I Don't Know Who I Am or What I Want Anymore

With Dad gone, 45 in office, perimenopause and ADHD hitting hard, a terrible economy, rising costs, AI slop takeover, and a second pandemic of disinformation (on top of the covid pandemic, which is STILL GOING ON - a family friend just lost their sibling to it), as well as the loss of several dear friends (these people are not dead but are too busy to keep in contact now that they have left NZ), with other friends in NZ very busy with kids and marriage, life has lost a LOT of its luster and fun over the past ~10 years. 

I thought I knew what I wanted: lots of travel with good friends, seeing family a lot, beach vacations, weekend getaways, camping and ski trips, new countries, new experiences, and adventures. During the PhD, I saved up so much money and daydreamed of this every chance I got. I strategically have been applying for credit card bonuses and have, arguably, enough to subsidize most of my flight costs for several big overseas trips. I have meticulously planned flight routes and airmile costs.

But I don't feel like doing ANY of that. I don't feel like seeing friends. I only want to be around my mom and sister, at most. The people who understand the pain, and people that knew my Dad best. I don't feel like organizing a big trip, let alone several. I don't want new crazy once in a lifetime experiences. 

I want to stay home. Alone. Cozy. Cocoon. Warmth. Baths. Dim light. Audiobooks (because I can't see without reading glasses anymore, and even then, it is a struggle to make out some text). Slow movement. Slow life. Quiet. No obligations. Security. Delivery of food. Convenience. Routine. Sameness. Solitude. Predictability. Nothing new, nothing different. I want the world to just. stop. I need to catch my breath. With Dad gone, I feel like I have to relearn how to breathe and walk and do literally everything again, because nothing is the same, or will ever be the same, anymore. I feel like nothing should move or change in case he comes back.

This places my current needs completely at odds with what I have been saving up my time, energy, airmiles, and money for. Stuff I was supposed to be doing relatively soon.

All that to say, I don't know what I want anymore. I don't know what will give my life meaning anymore. I thought I knew, but now I don't. I have to redefine who I am. What will help give shape to me without my Dad to help define those edges? 

I obviously need therapy, of course, but I also need to completely rehaul my life goals. So many of them just don't apply anymore.  

Draft 2026 Goals

2025 was absolutely horrible on so many fronts. I wasted so much of my life on the PhD, and was really looking forward to all that deferred quality time and celebrating with my family and friends. Two weeks before my defense was scheduled, my dad passed away. 

I made a few inroads after submission to repair my life and mental and physical health, but have run into the perimenopause monster now. I slid back quite a ways after finding out my dad had lung cancer on my first trip home in Sept 2025. And now after he passed, I can barely get through the day, let alone make progress on life goals. But I made a list anyhow. Here are my usual goals, plus some:

Health Goals

1. Plan meals weekly, grocery shop, and cook for the week, every week. 
   
   
2. Medical appointments:
1. GP 
1. renew thyroid and ADHD scrips in:
• May,
• August before US trip, and 
• Nov 2025: check up for blood test, perimenopause, thyroid & ADHD scrips w/ GP. Ask about getting the shingles vax 3.5 years early? Ask if I need any vaccinations for travel or to top up long-term vax like tetanus or Meningococcal vax. Ask about ENT doctors and fixing sinuses. Partially DONE! I got my first shingles vax. I got a blood test and found out I have very low iron. I got my ADHD and thyroid pill scrip renewed. I got a well person check and asked about perimenopause (I got dismissed on that one - will need to go to someone else).
2. Think about switching doctors. The Fono (4.3 stars on google) and
   Victoria Park Medical Suites (4.4 stars on google) have better ratings than my current doc for much cheaper. 
3. I’m not due for a mammogram, cervical cancer swab, or colon cancer test in 2026 (they all were completed in 2025).
   
   
2. Physio. Ask about pain in left inside shoulder and improving flexibility and posture.
1.  look for physio options - at work ($79 per visit), nearby studio ($75 for 30 mins and $150 for the initial review).
2. book $150 initial review. 
3. Plan for two more 30 min visits to hit the $300 insurance limit. 
   
