Depends on how much value you put on rewards. I use Plastiq for mortgage/HELOC etc, something that would have been unbonused spend.
Right, like I said - other than sign up bonuses?
What is other than sign up bonuses? I am saying get sign up bonuses. Don’t bother optimizing for pennies at all.
I was giving AA for mortgage as an example for how easy it is to get AA status.
i was doing it too for many years, then I realized my time was more valuable than that.
How is getting sign up bonuses a waste of time?
That’s where I’m at. I have some appetite to churn through new-card bonuses, but the appetite isn’t unlimited.
I still get some bizarre enjoyment out of working the system, but I also enjoy watching clouds and playing Yahtzee.
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It’s the golden age right now and I have been churning for a long time. Bonuses have never been higher and a lot of strict rules have been relaxed. You can easily get millions of MR and UR without too much work.
Because I have a life. The neverending churn of chasing card perks is a time sink with less reward for an hour of time chasing those pennies on a dollar than me actually billing my time out for an hour or spending the next hour enjoying the money produced from the previous hour.
There are only so many Wendy’s drive-thrus you can visit with your new card in a day.
What is this boomer rant lmao? Like it takes more than 2 seconds to apply for a card.
Sorry, not anywhere near a boomer but I did skip the pink hair.
You don’t have to be a boomer to act/talk like a boomer.
Gotcha. Thanks for the heads up or otherwise I might not have known that. 
I think if you don’t enjoy something, this will always be the case. Short of consulting (which I can’t always guarantee hours for – unlike how I can MS just about any time I want), I have no way to match my effective hourly rate for time spent on bonuses. If you can, then more power to you and you’re probably a little closer than I am to hitting your FatFire goal.
Last year, I spent 2 hours on 6 Chase Ink applications which each earned 110,000 UR, for a total payout of $9,900 with Chase PYB. That’s a lot of pennies. Cost me about $400 to liquidate in 3 runs, each of which took about 20 minutes. My consulting rate isn’t quite $4,750 an hour, nor is it tax free.
Even after the Chase PYB nerf, churning these bonuses is insanely lucrative - especially the Inks. At least, until it dries up next Tuesday. But there are plenty of other plays to move on to.
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Agreed to that. Initial investment of time for points game was significant but the payoff… $25k business class over 3 continents on the way to a week in Australia… yeah… can’t earn that with my fixed income. It’s a side gig.
I’ve slowed down significantly after having kids but still take family few times a year on vacations with free airfare and hotels for a group of 5.
Now it’s just a side hustle as many like to brag about those. Mine just not actual cash but free travel and $125pm lease😂
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Let’s not forget about AP Cashout. I have friends that have done $20-$30k so far just this year after a few hours of work. Only good for this year but combining both MR and UR is absolutely insane.
Since the 40k referral just started I have been double dipping as well, getting both 90k and 40k.
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Yep, it can be lucrative but it also has become much
more of a hassle over the last 5-10 years to churn and burn cards for continued payoffs. The 5/24 limit, PYB changes, AMEX bonus limits, United MP/PQP/Chase changes (or any FF really), etc. make the slog even more of a slog. Even less lucrative when your churn is making your credit report 8 pages long with cards but you are trying to score additional funds to finance far more lucrative commercial properties as well that have returns that dwarf $30k in rewards over 2-3 years.
It was easy to slow way down when it was clear that the ups and downs of cards and “businesses” being opened and eventually closed was just a PITA. Like @Lvs23, I agree it’s fine as a side hustle to get some perks but that’s about it. There are far bigger financial rewards beyond card churning, and since outlets like TPG, NW and others got the small spends on board it all changed.
Your credit report shouldn’t be that long if that’s how little volume you were doing. Business cards, which have been the most lucrative opportunities the last couple of years, also don’t show up on your personal credit report. If you’re making 6-7 figures in investment income each year, you should also have plenty of organic spend to multiply your earnings even further.
If you’re familiar with how things have changed over the last 5-10 years, I’m surprised you finally decided to pull the plug at a time where earning potential is the highest and most efficient it’s ever been.
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Not sure what you mean about the long credit report because for personal cards that is exactly how it was when it was full steam. As far as what shows on a CR for personal vs. business that also depends and varies widely - depending how your businesses are set up and structured - partnership, sole proprietorship, LLC, PC, etc. and even some corps and S corps.
Not going to argue with you and if you want to spend your time chasing points and dodging bonus limits while opening and closing cards have at it. Between personal and business cards it indeed is a hassle for the return when you are full tilt, but I guess how someone values one’s time and what is considered “lucrative” also varies widely as well.
I just find it interesting that you don’t think it’s worth your time, indicating you have an excess of other income streams earning thousands per hour. However based on your understanding as you’ve expressed it here, it seems like you dipped your toes but wrote it off due to lack of knowledge in how to efficiently scale. But in the name of you having a life.
I see similar excuses all the time, but few claim to be Mark Cuban degrees of wealthy!
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No, not at all. I know how to do it, don’t claim to be Mark Cuban hyper-wealthy and have moved on from the card go round. Has nothing to do with lack of knowledge, but more lack of interest.
I am glad it works for you.
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