Another Sunday post by Mr. Deals…
“Mr. Deals, why are you using that credit card?! Mr. Deals, make sure you use that credit card at dinner! Mr. Deals that card gives you 2x points, come on!” I’ve had it people. I have too many credit cards thanks to Mrs. Deals.
This is what I’ve got in my wallet. Chase Sapphire Preferred, Starwood Amex, Amex Business Gold, AA Visa, Hilton Amex and Hilton Visa. I try to keep 2 of these cards for work only, typically the Starwood Amex and the AA Visa (for flights). The Amex Business Gold will get the big purchases, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred is for everyday stuff. The Hilton cards are floaters since I’ve had them forever and occasionally get some use, but not really. It may not sound like a system, but it works for me.
So yesterday, Mrs. Deals decides she’s got a problem with my card usage. Out of nowhere, “Mr. Deals, what card are you using on your client dinners?!” My response, “honey, typically I use my Starwood card when I’m out with clients so that I can keep track of my work expenses in one place.” Mrs. Deals nearly had a heart attack. “Don’t you know you get 2x points on dining with your Chase Sapphire Preferred?!”
Truth be told, I probably knew this, but I can’t keep track of all these things. That’s her job. I’m just along for the ride here to do what she tells me. Isn’t that how marriages work? Mrs. Deals, I think I have a solution that we can implement so I don’t have to text or call you before every single purchase I make. How about we get a label maker and throw some labels on these credit cards to tell me when I should use them? Yeah, it will ruin that cool look of the Chase Sapphire card, but I guess it’s the price I’ll have to pay to get those extra points, and to stop getting yelled at!
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
LOL!
Which card provides the best benefits on purchasing flowers for Mrs. Deals to apologize every time you mess up and use the wrong card?
Mr. Deals, small price to pay for miles & points maximization. Lol. Agree with Phraktur, find the card with the most points maximization and get her some flowers. Haha.
Rule #96: No excuses, play like a champ.
Every quarter, I make a chit of which card to use for what purchases. I keep it in my wallet in a displayable portion. So, I know which card to use where.
Hilarious! This sounds just like me and my husband of 41 years, and it gets even more confusing when one of us has a new card that requires a minimum spend for the bonus. He does love the free travel, though, so he puts up with it!
My husband feels the same way! We had a screaming argument over the phone b/c he was getting new tires for the car and didn’t tell me beforehand. He wanted to use his new United visa (he already met spend requirements on that) but I wanted him to use the Hilton visa b/c I need to get to $1500
Rather than labeling the cards. Get a piece of cardstock and cut it to the size of a credit card. Then put the info on it and laminate it and shove it in your wallet in front of the credit cards. Thus you pull that out first and then pick the card needed based on the notes.
This works for me at least.
I actually did make labels on our printer for mrs. Boilers! I stuck them on the back.
Use your Sapphire card for business dinners, to keep your accounting straight, and have Mrs. Deals get a Sapphire card in your name from her account, which you can then use for family expenses.
No label maker needed. Why doesn’t she use bold (or regular) ink at OD to mint $500 GCs or reload cards at 5x?
The only thing that seems to work for my husband is serial monogamy–be true to one card until I take it away and give you a new one! This is sometimes supplemented with a backup visa when the primary is Amex. He is onboard with the credit card application game and I do ask if he minds before I apply for more in his name, but he never remembers spending categories, and I long ago gave up scolding him about it. When I question him about how much he is spending now, he likes to use “But I thought you wanted me to meet a spending requirement” as an excuse–usually long after it was met!
I enjoy your posts, especially the humorous ones!
Awwww. Agreed with LR – Rule #96: No excuses, play like a champ.
Seriously though, I get that from my family too. They are not interested in getting any more credit cards because they can’t manage all the ones they have already (and it isn’t a lot, fewer than 5!)
I write my categories on the top of a post-it (just the front of the sticky bit) and cut that off, slap on the back of my cards. A grocery clerk told me others do it, too.
I’m kinda with HikerT on this one. 😉
This was hilarious! My husband can’t keep up with the categories either but he loves the benefits, so he just does what he is told. LOL! He is now on his third leisure trip of the year — all paid for with miles and points. We are going to Vegas in a month, suite and flights all paid for with miles and points. Sometimes I put sticky notes on his credit cards or just stitch them around depending on how I need him to spend. It is WAY too complicated for him to keep up with at this point.
Just buy a couple of sheets of those little circular sale price stickers and write the info there and paste on the front of the card. I also mark for which dining program a card is registered. If the info gets outdated just peel it off and refresh.
Agree with HikerT and mommypoints. Time to load up on that Amex Prepaid card by Inking points at Office Depot.
I put info on the cards with a sharpie,G&G (gas and groceries)Dining,Office supplies, etc I also mark for which dining program a card is registered) I also just started minting at OD!
Sounds like Mr Deals needs a pre-paid Amex from Office Depot. That should solve the problem. 🙂
@Hey all, Mrs. Deals here – so unfortunately you cannot get those pre-paid Amex cards from Office Depot in NYC. They do not sell them due to fraud.
Holy Comments!
Alrighty now, I like some of these suggestions here. I’m leaning on having Mrs. Deals control which card I use on a daily basis, though when I asked her last night after waking her up from falling asleep on the couch, she had no ability to make a decision for me.
I also like the idea of keeping a card that acts as a ‘cheat sheet’ here. Probably the best way to help me learn.
Now here’s the real question. Which card should I use to buy my next surfboard? Any 2x, 3x points for that kind of gear?
@Mr. Deals – If you think another surfboard is entering this apartment, you are out of your mind! Love, your truly.
Awww this is all too familar a complaint my husband makes. He doesn’t complain when we take our free vacations though 🙂
My suggestion is, if your significant other is not that into the world of points and miles, give him/her the new cards that has not meet spending requirements. If there is no such a need, just give them the most rewarding card in all aspect.
@dealswelike wait ok so dealswelike=Mrs. Deals+Mr. Deals., Mr. Deals=Mr. Deals. is there a Mrs Deals?…..sorry just trying to put together a cheat sheet card for my wallet.
@Globetrotter – The main poster is me, Mrs. Deals. My husband, Mr. Deals, is the Sunday feature. That work?!
@dealswelike ok I got you
[…] First off, many people were experiencing the same issues I wrote about a few weeks back, see: Mr. Deals is sick of getting yelled at! To all of you who are reading right now, I feel your pain. It’s too tough to figure out […]
[…] First off, many people were experiencing the same issues I wrote about a few weeks back, see: Mr. Deals is sick of getting yelled at! To all of you who are reading right now, I feel your pain. It’s too tough to figure out which […]
[…] I were Mr. Deals, I think Mrs. DealsWeLike would have killed me by now. And Megan is even worse than I […]