   
3. Optometry
1. book appointment for August 2026 before job gets cut. (staff gets free appointments)
2. get reading glasses prescription updated. Note: my 2025 prescription I got is not correct. I had to return the glasses and order new ones with the prescription from 2022. In 2026, make sure they measure what I need from reading glasses using the computer or reading from much further away. that may be the issue? 
3. Treat my dry eyes via drops and heating pads.
4. Look through advice online for convergence insufficiency treatments.
5. Order new computer reading glasses from Zenni. 
6. Treat eyes better by resting them every hour while using the computer.
   
   
4. Vaccinations and shots
1. Shingles. Get 2^nd shot by May 2026 (2-6 mo after first shot). DONE March 13 2026
2. Flu shot - April 2026 DONE 10 April 2026
3. Bivalent COVID boosters every 6 mo:
• April 2026 DONE 10 April 2026
• Oct 2026
4.  Take Buccaline:
• mid-June
• mid-August (before US trip) 
  
  
5. Dentist
1. May 2026 cleaning
2. May 2026 dental check up
3. Floss every day
4. Use electronic toothbrush every day
   
   
6. Dermatologist 
1. Research dermatologists & make appt
2. Mole map
3. Treat eczema
4. start skin care regimen and find products that I like.  
    
7.  ADHD/Therapy
1. Research ADHD time, energy, & motivation hacks, make list of 25 hacks to try, and experiment with them within my work. 
2. Therapy appt: make once I can afford it again. Focus on emotional issues and someone with experience in ADHD. My last therapist did not understand. 
3. Look into ADHD coaches. 
   
   
8. Research how to upgrade my mental health. 
   
   
9. Try to lose weight naturally: pay better attention to what and how I eat. Try eating only if hungry and in smaller portions. Stop eating when I'm full.  

 Finances

1. Update strategy to track Net Worth: do NOT count short- or medium-term funds in the NW total. DONE January 2026
   
   
2. Track spending.

1.       Update net worth every month

2.       Aim for $350K NZD Net Worth by end 2026.

3. Stay out of debt. 
   
   
4. Track peer to peer lending returns (Squirrel & Zagga) each month. 
   
   
5. Keep track of airpoints for travel every quarter. 
   
   
6. Continue to check in on my credit scores via CreditKarma and NZ credit score company every quarter.  
   
   
7. Use Delta e-ticket funds that expire by Sept 2026. (Used this trick to extend the expiry date and had to use a US VPN just to get Delta to show me flight options). The ecert for $333 USD expires on 20 Sept 2026.
   
   
8. Use Singapore miles before June.
   
   
9. Review investing strategy. 
1. Look into alternate ways to invest. 

1. Continue peer to peer investments in Squirrel.
2. Carefully select and invest in more peer loans via Zagga.
3. Convert large chunk of $$ ($30K NZD) to USD if it hits 0.80 USD per 1 NZD...maybe? Depends on 45's shenanigans. :( 
4. Research buying options / put calls as a way to buy US ETFs as a US-NZ dual citizen (mentioned here and here).
5. I can invest ~$30K more NZD in my US brokerage before hitting the NZ FIF limit, but I'll want to dollar cost average that instead of just dumping it all at once. Keep contributing $50 USD/mo to US brokerage account. I've decided to invest in Berkshire Hathaway shares until I hit the FIF limit. This fund importantly does not kick off dividends that would be double taxed in NZ and US - only taxed in the US. 
6. Figure out what to do with my liquid savings to get better returns.

2.       After #1 is as complete as I can make it, research US-NZ tax accountants and financial advisors. Make list of questions. Create short-list of 5 people to ask questions to in a pre-interview. Deferred to 2026.

