I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Haley R]

Stats are misleading things. One can make stats state anything. There are so many different parameters used. Usually those numbers are within the city limits, not the entire metro. You would most likely rarely even go into the city very much. Real people that live there, like your relatives who love it and feel very secure, are the best sources to get a feel for the livability of a place. I assure you, you would have nothing to worry about!

Okay I’ll keep that in mind. I’m not getting my hopes up for any places until Dh hears something. With him being a software engineer he can potentially work almost anywhere

 

[Haley R]

How does Huntsville compare to Orlando and other cities you are willing to move to?

In addition to what @BamaBoy said, you need to compare the types of crime an area has to other similar size cities. Some very nice, medium size TX cities have a higher crime index but it’s petty theft type stuff. You know, you leave your garage door up and someone steals your tools kind of thing. Even if there is a lot of that going on, I’d rather live there than where people are being murdered. And yes, the burbs will almost be safer. Denver has a high crime index but we are in the burbs and ours is below the national avg.

Well I found this fun article from last year about murders in Huntsville:
https://www.google.com/amp/www.waaytv.com/templates/AMP?contentID=494188101

 

[liloca]

No sure about those type jobs, but Birmingham is one of (if not the) best medical cities in the country/world. Check Birmingham and Huntsville. Birmingham is heavily medical and Huntsville is tech heavy.

Just did a quick search and Birmingham does have some scientist jobs! They are all small companies or Universities but they do exist!

 

[havaneselover]

I'm a labor market data geek (because that's how I make a living) and Birmingham definitely has a disproportionately high number of health care and legal jobs and a low number of computer and mathematical and life, physical, and social science jobs. Huntsville has a ton of architectural and engineering; computer and mathematics; and life, physical and life science jobs (modeling and simulation is a big deal in Huntsville).

 

[PanIsMine]

How do you feel about business cards? Any side hustle you can claim to get one? eBay, etsy, tutoring, etc.

I hadn't considered it. I do babysit occasionally, not sure if that counts.

 

[mmmears]

DP on patience paying off. We have an upcoming Marriott stay (not on points, gasp, but plan to use the $300 credit from the LUX for part of it) and DH didn't have the Marriott $40 off deal on his AMEX cards. Not even one of them. We waited and eventually it turned up on the Platinum card but none of the others. Last night he FINALLY found it on his LUX, so we can get the extra points for using the card plus the $40 off. Thanks for the heads up on this deal!

 

[Lain]

DP on patience paying off. We have an upcoming Marriott stay (not on points, gasp, but plan to use the $300 credit from the LUX for part of it) and DH didn't have the Marriott $40 off deal on his AMEX cards. Not even one of them. We waited and eventually it turned up on the Platinum card but none of the others. Last night he FINALLY found it on his LUX, so we can get the extra points for using the card plus the $40 off. Thanks for the heads up on this deal!

You didn’t try to add the Marriott offer to the Lux via the public link?

 

[WVMomof3]

Hi, new here. I've been lurking for a little bit and decided I would join the fun. I'm looking at getting a new card and think I have settled on the a Saphire. Trying to decide between CSR and CSP.
I currently have IHG- 4/18 and Freedom Unlimited 5/15. Each card has a 5000 credit limit. Should I reduce the limit before applying for a new card? Im currently 23. I also thought about Hilton Ascend, but saw they decreased the opening bonus.

• What amount of spend would you put on a card monthly (i.e. groceries, gas, insurance, cable, cell phone, other expenses)? Depends on the month. No less then 600-700. but could put more on for MSR.
• Do you currently payoff your CCs in full every month or do you carry any balances/pay any interest? Every month
• What airport(s) do you typically fly out of? FLL or MCO
• Do you have a preference of Frequent Flyer program? JetBlue or SW
• Does SOUTHWEST service your airport? Yes
• Do you have a Hotel Rewards program preference? Interested in Hyatt and maybe Hilton
  
• Do you currently have any travel points in any program? (if so, which programs and how much) IHG 100,000
• What at your specific goals for churning credit cards? (i.e. Disney World Trip, Cruise, European Trip, Cash Back to pay-off a mortgage or student loans, etc. - you can have multiple goals too!) Going to Europe August 2020 and Hawaii June 2021. A few small, driving-distance weekend trips between then.
• Who does your travel party consist of? (Spouse, Kids (& ages), other relatives/friends) SO- who could be a player 2.

I hadn't considered it. I do babysit occasionally, not sure if that counts.

Had to quote the first message so I could remember what you told us the first time. It looks like you are interested in UR cards and you do have a business. The Chase Ink Preferred (CIP) is a business card that is very similar to the CSP personal card. The main difference is that the CIP requires a $5000 min spend in the first 3 months as opposed to the CSP of $4000. In return you get 80,000 UR (85,000 with initial spend) instead of 50,000 UR (54,000 with spend) for the CSP. You could then refer your P2 to the CIP for 20,000 points for you and 80,000 (85,000) for them. So 2 CIP will net you 190000 URs. The CIP and CSP both have the $95 AF. I see you have a Freedom Unlimited, but don't list any URs. Have you been cashing them out? With the both the mentioned cards you can also transfer to partners (such as SW and Hyatt) as well as use the travel portal at 1.25x or cash them out at 1x if that is what you want. Are you a member of our Dischurner Reddit group?

