Finding a Credit Card that Works for You

Choosing the perfect credit card is more than just finding the lowest interest rate—it's about maximizing benefits that align with your lifestyle and financial goals. For those who love to travel, like we do, the right credit card strategy can dramatically reduce vacation costs while providing premium experiences along the way.

During our recent episode, we dove deep into our personal credit card strategy, which revolves primarily around travel rewards. Between the two of us, we maintain over 10 different credit cards, though we actively use only two or three for daily spending. Currently, our go-to card is the Capital One Venture, which provides the flexibility we need for our international travel plans. We opened these cards in December with a substantial 70,000-point bonus offer, specifically chosen because we had a Christmas international trip planned but weren't yet locked into specific airlines or hotel chains.

While some credit card enthusiasts use different cards for different purchase categories (one for gas, another for groceries, etc.), we prefer simplicity. We use our primary card for everything—from gas and groceries to camp registrations—earning 2x points on all purchases. Occasionally, promotional offers allow us to earn 5x or even 20x points on certain purchases, but we generally avoid the mental overhead of juggling multiple cards for different spending categories.

Beyond everyday spending cards, we also maintain premium cards like the American Express Platinum, despite its hefty $695 annual fee. Its value comes from benefits like airport lounge access (especially valuable when traveling with children), hotel credits through Fine Hotels & Resorts collection, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry reimbursement, and shopping credits at retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue. For frequent travelers, these benefits easily exceed the annual fee, making the card worthwhile. During our Panama stay at the W Hotel, our Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits included a $100 property credit and free breakfast, resulting in a total bill of just $29 for our two-night luxury stay.

Our approach to credit card selection emphasizes planning ahead. We identify future travel goals—whether that's flying for Christmas or saving points for an aspirational stay at the Four Seasons in Costa Rica—and align our card strategy accordingly. Sometimes this means switching our primary spending card to accelerate points accumulation for a specific redemption.

For those new to travel rewards, starting with a versatile card with a reasonable annual fee (like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture at around $95) provides an excellent entry point. As you become more familiar with how you prefer to travel, you can explore adding more specialized cards to your portfolio. Just remember that closing cards frequently can negatively impact your credit score, while downgrading cards when you're not actively using their benefits often makes more sense.

Ultimately, the key to successful credit card rewards maximization is identifying what you value, planning for future goals, and choosing cards that align with those priorities. For us, that's travel—so our entire card strategy revolves around optimizing for flights, hotel stays, and premium travel experiences. Whatever your priorities are, there's likely a card (or combination of cards) that can help you achieve them while providing protections and benefits far beyond what a debit card offers.