I agree that less is better. With that said, many (not all) on this forum are rebuilders, myself included. I think (and I'm speaking for myself) that some of the Apps were to get back "in" with a certain creditor, or to have some validation that the credit issues of past are truly being left in the past. You add the feeling of finally getting cards from which you were shut out, with the sign up bonuses for cards, and many have cards that overlap with regards to rewards.
At least for me, there will be a lot of downsizing and/or combining where possbile. Live and learn
@Anonymous wrote:
Im tired of all these cards to be honest. The thrill is gone.My goal is closing everything that doesnt serve a purpose and isnt used regularly this year, use the latest card for a major purchase which I plan on taking my sweet time paying off while its in a 0% intro and the rest use as needed but PIF each month. That will leave me with a balance on one card and six total...but I might also cut SM #2 after moving the limit over for simplicity reasons. Having two is nice but I could certainly live without it. As of now here's how my spending goes.
SM #1 - 5% groceries, gas & Nook books
SM #2 - 5% Target & Wal-Mart (could use Discover for Wal-Mart online 5% instead)
Ink Cash - 5% cell, cable & internet bills + 2% dining
Discover - mainly Discover Deals + rent & misc spend that doesnt fall under covered categories
Others I dont use and would like to close except BCE. Backdate, credit line and EX FICO are helpful.
Bet you will still open cards for Free hotel nights / flights then close them 
.. I agree KISS (keep it simple stupid) on only using 2-4 cards normally, but the bonuses are to good to turn down lol. What happened to that Hyatt you had ...
Hyatt served its purpose and was closed CC Im going to enjoy my two nights in Montego Bay for New Years but honestly making this a regular thing isnt for me. Experience with Aviator and Hyatt cards were enough. Id rather use a discount site like Orbitz, Hotwire or Priceline (no I dont want those cards either) and get a cheaper price from the start as I have in the past than meet anymore spend requirements. Trying to maximize every point and penny with cards isnt a priority.
Im going to enjoy my two nights in Montego Bay for New Years but honestly making this a regular thing isnt for me. Experience with Aviator and Hyatt cards were enough. Id rather use a discount site like Orbitz, Hotwire or Priceline (no I dont want those cards either) and get a cheaper price from the start as I have in the past than meet anymore spend requirements. Trying to maximize every point and penny with cards isnt a priority.
@Anonymous wrote:
Hyatt served its purpose and was closed CC
And sometimes the deals you get through those sites are better than even "maximized" points!
@Anonymous wrote:
Hyatt served its purpose and was closed CC
Oh I agree I don't maximize everything as it is a pain in the arse and I can make alot more money doing other productive things. Certain things are obvious eating out goes on CSP (granted on Plat now to meet spend in a month+), Amazon on SM, you get the gist. As Stated I believe in KISS. I will continue to get sign-up bonuses such as Amex Plat 100k as I have now (2-3k on airlines is a no-brainer) along with the 140k ritz when it comes back around(another no brainer for me), etc.. Overall I agree a few cards for most spend though
@kdm31091 wrote:Right, but I'm talking about day to day spending, excluding the initial boost of the bonuses. Should have made that more clear
I don't think there are many people who are spreading spend across a lot of different cards. Assuming I'm not meeting initial spend then I spend the following way all cable/phone/office supplies go on ink bold (these are not everyday expenses but like once a month), all grocery spend goes on amex everyday and pretty much any small amounts to count towards my 20 transactions, all non-cat spend that is not small goes on my amex spg (again not an everyday thing and would apply to purchases of more than $50). The only other category is restaurant/travel and I will probably use the citi premier for those, but I haven't decided yet. If the freedom has a 5x category it subs in for whatever card covers that category. For more obscure bonus spend categories or amex offers etc I don't bother losing sleep over that. Everything else goes in sock drawer. On a daily basis I am usually just using the everyday card. I will switch things up if I need additional points in a specific program or something, but its really simple for me to keep track of which card goes for what. I could put all my spend into just one program, but then I may run into a problem later on when I go to redeem and I do not have as much flexibility and may not be able to find a flight I want or if I do it could cost a ridiculous amount of points. I also enjoy spending this way so there is that too. If I only wanted cash back I'd probably use just one card or maybe two total.
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