@Anonymous wrote:I'm a newbie so bear with me. You literally applied for all of those cards at the same time and those were the results? Holy. Moly. Makes me want to apply for multiple cards all at one time in February when my scores should all be up in to the 700s.
Hey, BluffCityNomad! Welcome to myfico.
Yep, sure did! 
I figured, it was better to apply for all of them at once instead of spreading them out. It was a lot of work, but well worth it. Now I sit in the garden watching my little seedlings grow.
Just a quick warning: It's easy to get caught up in the app-spree breeze, so take care not to get carried away with app'ing. I tried to be deliberate about which cards I app'd for. Before I started the app-spree, I made a list of the cards I wanted and HOW I intended to use them. ...and yes, I did stumble off the path. I quickly checked myself before I wrecked myself. 
Also, I went in fully expecting to get some denials. I resolved within myself that a denial was only a way for them to say - not now, but try later
Happy App'ing!
@Anonymous wrote:
Another newbie question. Don't all those cards add up to an absolute massive annual fee!?! Haha
Nope. Only one card has an annual fee - the Amex Blue Cash Preferred. All the others - fee-free!
@Anonymous wrote:
Last question I swear. So you will just put tiny charges on all of them each month to make sure they don't get closed for inactivity?
Ask as many questions that come to mind. If I can answer, I will. If I can't, I'm sure some of the many knowledgeable folks on this forum will chime in.
All have atleast one scheduled small charge that will occur monthly, but some serve other purposes as well.
Amex BCP = 6%groceries and when Discover does not have a better deal, 3% department stores, amazon
USAA Amex- 5% gas and 1% off all other purchases that don't fall into a specific category for other cards
Discover IT- 5% departments stores (when offered), and whatever rotating bonus offer that's better than any other. Out of country travel.
Costco Everywhere - 4% off Costco gas as cheap as it is - oh, yeah, 3% off of restuarants & travel, and additional 2% off costco purchases (in addition to the 2% I already get for the executive membership) Love, LOVE Costco.
NFCU - main purpose was to have a MC - for the most part will have a small purchase only each month. Their generous CLs also help in overall util %
PenFed - really wanted a no-fee at all card - for the just in case. It will have a small purchase only each month. Also again on the overall util%
During the holidays, I spread out the spending on the cards to keep util low on a per card basis - depending on what I'm buying. I've already put about 2K each of 4 cards - all will be PIF after statement cuts this month.
But... I think that putting a small charge atleast once every 3 months or so should be sufficient. You don't have to do more than that. But the above is how I use my cards. YMMV.
Hope that helps.
@Anonymous wrote:
That was so incredibly helpful. I am learning a ton from this forum but also from this thread. Hopefully my questions can help others even though I'm sure I could find answers if I searched hard enough. Thank you.
NFCU. I have been reading about these CLs. Do I have to be affiliated with the Navy in any way shape or form to get this card?
No. You can join via the Navy League (San Diego chapter only). You don't have to live in San Diego to join through that chapter. However, as far as I know, it's the San Diego chapter - and only that chapter - that will get you through the door if you don't have any other way in.
If you follow the instructions in the post, you should be fine. Only be sure to follow the directions. NFCU is a picky little bird.
Also from my reading of the above, someone tried to discourage others from using this method by claiming this way was no longer valid. Well, I joined using this method as recently as THIS month, so it's STILL valid. Here are the posts explaining that this method was never shut down.
Good luck and happy app'ing!
EDITED:
Actually I technically joined last month - but my membership wasn't completely approved until this month due to some documentation confusion.