Swipe Smarter: The Credit Card Points Playbook

So how can we match our credit card to your spending? So the strategy as a whole, and where we want to start, is look at where your money actually goes the most.

So groceries, gas, dining, travel, everything else.

And we're gonna want to evaluate where the majority of our money goes, and then we're going to ultimately end up wanting to choose a credit card that rewards those specific categories in the best way.

Because every credit card or premium credit card offers different perks, and point system, and everything like that, and that's amazing.

There's so many different options.

But with that being said, there comes more responsibility to really figure out which one specifically fits your life the best.

And I don't think there is a card out there that really does it all.

I know some people are super into it, and they basically have every premium card opened, and they know the system, they have a whole tracking system, for lack of a better word, and they utilize everything.

But I think for the common person, that might be overwhelming and just might be too much.

So there's also the case to pick a, just one intentional card, and make sure that you're maximizing all the perks of that one card.

And a few ways that this could look like would be a flat travel card that earns the same multiplier on every single purchase.

It's simple.

It's a good default for the everything else spending.

You're not trying to constantly track, okay, this month I'm getting extra points on dining or groceries, X, Y, Z. It's just one way to be like, "Okay, I'm gonna get the same amount of points on every dollar I spend," and that's completely fine.

Or you could get a grocery-focused credit card that earns a higher multiplier at US supermarkets.

Specifically, this is good for someone who's going to have a high grocery bill.

Like, maybe you have a family with a lot of growing children, and they be eating.

[laughs] Maybe getting a card that offers 5% back or five times the points on all groceries could be the right pick for you.

Again, you need to find a card that works for your life, and usually it could be one to two top spend categories with a card, and you don't need the full six-card system that a lot of people talk about, 'cause it can be overwhelming, it can be draining.

And as someone herself who loves credit card points and maximizing everything as possible, I personally do not have the six-card system or the 10-card system, whatever it is.

I find that to be too much.

I look at where I spend the most money, what I value when it comes to perks, and I try to find cards that- Match that as best as possible.

And the big kicker here is knowing your numbers, and we talked about that in the episode last week, so if you haven't already listened, definitely go back and listen to that.

And another big thing that I just want to lay off the bat is once you start adding cards to your lineup, do not cancel the old ones just because you're not using them as much.

Closing an account can shorten your average account age, which factors into your credit score, and a no-fee card sitting unused in a drawer is not hurting you, but canceling it could.

So how can we match our credit card to your spending? So the strategy as a whole, and where we want to start, is look at where your money actually goes the most.

So groceries, gas, dining, travel, everything else.

And we're gonna want to evaluate where the majority of our money goes, and then we're going to ultimately end up wanting to choose a credit card that rewards those specific categories in the best way.

Because every credit card or premium credit card offers different perks, and point system, and everything like that, and that's amazing.

There's so many different options.

But with that being said, there comes more responsibility to really figure out which one specifically fits your life the best.

And I don't think there is a card out there that really does it all.

I know some people are super into it, and they basically have every premium card opened, and they know the system, they have a whole tracking system, for lack of a better word, and they utilize everything.

But I think for the common person, that might be overwhelming and just might be too much.

So there's also the case to pick a, just one intentional card, and make sure that you're maximizing all the perks of that one card.

And a few ways that this could look like would be a flat travel card that earns the same multiplier on every single purchase.

It's simple.

It's a good default for the everything else spending.

You're not trying to constantly track, okay, this month I'm getting extra points on dining or groceries, X, Y, Z. It's just one way to be like, "Okay, I'm gonna get the same amount of points on every dollar I spend," and that's completely fine.

Or you could get a grocery-focused credit card that earns a higher multiplier at US supermarkets.

Specifically, this is good for someone who's going to have a high grocery bill.

Like, maybe you have a family with a lot of growing children, and they be eating.

[laughs] Maybe getting a card that offers 5% back or five times the points on all groceries could be the right pick for you.

Again, you need to find a card that works for your life, and usually it could be one to two top spend categories with a card, and you don't need the full six-card system that a lot of people talk about, 'cause it can be overwhelming, it can be draining.

And as someone herself who loves credit card points and maximizing everything as possible, I personally do not have the six-card system or the 10-card system, whatever it is.

I find that to be too much.

I look at where I spend the most money, what I value when it comes to perks, and I try to find cards that- Match that as best as possible.

And the big kicker here is knowing your numbers, and we talked about that in the episode last week, so if you haven't already listened, definitely go back and listen to that.

And another big thing that I just want to lay off the bat is once you start adding cards to your lineup, do not cancel the old ones just because you're not using them as much.

Closing an account can shorten your average account age, which factors into your credit score, and a no-fee card sitting unused in a drawer is not hurting you, but canceling it could.