Sometimes I think that if I had a superpower, it would be procrastination. I was the one pulling an all-nighter to write a term paper I had months to prepare. Even today, I sat in front of the computer for hours before I finally pulled myself together and started to write this post. It drives Sharon crazy (Note from Sharon: Mmmm hmmm…), but I just can’t help it.
Unfortunately, putting things off, even if only for minutes, can cause you to miss out on the travel deal of the year. I’ve learned to deal with the fact I’ll never be able to pull the trigger on the spur of the moment trip to New Zealand, even if the price is one that I’ll never see again.
Some travel deals last for longer amounts of time, like days or weeks and I’ll go back and forth about whether I want to participate.
Sometimes I’ll jump in like I eventually did right before the IHG Select card was going away for good. I’m glad about that decision as I’m enjoying getting a free night at IHG hotels costing up to 40,000 points every year for $49. Other times I’ll sit it out like I did for the Iberia Avios deal.
I find it hardest to decide which credit cards to sign up for. I’ll think about applications over and over and over. Is this the best card for us. Can we use the miles or points for our travels without making too many concessions? I’ll even write about the cards I’m thinking about applying for. Those posts are as much about telling you which cards I’m thinking about as they are a way for me to review my choices one more time.
I did finally sign up for the Blue Business Plus AMEX because it earns two Membership Rewards points for all spending. But what about the other cards I mentioned? I didn’t apply for any of them yet, and for one card, I’m glad I didn’t.
I’ve had my eye on the CNB Crystal Infinite card for a while. Earlier this year, I was all set to sign up for the card but balked and upgraded our Marriott card to the Bonvoy Brilliant instead.
During my trip to New York, I had planned to stop by a branch and apply but ended up making other plans and missed out on the opportunity. My next chance was coming up in December and I still planned on getting the card.
That was until I read posts on Frequent Miler and Miles to Memories about how the card is going to gut many of the benefits I’d be signing up to take advantage of. Going away is the $100 discount on round trip airfare for 2 passengers and the $250 airline incidental credit per card.
Without these perks, the card loses its appeal. I’m glad that I ended up procrastinating and not signing up when I planned. If I did, I’d already want to cancel after only keeping it for a year. I guess I dodged a bullet by not getting the card when I said I was going to.
I’m not a card flipper. When I get a new card, I’m looking for a good sign up bonus in addition to something that makes the card worthwhile for the long term. I’ll even take a low sign up bonus if the card is good enough. I don’t want a card that I’m going to ditch in less than a year.
Final Thoughts
I’ve missed out on more deals by procrastinating than I’m willing to admit. My paralysis about making decisions is something I’ve learned to live with. If I miss out on an airfare deal, credit card offers, or mistake hotel rate, that’s OK. I’d rather be sitting to the side than take the chance of getting burned.
For those of you who jump first and ask questions later, just know that I’ll be standing over here rooting for you and hoping that things work out for the best.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
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