The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Share Your Badassity => Topic started by: TexasRunner on March 08, 2019, 03:13:10 PM
-
Wanted to post up our experiences so far with using family funds to churn (half) a free cruise for the wife and I in the future.
This could be used with ANY spend-at-signup card offer (like 5k spent in first 3 months) but we are specifically using the Barclay US Card for Carnival (https://cards.barclaycardus.com/banking/cards/carnival-world-mastercard/) which is 10k points at first purchase and 2x points on all cruise purchases.
Basically our extended family on the wife's side has been wanting to take a family cruise together. In order to make sure we all wind up on the right boat at the right time, with rooms relatively close together- the wife and I offered to organize everything. Everybody is happy with the room selections and that everything from the family aspect of all going together is taken care of.
In total, there was $1250 in deposits (which we paid onto the rewards card) and were quickly reimbursed for. We didn't carry a balance on the card (otherwise it would be a loss). By the pay-in-full date there will have been $14,250 in spending towards the cruise. Pretty much everybody is fine with funneling that through us which is going to churn 28500 point (plus 10k points initially) for a total of 38500 points- which have a cash value towards a future wife-and-I-only cruise of $385 or about half of the total ticket for a 5-day out of Galveston.
Basically, one of us is getting a free cruise in exchange for handling the cruise planning for the whole family (which isn't bad as we all get along).
This could also be VERY useful in a spend-for-rewards card like 5k spending in the first 3 months. If we were to use $5,000 or so of the 'future spending' that will be paid to us before the pay in full date, we could easily max out the spend requirement for another rewards spending card with a 5k spend for 65k points (or whatever is available at the time), all without changing our current level of spending or carrying a balance... We very well might do this in a month or two once everyone pays the balance in full and we are eligible for another rewards card.
Just thought I would post this up as an example of the way to inflate spending for CC churning without having to falsely churn spending or spend extra money. The family is happy and so are we.
(FYI- Separate note on CC churning: Thanks to this forum the Wife and I will be spending our 10 Year anniversary in Paris with a FREE flight to charles de gaulle airport from DFW and a FREE return flight from London-Heathrow. Already bought on points saving 1160 in airfare. Will be using points for hotels and CityPasses as well when the trip gets closer. Likely our only spending will be a bullet train ticket from Paris to London (and maybe Normandy) and food. $1300 for an all out vacation to Paris and London, all thanks to this forum! So thanks guys!)
-
Have you looked into the Barclays Arrival+ card at all? If you put this $14,250 in spending on that card, you'd get $700 from the sign up bonus, and $285 from the spending, for a total of $985 back.
-
Have you looked into the Barclays Arrival+ card at all? If you put this $14,250 in spending on that card, you'd get $700 from the sign up bonus, and $285 from the spending, for a total of $985 back.
x2 only thing I'd add is both husband and wife get the Arrival+ and split the vacation between both cards to cash out $1600... oh and while your at it double down with the Barclay AAdvantage card same day because they will combine credit pulls...… You do this and you will get your feet wet and welcome to the wonderful world of churning......
-
Have you looked into the Barclays Arrival+ card at all? If you put this $14,250 in spending on that card, you'd get $700 from the sign up bonus, and $285 from the spending, for a total of $985 back.
x2 only thing I'd add is both husband and wife get the Arrival+ and split the vacation between both cards to cash out $1600... oh and while your at it double down with the Barclay AAdvantage card same day because they will combine credit pulls...… You do this and you will get your feet wet and welcome to the wonderful world of churning......
@Duke03 and @kpd905 Thanks for the tips!! That exactly why I posted.
I'll do the math on using those cards and splitting out the spending to hit the requirements.
Do you guys have experience with having multiple of the same cards through your spouse holding one and yourself holding one? I'm not sure her credit would be good enough, but is it generally allowed to do that? Then rollover points to a common holder (like Chase rewards)?
Thanks!
Edit: Just caught that this is exactly what you are talking about above- But how would they combine the credit pulls?... Or do you mean open (4) cards, one Arrival+ and one AAdvantage for each person?
-
IF you apply for two Barclay credit cards on the same day they will only use one hard pull. It will save your credit score a hit. Not a huge deal, but helps in the grand scheme of things.
-
You can definitely both get the card, use household income on the apps if that helps get the spouse approved. You won't be able to pool the points, but you won't need to anyway. With this card, you make a travel purchase with the card, and then use the points to erase that charge. So as long as you can each pay separately toward the cruise, you'll have $800 worth of points each to put toward the charges.
-
You can definitely both get the card, use household income on the apps if that helps get the spouse approved. You won't be able to pool the points, but you won't need to anyway. With this card, you make a travel purchase with the card, and then use the points to erase that charge. So as long as you can each pay separately toward the cruise, you'll have $800 worth of points each to put toward the charges.
Perfect, thanks! Even if we have to go over the rewards limit, it wouldn't be a problem to spend 850 and get 800 reimbursed. Also, the nice thing about cruises is you can call them up and spend exactly the amount of credit you want, then put everything else on the other card. I suppose that applies with airlines as well, but typically they want full payment up front- not "pay by XX date" like cruises do.
IF you apply for two Barclay credit cards on the same day they will only use one hard pull. It will save your credit score a hit. Not a huge deal, but helps in the grand scheme of things.
Makes sense, I'll be sure to do it all online on the same day.
Thanks for the advice yall!