What’s in My Wallet (January 2024)

I got this card primarily for the sign-up bonus (which I’m currently working on) and am currently get 75,000 British Airways Avios for spending $5k on the card over 3 months. I also plan on using the 10% back on British Airways flights when I fly to the UK, as well as the fee rebate when redeeming flights. There’s great award availability, and I have enough friends in the UK that I want to go see them regularly.

I use this card for it’s 5x points on the first $1,500 in spend categories every quarter. This quarter (January – March), it’s groceries, which I will have zero issue hitting whatsoever (even if it’s just buying gift cards for things I know I’ll purchase). Even though it’s technically cashback, I’ll move those over to Chase Ultimate rewards so I can use them for either 1.25 cents per airfare or transfer those points to Hyatt (which is my favorite brand).

While I would normally put spend on my World of Hyatt Business Card, I always put $15k on my personal card every calendar year. Why? While I usually get 1-2 points per dollar spent, after $15k in spend in a calendar year, I receive a Category 1-4 Free Night Certificate. Additionally, it helps me get elite nights, as you get 2 elite nights for every $5k in spend. This is also my go-to card when staying at Hyatt’s, as it also gets 4 points per dollar spent at Hyatt. With my upcoming trip, I’ll have no trouble hitting a good chunk of that spend.

I got the Citi Custom Cash card when downgrading from the Citi Premier (had a 60,000 point bonus at the time). It gives you 5x points in one category (such as grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations) on up to $500 spend each month. I currently use it only for gas stations, because, as a 1 car family, I never spend more than $150 on gas or so in a month on gas. I don’t want to close it out right since I have about 50k points left, but this is a great way to keep it active, get a great bonus on gas, and incrementally build my balance of Citi points

I got this two years ago, and I love it. This is my go-to card when spending on non-bonused spend, as it gets 2x per dollar. I review this card in-depth here. Right now, living in DC, I mainly keep it for Capital One lounge access at Dulles and for my Priority Pass.

This is a card that I’ll pull out once I’ve hit the $15,000 in spend on my Hyatt personal card. Why? Because instead of 2 elite nights for every $5k in spend, I get 5 elite nights for every $10k in spend (basically, 2.5 elite nights per $5k in spend). It has a $199 fee, but it’s offset by two $50 credits on two separate Hyatt stays, which are easy to use. I’ll also use this when I stay at Hyatt, as it also gets 4 points per dollar spent there.

This is my usual go-to card when it comes to grocery spending, as it gets 4 points per dollar spent. Once this quarters bonus on the Freedom Flex spending is up, I’ll revert to this.
For a $250 annual fee card, I also get $120 in Uber credits (which I’ll use) and $120 in Shake Shack or Cheesecake Factory credits, which I’ll use to buy giftcards for when I’m ready to splurge.

I got this card this past June for both the sign-up bonus, and, as an elite American Airlines member living in DC, I wanted it for Admirals Club access. What’s great about this card is that I can give everyone in my family Admirals Club access when flying American, but that will change at renewal, when I’m forced to choose three people. I also get a $120 Avis credit per year, which I’ll use, and a $10 per month Grubhub credit, which I’m still trying to figure out how to use and get value from.

Ah, my first true rewards card. Oh, how I love you so dearly. This was my first entry into points and miles (without knowing the term) when I had to pay for a trip to Seattle for a conference. I could pay my rent with no credit card fees, so I racked up about $250 to help offset some of the cost. What a gem. It’s pretty straightforward: you get 2% back on all purchases. I’ve had it for 9 years, so I won’t close it at this point to help my length of credit.

I got this card last February for the sign-up bonus of 90,000 bonus points. I’ll keep it because it’s free, but I don’t put much spend on it, because I get better return for my spending on other cards, and I’m flush with Chase points at the moment.

I got this card in September for the great sign-up bonus (100k Chase points). I haven’t touched it since, but I do pull it out for when I need to ship things now, as it gets 3 points per dollar spent. I’ll probably cancel it at renewal or switch it to another Ink Cash card. We will see.

The Blue Business Plus card was the first business card that I ever got, when I applied for it once I officially took ownership of my rental property unit. I’ve gotten quite a bit of spend out of it, as you get 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on the first $50,000 spend every year. Given that it’s a free card, it’s the American Express card that I’ll use for my Membership Rewards points for forever. It’s a great first card for anyone starting a business. In terms of the Blue Business Cash card, I got this card about a year and a half ago because it had a great sign-up bonus. I will probably cancel it soon, because I don’t use it, and I’d rather have the Membership rewards points.

This card was originally a Starwood American Express card and was used to pay for my honeymoon. I don’t put any spending on either of these. I keep them as they both give me a free night certificate for holding the card. At $95 a night, I get more than enough value from them, particularly when driving on the road to meet family. I also get 30 elite nights per year holding both, which count toward liftetime elite status. Given that Marriott is my backup, it’s good to keep them in my pocket.