I figured my Amex Gold+BBP setup would be my endgame setup... but recent nerfs to Gold and enhancements to TYP earnings has me considering other options.
I'd planned on cancelling my Citi Premier card, but instead applied for another one for the 60K bonus (my 2 year counter rolled over) and downgraded the old one to the Rewards+. With that, I get 10 TY points every time I swipe at the vending machine at work, which equates to 5x to 10x and sometimes more on those purchases. They're tiny but they add up. And now with the DC earning 2x points I'm playing with the idea of that card replacing the BBP to be my non-category card again. 2x TY points essentially means 2.5% cash back on their travel portal which I can use to book flights and stays with any airline or hotel. And there's enough overlap on transfer partners to allow my Citi points to be a boost to Amex for some pretty awesome redemptions from transferring points as well. And so far I've only paid $95 in fees over two and a half years after earning a 60K point SUB twice. Not bad!
I love earning 4x with Gold on two extremely useful categories. And I have to admit, pulling out that card when having lunch with coworkers feels like an awesome flex. But that $250 AF is getting harder to justify when I could just earn 2x on either points scheme for free.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing that you don't use the typical web browsers then?
Because the big three, especially Chrome already tracks you. Heck Google tracks you in other ways that you wouldn't even think of as it is.
I use firefox, all third party cookie blocked by default, browsing through firefox private network, with ad block, https everywhere, ghostly equipped. Everytime I vist rakuten or AA shopping, they kept asking me for permissions, and I usually say no. lol
Chrome is an entirely different beast, the thing is a walking spy machine, doubt I will ever touch it.
^ ^ ^ T h i s ...
I take privacy very seriously. Big Brother is out of control. It's scary how people are buying into giving up their privacy.
No, I just don't use typical web browsers and let cookies sit on my machine. They're cleaned out except by whitelist exception when I close my browser. I don't use Google ... even their beloved search engine. There are alternative search engines that work just as well. And there are many ways to unGoogle yourself. Google and Facebook are two of the worst offenders but there are others. I have a website or two that needs Chrome and that is the ONLY reason it's even on my machine and opened only briefly for that purpose.
They say you're not paranoid ... if they're really out to get ya' ... lol 
@Aim_High wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing that you don't use the typical web browsers then?
Because the big three, especially Chrome already tracks you. Heck Google tracks you in other ways that you wouldn't even think of as it is.
I use firefox, all third party cookie blocked by default, browsing through firefox private network, with ad block, https everywhere, ghostly equipped. Everytime I vist rakuten or AA shopping, they kept asking me for permissions, and I usually say no. lol
Chrome is an entirely different beast, the thing is a walking spy machine, doubt I will ever touch it.
^ ^ ^ T h i s ...
I take privacy very seriously. Big Brother is out of control. It's scary how people are buying into giving up their privacy.
No, I just don't use typical web browsers and let cookies sit on my machine. They're cleaned out except by whitelist exception when I close my browser. I don't use Google ... even their beloved search engine. There are alternative search engines that work just as well. And there are many ways to unGoogle yourself. Google and Facebook are two of the worst offenders but there are others. I have a website or two that needs Chrome and that is the ONLY reason it's even on my machine and opened only briefly for that purpose.
They say you're not paranoid ... if they're really out to get ya' ... lol
Lol! Privacy........Ancestry, Clear and TSA Pre are just a few examples that privacy is dead. So I really wouldn’t worry about searching the web w/ Google.
Personal Cards: Amex Plat | Amex Delta Res | CSR | Citi AA Exec Business Cards: Ink+ | Amex BGR
@redpat wrote:
@Aim_High wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing that you don't use the typical web browsers then?
Because the big three, especially Chrome already tracks you. Heck Google tracks you in other ways that you wouldn't even think of as it is.
I use firefox, all third party cookie blocked by default, browsing through firefox private network, with ad block, https everywhere, ghostly equipped. Everytime I vist rakuten or AA shopping, they kept asking me for permissions, and I usually say no. lol
Chrome is an entirely different beast, the thing is a walking spy machine, doubt I will ever touch it.
^ ^ ^ T h i s ...
I take privacy very seriously. Big Brother is out of control. It's scary how people are buying into giving up their privacy.
No, I just don't use typical web browsers and let cookies sit on my machine. They're cleaned out except by whitelist exception when I close my browser. I don't use Google ... even their beloved search engine. There are alternative search engines that work just as well. And there are many ways to unGoogle yourself. Google and Facebook are two of the worst offenders but there are others. I have a website or two that needs Chrome and that is the ONLY reason it's even on my machine and opened only briefly for that purpose.
They say you're not paranoid ... if they're really out to get ya' ... lol
Lol! Privacy........Ancestry, Clear and TSA Pre are just a few examples that privacy is dead. So I really wouldn’t worry about searching the web w/ Google.
Its not dead if and when more people cared, lol. The war is not yet over. Its not too late to rethink!
@redpat wrote:Lol! Privacy........Ancestry, Clear and TSA Pre are just a few examples that privacy is dead. So I really wouldn’t worry about searching the web w/ Google.
I don't use any of those either.
a@MrDisco99 wrote:
@redpat wrote:Lol! Privacy........Ancestry, Clear and TSA Pre are just a few examples that privacy is dead. So I really wouldn’t worry about searching the web w/ Google.
I don't use any of those either.
Too bad, Global Entry, CLEAR and TSA combo equals no waiting in lines, don’t have to take off shoes and take out laptop. What ever privacy I lost is well worth it, I can’t take the cattle lines anymore. Lol, cattle.......The same reason I will never fly SW.......
@longtimelurker wrote:
@redpat wrote:
a@MrDisco99 wrote:
@redpat wrote:Lol! Privacy........Ancestry, Clear and TSA Pre are just a few examples that privacy is dead. So I really wouldn’t worry about searching the web w/ Google.
I don't use any of those either.
Too bad, Global Entry, CLEAR and TSA combo equals no waiting in lines, don’t have to take off shoes and take out laptop. What ever privacy I lost is well worth it, I can’t take the cattle lines anymore. Lol, cattle.......The same reason I will never fly SW.......
While I agree that the fight for privacy has probably been lost, I don't equate GE/TSA etc with google searching. The info I give to the government for TSA Pre and GE is stuff they (could) have access to from any number of sources. Whereas only Google knows about my searching for and purchases of 60 inflatable life-size Justin Beiber dolls. Although, post Snowdon revelations, the gov probably also knows...
You don't need google to attack your privacy, Netflix, Amazon Prime streaming, Pandora, FB, Linkedin, UBER, Lyft, Airline dining programs, Amazon or any Online shopping portal. I other words, if you have any type of Conectivity some privacy is lost.
LT, Justin Beiber........Now Myficoers know and I'm trying to get the images erased from my brain......