I’m changing my credit card method one more time. This time should hopefully be the last…unless I get a better card in the future.
I’ve written about the way I use my credit cards in the past and I have mostly stuck to that. I do tend to change up the use but now I think I have a way that will make the most sense.
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Old Method
The old way I used my credit cards is to use a new card every month. I did this for two reasons
- I switch cards to keep them active
- I switch based on the revolving categories
New Method
The new way I use my credit cards is to stick to just one for all purchases. The card I have chosen is the Citi Double Cash back card. I chose it for the following reasons
- It gives 2% cash back consitently
- It generally gets my categories right in Mint
Consistent 2% cash back
This card gives 1% on every purchase every time. This means I no longer have to worry about whether a purchase qualifies under the rotating category or not. Then I also get 1% when I pay the card. Since I treat my credit card like a debit card this means it gets paid in full every month. This translates into a full 2% cash back every month on all purchases.
Mint syncing
Some of my other cards have a problem syncing with Mint. In fact one of my cards does not even report to Mint at all. This meant I had to manually split purchases on a spreadsheet to see which categories I was spending in. Then when the payment posted I had to classify it in Mint from the checking account side.
One card to rule them all
So for now I will just stick to that one card for all purchases. I tried it in the past and failed but I am determined to make it work now.
I believe this will be the best way for me to actually make the most of my card.
Figuring out the best credit card method is a process of trial and error. Of course I’ve made mistakes like when I robbed myself by using my points. Moving forward I will have all the bills paid only on that one card AND use it for shopping so that everything goes on it.
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