Age: 23
Profession: Minor League Baseball Player
Card Count: 6
I began using credit cards to build my credit score at the discretion of my father. I was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies out of high school so I have yet to have the privilege of receiving or taking a college level course. The organization is nice enough to teach us about financial independence and good monetary habits but I always have a tough time paying attention to all of it. My brother (huuuuge PointsGang guy) tipped me off on the benefits of having multiple credit cards and utilizing introduction bonus offers. The credit cards caught my interest because they offer a chance to make money from money I have to spend anyway.
Once I realized I could make some extra money with very little extra effort I was all about it. I spend most of my summers living out of hotels on the road and my winters working out to achieve my dream of making it to the MLB. I don’t have much time to travel but most of the time it’s for teammates weddings or to visit family in the off season.
A typical minor league baseball player nets about $800 a month after taxes and clubhouse fees but before rent so I always look for cards with low minimum spends. So far I’ve had the Citi Simplicity, Citi AAdvantage Gold, Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus, Delta Gold Skymiles, JetBlue Plus, and the Bank of America Travel Rewards.
I’ve used AAdvantage and Southwest points the past 2 offseason to fly to 3 different teammates weddings for free. I’ve used my Citi ThankYou points to take care of purchases from Amazon. These airline cards have worked well for me because of the low spending requirement and most of the miles never expire. I want to use them to go to Europe or the Caribbean one day.
When I travel outside of baseball I don’t like to stay in hotels, I spend too much time in them. I got the Bank of America Travel Rewards card recently because the points can be redeemed on purchases made on airbnb when using your card.
I canceled my Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card to avoid paying the annual fee after the first year. I pay all my credit card bills from the banking apps on my phone. It’s super easy once you link your bank accounts. I have never taken a personal finance class in my life.
