From Wedding Planning to Credit Card Optimization
I have been an avid credit card superuser for a few years now. That began when I was planning (and paying) for my wedding. What a perfect time to use credit cards haha. But I noticed that if I use all my credit cards to pay off my wedding I may be able to cash in on these generous welcome bonuses these credit card companies lure you in with. Luckily, that plan worked and I was able to use all my welcome bonus credits to pay off my honeymoon flights.
Addiction crept in.
This led to a problem, or solution in my mind. I thought to myself if I can do this once then I can surely do it again! Application after application this continued to work and I thought I was on top of the world, bankrolling these points/miles.
When Credit Card Accounts Started Getting Out of Control
After a while, I looked at my credit report and the number of accounts continued to grow out of control. Staring at my screen I knew I needed a better way to track my credit cards and here comes the Google spreadsheet phase.
So I manually put in all my credit cards month after month: balances, 0% APR deadlines, balance transfer deadlines, credit limit, etc.
This worked but a few years into tracking things manually I decided to get more granular as my wife also uses my cards and every transaction would need to be optimized based on where I can get the most for my buck.
Transaction here, transaction there spread across 10+ different accounts threw my head on a swivel and I could no longer survive tracking my cards manually.
Why I Built Cardinate (Credit Card Spending Tracker)
Thus, I decided to create Cardinate, your all-in-one credit card spending tracker and debt payoff planner.
Now I use this tool almost every day to stay ahead of my finances and to understand my credit more thoroughly. As a person who likes to maximize the advantages of using credit, I cannot go a day without at least checking it once!
If you're juggling a pile of cards too, start with the free 0% APR tracker, read how I keep track of multiple credit cards, or try Cardinate free.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cardinate?
A credit card tracker and debt payoff planner. It keeps every card's balance, utilization, APR, due date, 0% deadline and annual fee in one view and builds a month-by-month payoff plan.
Is Cardinate free?
Yes. The free plan covers unlimited manual cards, including balances, utilization, APR, due dates and 0% deadline alerts. Pro is $12.99 a month or $129 a year and adds automatic bank sync, payoff strategy comparison and full history.
Does Cardinate connect to my bank?
On Pro, cards can be connected read-only through Plaid. On the free plan you enter cards by hand.
Keep going
This post is for general information only and isn't financial, legal or tax advice. I'm not a financial advisor. Card terms, fees and rates change and vary by issuer, so check the details with your card issuer before making a decision.