• Ask 5 US-NZ tax accountants / international financial advisors to ask about tax efficiency, investment strategies, review diversification and asset allocation, and independent contracting: GST registration, US SS and Medicare, deductions in both countries. Choose one to try out for 2025-26. Deferred to 2026.
• Ask advisor q's re: going freelance (e.g., GST, SS tax, tax management and filing).
• Ask advisor about Kiwisaver - IRS issues re: trusts and PFICs. 
• Ask advisor how to update retirement plans and goals. My previous goals are detailed here, here, here, and here, but they need to be updated in light of the situation in the US.
• Ask advisor and research how to update will and trust documents for international situation. Where does my $$ go and how is it transferred/treated across international borders? Who will owe tax? How to do tax efficient estate planning? Potentially get friend of friend to help with this in NZ? 

3.                      After seeing a financial advisor, review asset allocation and diversification across all of my US and NZ accounts. 

4.                      After seeing a financial advisor, rebalance Kiwisaver and all US investments so that overall, everything is allocated in the proportions that I want them to be.

9. File US taxes. DONE March 13 2026 (mailed)
   
   
10. File state taxes. DONE March 13 2026 (mailed)
     
11. File FBAR. DONE March 13 2026 (mailed)
    
    
12. Apply for cc's strategically: see here.
    
    
13. Try to keep my job at 0.3 FTE by going freelance. Ask for amenities and accommodations at job location:
1. Office space
2. Laptop
3. Staff gym membership rates
4. Access to windows office and zoom workplace accounts
5. Access to project DropBox, Figshare, website, and other notable accounts.
6. Access to room bookings system and buiding floor plans.
   
   
14. Renew renter's insurance. DONE for 2026!
    
    
15. Contribute enough to Kiwisaver to get government contribution in 2026-2027 ($1,042.86).
    
    
16. File/check NZ taxes (June/July). I owe $420 because my tax rate was too low for most of the year.
    
    
17. Investigate how to go freelance in NZ. What are my US tax obligations? NZ?
    
    
18. Investigate how to become my mom’s Power of Attorney, Health directive, and beneficiary on all of her accounts without unnecessarily exposing her/me to legal risks.
    
    

Travel/Experiences/Social

1. Talk to family at least once a week. 
   
   
2. Text or email friends at least once a week or once a month or once a quarter, depending on where they fall in the contact hierarchy. 
   
   
3. Trips to: 
1. Northland?
2. Rarotonga?
3. ski? 
4. Hawaii, Iceland, London, and France? 
   
   
4. Go home in September 2026.
   
   
5. During US trip:
1. Back up personal laptop when at home - clone HDs. 
2. Extend Delta ecredits (expire sept 20 2026). 
3. Order Zenni glasses.
4. Buy stuff on list of stuff to buy while in US.
5. Check Experian and Equifax credit reports from the US. (Note for future years: Experian and Equifax made me call in and order my reports: 877-322-8228--they refused me online.) 
6. Make plans and see family & friends: 
1. B - Sept 14
2. H
3. N/J/A in DC
4. local aunt and cousins
   
   
6. Make list of classes I'm interested in (e.g. watercolors, dance), with locations, durations, prices, etc., and start trying them out. 
   
   
7. Find something fun and social (but safe) to do for Xmas 2026 and New Year's Eve 2026-27, if I do not go home to the US.
   
   

Work/Computer Stuff:

1. Back up personal and work laptops AND make image of HD several times a year: January / April / August / October.
   
   
2. Every quarter, check that the work back up system is working to back up work files separately every week, month, and quarter on the first of each month. 
   
   
3. Research how to improve my digital security. Ideas: 
1. Invest in a good high speed VPN and use most of the time on my laptop. Bought ProtonVPN for 1 year in April 2025. I find it quite slow? And I often do not use it because it means I have to change my US SIM card to log in anywhere useful. Would surfshark be faster? Do I actually need a VPN at all?
2. Look into automatic back up systems that don't rely on me manually checking that they are done properly. 
   
   
4. Finish moving all Google work files to DropBox.  
   
   
5. Reduce files on Google Drive (move to two external hard drives) to be able to eliminate my Google One subscription costs. Do I need this if I go freelance, though? Might be a useful business expense.
   
