I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[MKTokyo]

maybe the formula needs to factor net worth then, not just annual income. Seems like abuse of the system to me. They can sell their fancy house, budget, and feed their own kids.

They can... but they won't. Then who suffers? ... The kids, when certain administrators decide that a good way to deal with unpaid lunch bills would be to take a child's hot lunch & throw it into the garbage in front of them & the other students.

Is it fair... no... but the issue of childhood hunger & nutrition is so important that I really can't get upset about people "scamming the system" as long as every kid gets fed. It will come back to bite those selfish people one way or another in the future. It always does.

Three snacks per day in addition to meals is just , though.

 

[Alexle2007]

@wendow and @amalone1013 y’all paint a lovely picture but I cannot imagine living somewhere that has a breed ban-love me, love my dogs! Plus...no beach! Aren’t we fortunate that this country has so many options?

@Alexle2007 - your week sounds both wonderful and exhausting! I’m sure the teachers will appreciate your efforts.
At DD’s middle school the teachers would complain about their Christmas/end of the year gifts if they weren’t nice/expensive enough. THAT was a school I was happy to leave, so I understand your readiness to move on.

Wow, that’s just horrible. DS’s teachers are just so happy to receive anything since so many parents give nothing. I remember my first teacher conference dinner and the teachers were surprised by real food and not just chips.

 

[gottalovepluto]

maybe the formula needs to factor net worth then, not just annual income. Seems like abuse of the system to me. They can sell their fancy house, budget, and feed their own kids.

While that would be ideal it’s not very practical. Assets are easily shifted around, more so when you can afford the lawyer & accountant fees to tell you how to do it best. The family above sounds like they have an excellent tax accountant and/or a lot of assets earned prior to the years the school district asked for annual income info. But, at the end of the day, I cannot imagine how screwed their kids’ moral compasses will be after this.

 

[Etonduf]

Well, I hear Littleton CO is a nice place...

My hometown!

I agree with the general sentiment about the weather, especially now that I don't live there. Regarding schools, my mom spent her career teaching in Jeffco, and I'm a Jeffco grad teaching in an even worse (!) state in terms of education funding. I also agree that the schools and teachers there seem to do well with what they have, and I'd be comfortable with my kids attending most CO school districts. Now that Jeffco's school board has normalized a bit, hopefully things are better in my old schools than they had been a few years ago.

 

[Judique]

maybe the formula needs to factor net worth then, not just annual income. Seems like abuse of the system to me. They can sell their fancy house, budget, and feed their own kids.

I'm sure a lot pf people feel that way.

 

[wendow]

How could that be? There is no

Definitely missing a beach!

 

[Judique]

Thanks! It was an awful week as DS was accused of punching a boy at school and the asst principal gave him half of a day in the resource center the next day. Of course, I spent my evening lecturing DS and kept saying he had hit the boy when he was swiping to try to get the basketball back that the boy had taken from. Then he had a huge panic attack when I tried to drop him off. Turns out he had a huge math assessment that day and was only 20 minutes to complete it. He goes into school on Fri and is talking to his friends at lunch only to find out that he was one friend had only seen the boy crying but had reaccounted the story that the boy had told. And the boy who was actually the only one who had actually witnessed the entire event wasn’t even interviewed. And told DS that the boy he had “hit” and actually moved his head so he would be hit. So I emailed the asst principal on Fri afternoon when I found out this information clearly upset the eye witness wasn’t even called in. The asst principal called that afternoon and apologized for not seeing everything through and said she would talk to the eye witness on Mon and would be remove the referral depending on the results. But in the meantime, DS’s math assessment grade posted and it was absolutely horrible. So that will be the next topic I take up. So I am kind of bitter at that moment.

Ahh, we all have had our challenges with schools!

My son was a 6 foot bean pole in middle school and able to be a light weight wrestler in high school, and then on to weighing about 260 pounds and then took himself back to about 200 pounds at 6ft 3 inches.

But, a kid who was actually his friend called him a name in the gym locker room (middle school) and he decked him with one punch. He did it. The punishment was a week of time in the 'resource center' classroom. And they are still friends.

In my interview, I told them that no, he wouldn't spend a week there. Give him a suspension. He won't be in school for the next week. (I was not worried about grades - A student). So I took him home and sent him back a week later. Needless to say he made it through the rest of school without any punching going on.

The school did not agree with me, but their pressure is to have their numbers work - absenteeism counts against the principal. I'm not sure if they ever counted him absent - their numbers were always wrong anyway.

