Hello everyone. Hope you're all staying strong. I'm still hanging in there. I was very tempted to sneak out of the garden late one night and app for the Barclay card after receiving a "Congratulations" message on their preapproval site, but I resisted. It was the first time I had received that message, so I thought, "This gardening stuff must be working!" Then I closed my laptop. I think I need to claim my bronze spade!

Congrats on staying strong! Gardening really does work!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

coldnmn — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:07:51 GMT

@lg8302ch wrote:
Good morning everybody !
Another month has passed and today I was able to pick a spade ...Bronze on the way to Gold ..lol..probably won't make it much further than Gold as I still have cards on my wishlist for 2015

WTG Good Luck on your way to Gold! Gold has been a charm for me!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

lg8302ch — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:57:01 GMT

@coldnmn wrote:
@lg8302ch wrote:
Good morning everybody !
Another month has passed and today I was able to pick a spade ...Bronze on the way to Gold ..lol..probably won't make it much further than Gold as I still have cards on my wishlist for 2015
WTG Good Luck on your way to Gold! Gold has been a charm for me!

Yours looks so nice but this time I might even be able to enjoy mine for a couple of months once I achieve it.....lol.. the last two times I immediately set the clock back to "seedling" .. well that ruby one sure looks nice but I need first all my cards on the wishlist and then it comes the strong gardening part

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

JoMellow — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:16:32 GMT

Good morning everyone!! Happy first day of July....

Congrats Cold on your cli and congrats to everyone that is Garden Strong...

Wish everyone a successful and happy Gardening month!

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

tcbofade — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:20:00 GMT

Goooooooooooood morning boys and girls. Yes, you DO see a bronze spade in my signature...yay me!

Got a 20 point bump in my CK score, and am curious to see if that applies as my real FICO's update this month.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

chalupaman — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:43:43 GMT

Credit wise, I'm doing alright. My scores have remained really consistent over the past few weeks and I think a lot of INQs that were affecting my score from last September will start having much less of an impact so I can't wait for that. Hopefully by December, I can go ahead and try to get another card I've always wanted to have. Other than feeling really awful yesterday, I'm feeling alright right now.

Re: Garden Club Meeting - July 2014

bigblue7722 — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:49:36 GMT

Checking in for July! Go USA! Trying to stay garden strong for my house next year