   
6. Make revisions to thesis and resubmit.
   
   
7. Defend my PhD.  
   
   
8. Submit PhD papers and get them published: 
1. Paper 1: Code + MA: in draft manuscript form
2. Paper 2: MS - in draft manuscript form
3. Paper 3: GE&F's - Submitted and under review in Nov 2024. May 2025: Under revision. December 2025: revisions resubmitted. March 2026: in proof / production stage. April: published.
   
   
9. Write and submit one post-doc paper describing results of my study.
   
   
10. Write and submit one paper for fun.
    
    

Life Upgrades (now that I should have more free time and $$, post-PhD):

1. June 2026 (before getting a flatmate): Get a maid / cleaning service for a massive move out cleaning, including the oven, to start over with cleaning with a clean slate.
   
   
2. Consider living by myself in a new apartment with good amenities (tennis court, pool, gym, jacuzzi) if my current apartment complex or apartment is sold. Do I need a tennis court now that friend has become disinterested in tennis and my right thumb seems to have gotten mysteriously injured?
   
   
3. Start paring belongings down to reduce mental clutter and in preparation for move. 

 Technological details: 

1. New smartphone. Budget: $1K NZD / $600 USD
1. 5G capability
2. works in US and NZ
3. Android
4. USB-C charging port
5. eSIM, microSIM, and dual SIM if possible
6. headphone jack (or i could get an adapter I guess)
7. really good cameras
8. slot for expandable storage
9. wireless charging capability
10. long battery life
11. replaceable battery
12. small form factor (flip phone?)

            Options: 

• Samsung Galaxy A54? $400
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5? $900
•  Samsung Galaxy XCover7? or cover8? seems to have everything I want except it is large. works with 5G n78 and n40 in NZ, n41, n71 in US; 4G 4, 5 and 66 in US; has main band 3 in NZ also 40 and 28; https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_xcover7-12784.php. Doesn't seem to be sold in the US?

            NZ skinny 5G bands:

• n78 (3500 MHz) and n40 (2300 MHz)
• 4G Bands: 3 (1800 MHz), 7 (2600 MHz), 28 (700 MHz), and 40 (2300 MHz) for 4G coverage, with 3G band 5 (850 MHz) also available.  

            US Tmobile 5G bands:

• Band n2 / n25 (1900MHz)
• Band n41 (2.5 GHz)
• Band n258 (24 GHz)
• Band n260 (39 GHz)
• Band n261 (28 GHz)
• Band n71 (600 MHz)
• 4G LTE Bands: 
• Band 5 (850 MHz)
• Band 4 (1700/2100 MHz)
• Band 66 (Extension of band 4 on 1700/2100 MHz).

 2. New laptop. Budget: $2K NZD / $1.1 USD

1. light and small-ish for traveling - 13 - 15.6" screen 
2. extremely light weight and thin (< 2.5 lb)
3. 2+ TB hard drive 
4. touchscreen
5. full keyboard with number pad
6. touch pad
7. upgrade RAM from 16 GB
8. upgrade processor to be able to play the sequel to the only vid game I play without my laptop getting so hot - can I use nvidia instead?
9. ability to open up base and upgrade parts myself
10. I really like my LG Gram, so something similar to it would be great 
11. LG gram SuperSlim 15.6" Laptop - Intel Evo Platform Intel Core Ultra 7 - 32GB RAM - 2TB SSD - Neptune Blue: $2K? 
12. why a new laptop? -keyboard keys pop out/don’t work easily -not enough RAM for fave vid game sequel -screen hinges loose -starting freelance work?

3. Cheap tablet or similar with lightweight accessories for travel

1. main use case is to research activities during travel, make bookings, email, etc. and watch movies and for entertainment on planes and during down days of travel
2. can use Windows on it to work if needed (e.g. for a conference) - need Excel and powerpoint mainly
3. can pair with lightweight small mouse and roll up keyboard 
4. small. lightweight.
5. powered by high speed USB-C
6. cheap in case of robbery (don't want to have to worry about it).

