financetherapy
TF Buzz
Hi Everyone,
First of all A Very Happy New Year to all the forum members and anyone who stumbles across any of these threads.
I am going to list out my credit card power user journey that I've started in 2024, and how I've become, IMO, a power user who'll be going places.
I've got these new cards this year.
1. HDFC Infinia (upgrade from HDFC Diners black) - for any OTC purchases post Amex milestones and no offers and unlimited lounge access
2. HDFC Tata Neu Rupay - for any eligible UPI purchases and occasional BB purchases
3. Amex Travel Platinum - for MR points, up to 4 L per year
4. Amex Gold Charge - for MR points, 6k per month
5. Indusind Eazydiner - An amazing find - for premium dinners (amazing savings and recommended for all Metro and Bangalore folks)
6. IDFC Vistara Signature - for rent and spend-based milestone tix
7. ICIC Sapphiro - LTF, Lounge access, good to have
8. Std Chartered Smart - Got it for an online offer
Other cards that I've had
9. HDFC Swiggy - for all swiggy purchases
10. Flipkart Axis bank - for all FK & Minutes purchases & Offer based
11. One Card - Offer based
12. Slice - Offer based
13. Lazy pay - Offer based
14. HSBC Platinum - Offer based
15. Simpl - Offer based
16. RBL BMS Play - WIll be closing soon if no benefits
Closed a card
16. SBI Prime - was a noob back then and closed it to apply for SBI Vistara, never got approved
Next year, I will be taking on Axis Atlas (will be used for OTC purchases and travel spending), SBI Air India (replacing IDFC Vistara for Air India flights), a fuel-based card, HDFC Biz Black, and a couple of other cards focussed on my travel and spending plans.
About me - I am an aspiring actor with a day job. Acting is my late-found passion in life and I am quite active in the theatre scene in Bangalore. I have been doing a few ad films and a couple of concept feature films as well. I have also been fortunate enough to attend some good educational institutions in India thankfully to my ever-hard-working parents who sacrificed their dreams for my education. I am also starting a side business in 2025. I aim to come out and become financially free of loans and run my business while pursuing my acting dream.
Enough about me. Now for my short credit card journey.
I started learning when I had a couple of months' gap between jobs, and I was fascinated and frustrated when my Diners Black wasn't getting accepted in most places. I did my research, scoured Technofino articles, watched amazing podcasts and YouTube videos and in the case of HDFC, fought tooth and nail to get upgrades after countless false promises from them.
I have not manufactured spends, I have not gone to a high-end place just to use my points or CC to get offers, and I have not used more than 5% of my total credit limit.
I have only upgraded my lifestyle with the use of credit cards at the same cost if not less than I used to pay earlier. All this in 6 months of usage, 2 months of ardent earning and research, and making my systems of Excel macros, and Apple shortcuts to keep track of and pay all my credit card bills on time. I have been improving this system in the last few months and will create a personal app for my card mgmt as well.
I thank all the Technofino writers and members for in some way helping and assisting me to learn and grow with credit cards.
I was thinking about putting up a YouTube video for beginners to understand how credit cards work in simple language, because frankly there aren't many out there. Many are a bit complex to understand and many nuances and caveats are left unanswered in a lot of content out there understandably as most people want their query answered and not Step 1 to Step 100 detailing and breakdown of each step. However, have put that idea on hold for now.
To end, I am attaching a screenshot of one of my dinners at a semi-fine dine place in a Bangalore mall where because we didn't like the food, we left after starters, the bill was Rs 855, and we ended up paying just Rs 18. This was for a gourmet starter and a cold coffee.
HMU on DM or post here if anyone wants has any interesting titbits about credit card usage. We can learn together. If someone can help me learn something new, please definitely DM me, and if someone feels I can help them understand a bit based on my journey, please feel free to ping me.
Thank you everyone!
Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025.🙃
First of all A Very Happy New Year to all the forum members and anyone who stumbles across any of these threads.
I am going to list out my credit card power user journey that I've started in 2024, and how I've become, IMO, a power user who'll be going places.
I've got these new cards this year.
1. HDFC Infinia (upgrade from HDFC Diners black) - for any OTC purchases post Amex milestones and no offers and unlimited lounge access
2. HDFC Tata Neu Rupay - for any eligible UPI purchases and occasional BB purchases
3. Amex Travel Platinum - for MR points, up to 4 L per year
4. Amex Gold Charge - for MR points, 6k per month
5. Indusind Eazydiner - An amazing find - for premium dinners (amazing savings and recommended for all Metro and Bangalore folks)
6. IDFC Vistara Signature - for rent and spend-based milestone tix
7. ICIC Sapphiro - LTF, Lounge access, good to have
8. Std Chartered Smart - Got it for an online offer
Other cards that I've had
9. HDFC Swiggy - for all swiggy purchases
10. Flipkart Axis bank - for all FK & Minutes purchases & Offer based
11. One Card - Offer based
12. Slice - Offer based
13. Lazy pay - Offer based
14. HSBC Platinum - Offer based
15. Simpl - Offer based
16. RBL BMS Play - WIll be closing soon if no benefits
Closed a card
16. SBI Prime - was a noob back then and closed it to apply for SBI Vistara, never got approved
Next year, I will be taking on Axis Atlas (will be used for OTC purchases and travel spending), SBI Air India (replacing IDFC Vistara for Air India flights), a fuel-based card, HDFC Biz Black, and a couple of other cards focussed on my travel and spending plans.
About me - I am an aspiring actor with a day job. Acting is my late-found passion in life and I am quite active in the theatre scene in Bangalore. I have been doing a few ad films and a couple of concept feature films as well. I have also been fortunate enough to attend some good educational institutions in India thankfully to my ever-hard-working parents who sacrificed their dreams for my education. I am also starting a side business in 2025. I aim to come out and become financially free of loans and run my business while pursuing my acting dream.
Enough about me. Now for my short credit card journey.
I started learning when I had a couple of months' gap between jobs, and I was fascinated and frustrated when my Diners Black wasn't getting accepted in most places. I did my research, scoured Technofino articles, watched amazing podcasts and YouTube videos and in the case of HDFC, fought tooth and nail to get upgrades after countless false promises from them.
I have not manufactured spends, I have not gone to a high-end place just to use my points or CC to get offers, and I have not used more than 5% of my total credit limit.
I have only upgraded my lifestyle with the use of credit cards at the same cost if not less than I used to pay earlier. All this in 6 months of usage, 2 months of ardent earning and research, and making my systems of Excel macros, and Apple shortcuts to keep track of and pay all my credit card bills on time. I have been improving this system in the last few months and will create a personal app for my card mgmt as well.
I thank all the Technofino writers and members for in some way helping and assisting me to learn and grow with credit cards.
I was thinking about putting up a YouTube video for beginners to understand how credit cards work in simple language, because frankly there aren't many out there. Many are a bit complex to understand and many nuances and caveats are left unanswered in a lot of content out there understandably as most people want their query answered and not Step 1 to Step 100 detailing and breakdown of each step. However, have put that idea on hold for now.
To end, I am attaching a screenshot of one of my dinners at a semi-fine dine place in a Bangalore mall where because we didn't like the food, we left after starters, the bill was Rs 855, and we ended up paying just Rs 18. This was for a gourmet starter and a cold coffee.
HMU on DM or post here if anyone wants has any interesting titbits about credit card usage. We can learn together. If someone can help me learn something new, please definitely DM me, and if someone feels I can help them understand a bit based on my journey, please feel free to ping me.
Thank you everyone!
Wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2025.🙃
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