It’s a common theme for bloggers and vloggers to showcase what’s “in their wallets.” Essentially, they go through each card and explain its use. Usually, it’s a mix of maximizing earning categories, taking advantage of limited-time or targeted bonuses, and meeting spending requirements. While I’ve also done a similar thing in past years, for 2025, I’m shifting my strategy. Instead of chasing every spending category like I’m playing whack-a-mole, I’ve adopted a more streamlined approach, and I have my wife, Sharon, to thank for this change.
While I carry multiple cards in my wallet—one for restaurants, another for gas stations, supermarkets, and everyday spending—Sharon has no interest in keeping track of which card to use where. To simplify things for her, I’ve set her up with the Hilton Surpass AMEX for almost everything. This card earns a solid return on all charges, plus bonuses for online purchases, gas stations, and supermarkets. Additionally, spending $15,000 annually earns us a free night.
When I reviewed our credit card spending, aside from cards used to meet sign-up bonus requirements, most of our spending was concentrated on two cards: the AMEX Surpass and the Bilt Rewards Mastercard. The Hilton card is our go-to for earning that valuable free night, while I directed spending to the Bilt Mastercard, which provides Silver status to cardholders who spend $10,000 annually. My primary motivation for hitting Silver status was to access better Rent Day promotions.
However, I noticed we had spread the rest of our spending across numerous cards, often with only a recurring charge or two on each. If I had consolidated those charges onto a single card, we might have met additional bonus spending thresholds.
This year, I’ve decided to apply the same simplicity to my wallet as I’ve done with Sharon’s. Instead of constantly swapping cards, I’ll use one card for most purchases. While I might lose out on a few points here and there, consolidating spending will allow us to meet thresholds for meaningful bonuses. Here’s the plan for 2025:
Cards with Spending Thresholds (in order of priority):
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Goal: Spend $15,000 to earn a free night.
- Reason: The almost unlimited value of a free night makes this our top card. It will be the primary card in Sharon’s wallet.
Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card
- Goal: Spend $10,000 to earn a $200 Delta Flight Credit.
- Reason: This effectively adds a 2% rebate in addition to the earned points, making it perfect for business expenses.
World of Hyatt Card from Chase
- Goal: Spend $15,000 for a Category 1-4 free night.
- Reason: I value this free night less than the one from Hilton. While valuable, it’s not a top priority. If I go for this spending goal, I’ll aim to hit this threshold toward the end of the year so I can combine it with our annual free night for a single stay.
Bilt Mastercard
- Goal: Spend $10,000 to maintain Silver status.
- Reason: Last year, I focused on this card for Rent Day promotions. However, with other spending thresholds offering greater value, I’ll likely deprioritize it in 2025.
Virgin Red Mastercard
- Goal: Spend $15,000 and $30,000 for milestone bonuses.
- Rewards Available:
- Flying Club reward voucher for a companion seat or cabin upgrade on Virgin Atlantic.
- One free night at a Virgin Hotel.
- One suite upgrade at a Virgin Hotel.
- Up to $300 bar tab with Virgin Voyages.
- Blue Extras Perk Package with Virgin Voyages (includes laundry service, exclusive cocktail party, and daily coffee credits).
- Reason: While these perks are valuable, I’m hesitant to commit since I’m unsure if we could use them.
Other Options
I have other cards that offer rewards for meeting spending thresholds, but I don’t find any of them particularly appealing. Here’s a breakdown:
JetBlue Mosaic Status
- Requirement: Earn 50 tiles, equivalent to $5,000 of spending on JetBlue or $50,000 of credit card spending.
- Reason: The spending requirement is too high for the benefits of basic Mosaic status.
American Airlines Gold Status
- Requirement: Spend $40,000 on a credit card to achieve Gold status.
- Reason: Gold status is a lower-tier benefit, and the effort to reach this threshold isn’t worth it.
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Status
- Requirement: Spend $75,000 on your Ritz-Carlton card in a calendar year to earn Platinum status.
- Reason: While Platinum status is valuable, the high spending requirement makes it impractical for me.
AMEX Platinum Benefits
- Requirement: Spend $75,000 on the AMEX Platinum card to unlock Centurion Lounge access for two guests and uncapped SkyClub access for the cardholder (not subject to the 10-visit yearly max starting in 2025).
- Reason: It’s more practical for me to continue paying for an additional cardholder rather than meet this threshold.
Final Thoughts
By consolidating our spending and focusing on key thresholds, I’ll maximize our rewards without the hassle of juggling too many cards. While it’s tempting to optimize every transaction, sometimes simplicity is the most effective strategy. Here’s to a more streamlined 2025!
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