 

BREAK IN CASE OF MOVING

My current complex is up for sale. I've had a look at the rentals available over the past year. Any move will result in increased rent and I'd still not maintain my current level of comfort/amenities, so I will need to reduce my expenses in preparation.

Here is some of the pre-planning I've done, along with the $4K furniture fund and $5.2K bond and starter rent fund (see sidebar).

  Start eating down my pantry/fridge/freezer and start reducing the amount of food I have on hand at any one time. 

  Look through chattels list from the landlord. What stuff will stay with my apartment? What can I bring with me to the new apartment? Start separating stuff I own vs stuff that needs to stay in the apartment. Is there anything perhaps that I could ask the landlord to sell to me, since the apartment complex is just going to get knocked down anyway and the furniture will become extraneous? I would ask for the beds, nightstands, the new couches, and the dining room table is perfect for a small living room when folded up to its smallest size, yet can accommodate 6-7 people around it expanded when I have game nights. The microwave is newer. I'd love to take some of the wooden shelves too. Basically nearly everything?

  Look through my expenses and get quotes to reduce costs, mainly renter's insurance and fibre internet and electricity. Consider unbundling electricity and internet, since I read that they are more expensive when bundled. 

  Make list of belongings that I need to move, and what size vehicle and packing materials will be needed.

  Start recruiting friends to help me move. 

  Start shopping around and meal planning to lower grocery bill - is there any way I can reduce this? 

  After the move, investigate if I should enrol in a different medical practice since my current one increased their prices and is no longer considered a low cost medical clinic? https://doctorpricer.co.nz/

  Consider changing jobs if I am no longer able to save any money post-move. Are there side hustles or extra jobs I could take on to supplement my current job, post-PhD submission?

  Investigate how to earn extra income with low effort, e.g.: https://sidehustlescience.org/pawns-app-review/

  Look through all of my personal belongings - what can I sell/donate/give away/trash/use up before the move?

1. clothes in:
1. dresser
2. closets
3. under bed
2. bookshelf in room
3. nightstand
4. top of dresser
5. small shelf #1
6. small shelf #2
7. on desk
8. in bathroom #1 drawers and under sink
9. in under-stairs storage shelves
10. in garage storage
11. in bathroom #2 under the sink
12. in downstairs bookshelf
13. kitchen pantry, drawers, shelves
14. patio gardening supplies

List of furniture to buy secondhand if I have to move to an unfurnished place: $4K budget

1. mattresses, box springs, and bed frames - Queen & Double - $700?
2. nightstands x 3: $100 total
3. wardrobes if no closets or built ins: 2 x $300 each
4. dressers or dressing tables x 2: $150 total
5. couches - 2 seater: $50; 3 seater: $150
6. coffee table: $25
7. tv stand: $30
8. tv: $200
9. bar stools: 3x $30 each
10. end tables: 3x $20 each
11. dining room table and chairs - $150 - $200
12. replace my desk: $150
13. balcony furniture: $200
14. I have: trash cans, other accoutrements (lamps, rugs, vacuum, broom, mop, ironing board and iron, small shelves)
15. I have: kitchen implements (toaster, kettle, pots, pans, baking pans, casserole dishes, cups, mugs, plates, bowls, glasses, silverware, blender, dishrack, mixing bowls, spatulas, measuring cups, etc.): ???

 

Travel CC Planning - Updated Post

Just a place where I can track my credit card applications and airmile balances...Last updated December 2025

Current goal: accrue points/miles for annual US - NZ trips, and 2026 Islands + Iceland trip.

Note: To those wondering if all this churning affects my credit rating, my CreditKarma consistently rates my scores are >800. I've only ever gotten turned down by Chase, once, and just after they instituted the 5/24 rule* without my knowing about it. (*opening 5 cc's in a 24 month period) Barclaycard also seems to have a strict threshold, but I cannot tell what it is - I suspect it is 5/36 or 2/24? I keep getting turned down for their cc's - not until I had only opened 1 card in the past 24 months did they approve a JetBlue card, and I had to send in a TON of proof of identity, multiple times, to do so. 