 

[wendow]

I've looked at the Disney Dress Shop dresses before a little but have never seen one that I would be willing to pay the Disney $$$ for. But now there's a Spaceship Earth dress Everytime we enter or leave Epcot I ask DH why I can't get things made of the fabric the cast members shirts are made of (this one)
Maybe that's the tipping point for getting the Plat? See back on topic

Just saw the space shirt earth dress this morning. Major want, or is it a need?!?

 

[amalone1013]

Just saw the space shirt earth dress this morning. Major want, or is it a need?!?

Both?

 

[wendow]

I hadn't considered it. I do babysit occasionally, not sure if that counts.

It does count! This is what my dd18’s business was for her business card.

 

[wendow]

Both?

I’m other words, I should get thyself over to the dress shop because I need. Wonder how I can sell this need to my dh?

 

[WVMomof3]

It does count! This is what my dd18’s business was for her business card.

I meant to ask you earlier, what did she put for her income on that card, if you don't mind me asking.

 

[amalone1013]

I was starting to worry that there was something weird for my GE app because it's taking twice as long to get approved for an interview. Whenever this kind of thing takes longer than I expect I always worry it has something to do with an unsavory family member having my SSN Good thing I've been logging in every day to check too, because today I am conditionally approved! Though I did not get an email. The other semi-good news is when I checked yesterday the soonest DEN appt was July, and today it is early May. Hopefully I will have luck like I did with DHs app; I plan on carrying my passport with me to work Or plan that trip to Vegas. OR even more of a reason to schedule the F&G trip, MCO has lots of time slots for the second half of April

 

[kidsfirsttrip]

I was starting to worry that there was something weird for my GE app because it's taking twice as long to get approved for an interview. Whenever this kind of thing takes longer than I expect I always worry it has something to do with an unsavory family member having my SSN Good thing I've been logging in every day to check too, because today I am conditionally approved! Though I did not get an email. The other semi-good news is when I checked yesterday the soonest DEN appt was July, and today it is early May. Hopefully I will have luck like I did with DHs app; I plan on carrying my passport with me to work Or plan that trip to Vegas. OR even more of a reason to schedule the F&G trip, MCO has lots of time slots for the second half of April

Yeah!! I still can’t believe a family member would do they to you! That is really low...

 

[wendow]

I meant to ask you earlier, what did she put for her income on that card, if you don't mind me asking.

I put 3k, which is completely true and actually probably a bit under. She made 2k alone last summer. She also has a pt job so I put her total income at 5k, which is also less than she actually brings in. I would imagine she could have gotten approved with less even.

 

[1st*toright]

Getting closer to pinning down our 2020 Europe trip - still too early to book flights or hotels, but my plan is taking shape. Looking like I can do flights with URs/United miles (already on hand), hotels with a combination of MR (terrible redemption, but can use Amex Fine Hotel program and get breakfast and some perks), Marriott points and IHG points - we will need 2 rooms at each hotel, and I'm a sucker for swanky hotels, so that means lots o'points. The good part is that it lays out my card strategy for the next several months (yay!). Will need to get P2 the IHG card and will need to pick up a Bonvoy Brilliant for me (probably before the end of April when the SUB is supposed to change). Plus we will both need to get Amex personal Plats. So that should keep us going for a good few months of MSRs

We currently both have biz plats - obvs. there is no need to have both the biz and personal versions, so I'm thinking we will need to downgrade those (scared of cancelling and angering the Amex gods). I already have a biz green - any reason I won't be able to downgrade and have 2 of those?

BSC coworker I mentioned last week gave notice and left, so the atmosphere around here is much calmer. Of course, we're also now short a person so the person who works for me is going to be inundated with additional work until we find another person, but at least everyone is getting along now!

 

[pillow]

Patagonia is amazing!! You should definitely make it happen at some point. @CaliforniaGirl09 and I did a hiking trip to Patagonia with NatGeo in 2017, and it was fantastic. We hiked in Torres del Paine national park in Chile and Los Glaciares national park in Argentina (as well as other hikes around El Chalten), and also visited the Perito Moreno glacier near El Calafate. The scenery is absolutely stunning!!! I would go back in a heartbeat, and likely will with DH at some point. My family also did a Nat Geo trip to Peru and the Amazon last summer, and that was fantastic as well. Until the Patagonia trip, I had never been to South America and frankly hadn't been that interested, but that trip was a total eye opener.

Where in Peru? We want to do the Inca Trail.

 

[BamaBoy]

Well I found this fun article from last year about murders in Huntsville:
https://www.google.com/amp/www.waaytv.com/templates/AMP?contentID=494188101

Those are all in the city though. Comparing inner city Huntsville to Madison is like comparing inner city Atlanta to Buckhead crime-wise. I assure you the west and north suburbs of Huntsville are as safe as anywhere in America. You would love it!

 

[PanIsMine]

It does count! This is what my dd18’s business was for her business card.

It's been a while. I haven't babysat since I moved towns last August. Before then, I was always getting payed cash and didn't report it under taxes. I'm interested, but a little cautious.