Schools do not do the investigations they should to ensure fairness. To be fair to them, they don't have a lot of time. Schools are a pressure cooker situation where you are darned if you do and darned if you don't. Often discipline issues get passed on to other staff whether it's their job or not. I could go on and on but I love credit cards and I'm just trying to decide if I need to do another business one...

 

[wendow]

@wendow and @amalone1013 y’all paint a lovely picture but I cannot imagine living somewhere that has a breed ban-love me, love my dogs! Plus...no beach! Aren’t we fortunate that this country has so many options?

Definitely glad we have so many options! I’m wanting to move on after living here 20 years but its been an awesome place to live.

Not up on all the breed banning stuff. I had a friend who had half her face torn off by a dog attacking when we were in 5th grade. I didn’t see the attack but saw her shortly after and it scarred me for life. I like dogs but I’m very afraid of big barking and growling ones.

 

[snugglebug]

Guys I don't know what to say or do anymore. You already know my one girlfriend was out for Vegas because she hurt her knee very badly. Then my husband went into a downward health spiral.

But now, I have just learned that my other girlfriend who was meeting us... died last night. At age 42 this is obviously sudden and a shock.

I feel numb. And I don't know who to talk to about this so I posted here.

I'm so sorry. I'm sure it will be hard, but I hope you can still enjoy your trip.

 

[pillow]

We are CC nerds and that is the reason the 2% back on everything cards don't really get us excited lol. I think for your average consumer, those types of cards are actually the best there is. I have several family members who will NOT use more than one card. They really could care less that there is a free card that gets 3% back on grocery, a free card that gets 4% back on gas, a free card that has rotating categories, etc. They are carrying one card and one card only so the 2% back cards are what they use. I can't argue that. I would do the same if I wasn't a CC nerd who knows better.

When I started this game so many years ago, I didn't always keep a MSR. I paid the AF on the BCP and really did use that card for groceries. I paid the AF on the CSR and really did use it for dining and any travel we paid for. Now, I have learned from @SouthFayetteFan to always have a MSR. I haven't been without one in probably close to two years. Now I no longer have the BCP as I found I wasn't really using it and pretty sure we are PC'ing the CSR since we never really use it and Disney isn't an UR redemption.

Anyways, I am totally rambling...

It really does depend on circumstances. I know folks that are so crazy busy, they just can't handle adding another complexity to their life and want SIMPLE! And then there is my DS21 who is trying to get into medical school. I will recommend a 2% card for him because his focus will and should be on school. He will need simple too. So I do get it. Gotta say I will miss his spend going on MY CARDS - lol!

I do still use 5% - 6% cash back cards to pay for groceries. MS'ing is fairly easy for me here - so I can make up any additional spend needed for an MSR that way. And I do still put travel/restaurants on my CSR. I try to keep opportunity cost low.

 

[GlamMistress]

I'm so sorry. I'm sure it will be hard, but I hope you can still enjoy your trip.

I've decided not to go. I've made peace with that decision and I think it is best.

It really does depend on circumstances.
I do still use 5% - 6% cash back cards to pay for groceries. MS'ing is fairly easy for me here - so I can make up any additional spend needed for an MSR that way. And I do still put travel/restaurants on my CSR. I try to keep opportunity cost low.

Randomly one of the Boarding Area blogs has an ad for card we never talk about here - Amalgamated Bank 5% cash back, rotating categories. No AF.
I'm not getting this but it did strike me as interesting. I could see how lots of folks would benefit from this one, just like a Freedom or Discover.

https://www.platinumrewardsnow.com/Rewards-Calendar.aspx

 

[pillow]

Honestly, that describes CO to a 'T'. Am I right, @amalone1013 and @platamama ?? Almost always sunny, snows and then is gone pretty fast, and most amazing sunrises (and sunsets) you've ever seen?? It's really an amazing climate that you have to live here to really understand. It's crazy good. Winters are mild and summers are glorious.

SOLD! Dh and I keep having discussions about where we want to live after he retires and the kids finish college. Not sure I'll want to be far from them though. I hate hate hate the summer humidity here and think I would enjoy moving west!

 

[chattadisser]

Has anyone ever taken a gift card not loaded from a store and then tried to purchase it at another store? Yes, a weird question...

I went to Staples this morning as they have a few of their gift cards (namely for me Petco and Panera) 20% off and then I have an AmEx Staples offer. I wanted $200 of the Petco but they only had 4 $25 ones. So of course I grabbed those and then after I purchased a friend I was talking to asked if it was possible to go get, for example, a Petco gift card at other store with no money loaded on it and then take it to Staples and pay for it? I had never thought about it before, I mean there isn't any money attached to the blank gift card but then I wondered if the registers at the stores "know" their gift card barcodes?