I have $333 in Delta eCredits that needs to be used up by Sept 2026! Use this trick.

5/24 US Credit Card Record: cc's opened in the last 24 months. Needs to be 4 or fewer to apply for new cc's. 2 year status: bold, underlined opened within last 2 years; BLUE indicates open cards

1. Jetblue Plus. applied 28 July 2024. 50K points for $1K spend in 3 months. $99 annual fee. Aug 30 2024: My credit monitors are all saying something has changed with my credit score and that I have one new account, so maybe I got approved?! My mom hasn't said anything about a new card arriving, but I'll check this weekend. 2024 7 October: Finally officially approved! I had to send scans of my ID, bank statement, and social security card three times by mail and call 4x before they finally approved it (via the Hawaiian airlines call center??). Very weird process, but it's finally approved. :) I suspect I was rejected for the Alaska cards I applied for in the past (also handled by Barclay's) due to the number of 5/24 slots I had open? Need to charge $1K by Jan 1 2025. Miles awarded 24 Dec 2024.  Need to cancel by Sept 2025. Autocharges TMobile, Countdown. Sent cancellation notice on 5 September 2025. CANCELLED 5 September 2025. Falls off of list Sept 2026.
   
   
2. Alaska Air Visa Signature. Applied 14 Mar 2025. Instantly approved. 70K miles for $3K min spend in 3 months. $95 annual fee. Points rec'd June 2025. Nightmare to work with BoA - avoid in the future. Need to cancel by Feb 2026. CANCELLED 5 September 2025. Falls off of list March 2027.
   
   
3. Capital One Venture Rewards. Applied 23 July 2025. Instantly approved. Card received by 1 August 2025. 75K miles for $4K spend in 3 months. $95 annual fee. I applied for this card because I want to start building longer credit on more cards and I like Capital One. The points also transfer to many of my expiring mileage programs (BA, Qantas). I intend on getting the miles, then downgrading this card to the free VentureOne Rewards version, and keeping that card for a long while. To Keep - need to downgrade by June 2026; do not cancel. Falls off of list August 2027.
   
   
4. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus. Applied 23 July 2025. Instantly approved. Card received by 1 August 2025. 40K miles for $1K spend in 3 months. $69 annual fee. I applied for this card to reach my stretch travel goals - specifically, I can use them for inter-island flights in Hawai'i. Need to cancel by June 2026. Falls off of list August 2027.
   
   
5. Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select. Applied & approved 26 December 2025 w/ inflight application code. 80K points for $1K spend within 3 months. $99 annual fee waived for first year. I plan on charging my gym membership to this card once it arrives, plus perhaps pay for NZ medical insurance for a year to try it out - not sure it is worth it but my doctor recommended it. Falls off of list January 2028. 
   
   
   

    Open US accounts

1. Capital One Miles: opened Mar 25, 2008; keep for credit report longevity score. I use this card to charge most of my transportation costs: Uber, UberEats, and Lime auto-charges this card as a back-up payment method.
2. Chase Freedom: Dec 11, 2005; keep for credit report longevity score. My gym charges to this card for add-on specialty workout classes, and Amazon auto-charges to this card.
3. Capital One Venture Rewards. Opened July 2025. I plan to downgrade this card in 2026 and keep long-term.
4. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus. Opened July 2025. 
5. Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select. Opened December 2025. 

New Zealand Credit Record: 

Open NZ accounts

1. ANZ bank Airpoints Visa Platinum: $150/year annual fee. Eligible for bonus after 1 year of not having a card open with them. Heart Foundation and Coastguard NZ auto-charge this card. Keeping this card for the good travel + medical insurance. Mevo, Flamingo, Lime, Uber, UberEats, and Skinny auto-charge this card.
   
   
2. SBS no fee cc. No fee, and cashback @ $1 per $150 spent. APPLIED 29 JULY 2023, got conditional approval. Received card after a lot of rigmarole sending bank statements and rental leases etc in Sept 2023 for $3.5K limit. Fraudulent charge caused me to have to cancel this card and get issued a new one in January 2026.
   