Has anyone ever tried this or read anything about doing this? Not something that I would think anyone would do routinely but I would like to get more of this gift cards while they are still on sale.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Honestly, that describes CO to a 'T'. Am I right, @amalone1013 and @platamama ?? Almost always sunny, snows and then is gone pretty fast, and most amazing sunrises (and sunsets) you've ever seen?? It's really an amazing climate that you have to live here to really understand. It's crazy good. Winters are mild and summers are glorious.

What are your thoughts on UCO Boulder? It is a serious contender for dd at the moment. Her college advisor thinks it would be a perfect fit. I've only been to Colorado once (to Vail skiing) and that was a long time ago. Is the campus and surrounding area safe for a fairly naive young lady? Good school? Any thoughts in general are helpful!

 

[amalone1013]

What are your thoughts on UCO Boulder? It is a serious contender for dd at the moment. Her college advisor thinks it would be a perfect fit. I've only been to Colorado once (to Vail skiing) and that was a long time ago. Is the campus and surrounding area safe for a fairly naive young lady? Good school? Any thoughts in general are helpful!

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Lol jk, I just went to Colo State up in Fort Collins so in state rival Also I am from NE, and obviously there was a big NE-CO rivalry and that doesn't go away because they feel like shuffling the conferences so I have only bad (unbased) opinions of Boulder...

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Lol jk, I just went to Colo State up in Fort Collins so in state rival Also I am from NE, and obviously there was a big NE-CO rivalry and that doesn't go away because they feel like shuffling the conferences so I have only bad (unbased) opinions of Boulder...

Haha! I understand this. I'm from Toronto and there is a huge Toronto / Montreal rivalry (dh is from Montreal). So when people ask about Montreal, I pretty much give the same response. It's a lesser city! Of course I am kidding -- it's not lesser, just not as nice!!!!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@SouthFayetteFan every time I try to price out a stay on AAvacations.com I cannot get a price paid for with miles. Just a cash price (I can always get miles prices with useAApoints.com -- with very low redemption value). Am I doing something wrong? I have looked in every possible place to see if there's a box that I need to check but can't find anything!

 

[amalone1013]

Haha! I understand this. I'm from Toronto and there is a huge Toronto / Montreal rivalry (dh is from Montreal). So when people ask about Montreal, I pretty much give the same response. It's a lesser city! Of course I am kidding -- it's not lesser, just not as nice!!!!

I was in band for one year in college, and that year we did the rivalry in Boulder instead of Denver like they normally do. CU was pushing to not travel anymore because the current contract was up and they felt that since we were a lesser team they shouldn't have to travel, we should just come to them. Not only did we beat them that year (and CSU has a terrible football team, so it was a really bad year for CU) but a CU student decided he would streak across the field during our part of the halftime show and my band director got to tackle a naked kid

 

[elgerber]

@SouthFayetteFan every time I try to price out a stay on AAvacations.com I cannot get a price paid for with miles. Just a cash price (I can always get miles prices with useAApoints.com -- with very low redemption value). Am I doing something wrong? I have looked in every possible place to see if there's a box that I need to check but can't find anything!

I just tried this today and wondered the same. You have to start the booking process and then it will give you points.
I shouldn’t have looked though because what I booked in St Louis would gave saved me like 23000 miles if I had booked as a package on the vacation site :-(

 

[StephPlum]

I finally have something exciting to post!

Remember how I uprgraded to the HHonors Aspire and THEN realized that the resort credit is limited to about 230 resorts that are specificially designated?

Well, I talked DH into a trip to Arizona this Christmas break using our "we-want-to-take-our-kids-to-all-50-states" rationalization because there were a couple of resorts that looked great to try. We booked 5 nights at the Hilton Sedona Red Rock on points, and 2 nights at the Hilton Waldorf Astoria Biltmore in Pheonix. I booked the WA with a LCM rate that includes $100 daily credit. Total was $718.20 for 2 nights. I was hoping that this would work--and it did!!! Credits posted last night.

$718.20 for two nights
-$100 credit from Aspire card ($100/500 WA by 6/30 promo offer)
-$250 resort credit (Aspire card)
_________
$368.20
-$200 in credits from the rate I booked



Plus, both resorts qualify for the $250 resort credit. My resort credit date will reset on September 19. DH has the same offer on his Ascend card to upgrade to the Aspire and earn the bonus points....it's so tempting!

Congrats on being able to stack all of those deals. I was just working on my 2 year plan for CCs and had written off the Aspire as I didn't think I could justify the $450 AF. Your trip is making me rethink. I looooove Arizona, especially Sedona. I'll have to do some more planning.