   
3. Westpac no fee, no foreign fee cc. APPLIED 5 SEPT 2024 (for $500 worth of credit). Conditionally approved. Final approved 10 Oct 2014 for $3K, had to bring in my ID and documents twice. Received 23 Oct 2024.
   
   
4. Wise Debit card 5 SEPT 2024. Have both physical and digital debit cards - need to add to Google pay to use digital version.
   
   

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Current Airpoints:

*Airmiles and points are usually worth between 0.009 to 0.02 (0.9 to 2 cents) each, so any points are ideally used when the normal cost of the flight divided by the # of points needed to redeem a flight work out to more than those numbers. E.g., my usual return flight to the US on United is typically ~$3000 or 80k points, giving a point value of $3,000/80,000 = 0.0375, or 3.75 cents each. This is a good test for deciding decide whether to pay for a flight or use miles.

United: 262,811 (never expire)

Delta: 43,314 (never expire)

Air NZ: 1,002.98 (never expire)

Hawaiian & Alaskan Airlines (Atmos): 203,399 (never expire)

Southwest Airlines: 93,843 (never expire)

JetBlue: 58,353 (never expire) 

American: 110,633 (exp Nov 2026)

Qantas: 35,983 (expire May 2027). 18 month expiration. Earn miles using Countdown/Woolworths rewards to extend miles. Book AirBnB via Qantas site to earn points/renew expiry date. Or convert points from Capital One or buy 1,000 points for ~$56 AUD. Cheapest/easiest way is to buy a $10 gift card to Kobo. Currently I can get a round trip ticket to Christchurch, Wellington using 16K points, or Queenstown for $40 NZD using up 24K points (it doesn't give good value for the points!).

Singapore Krisflyer: 49,800 (expire June 2026 - MUST USE OR LOSE by booking a flight, or pay 1200 miles per 10K miles to extend life of miles.) Here is how to find award flights on Singapore Air. But BEWARE - Krisflyer points expire 3 years after they are earned, with only one chance to extend the expiry by 6 months.

British Airways: 162,434 Avios (exp Dec 2027; 36 months from activity; can convert points via Capital One)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TRAVEL INSURANCE

My ANZ airpoints card has unlimited medical insurance and travel coverage up to 90 days of travel, with a $200 deductible. NZ citizens have reciprocal medical agreements with UK and Australia, so no travel insurance is needed when traveling to those countries. The coverage is apparently excellent and has no limits. I just need to pay for at least 50% of my pre-planned trip expenses on the card and sign up for the insurance beforehand using their easy online system. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TRAVEL GAME PLAN (2026 - 2027)

Upcoming Travel:

--NZ Summer/Fall 2026 Celebratory Post-Hand In, Pre-Defense Trip (Northland NZ + Rarotonga -- use Qantas + Air NZ points)

--Sept - Nov 2026 Post-PhD Trip to: Island (Hawai'i) + Home + Iceland + London + France Trip

 
CC application plan:

2025 

December 2025: Applied and was approved for Citi AAdvantage card.

July 2025: Opened Southwest and Cap One Venture cc's.

FlyerTalk Forum

To accrue a diverse array of useful points, esp ones with companion fares, here are my top options for cc's to apply for in 2025 and beyond, in preparation for future travel:

Some options:

1. United Explorer Mileage Plus Explorer: Applied 25 May 2022, supposedly pre-approved by Chase, but they gave me a "we need more time to process your request" notice when I applied. 60K miles for $3K spend in first 3 months. No annual fee first year, $95 thereafter. Denied 26 May 2022 due to "Too many requests for credit or opened accounts with us." (I only have 1 cc from Chase right now). Need to wait 30 days then apply again, as I applied for the Chase Sapphire on 22 May and got denied due to it not being 48 months since I rec'd my last CS bonus.
2. United Club Infinite card: $5K spend for 100K points. $525 annual fee. United Club membership to lounges. Two free passes to lounges. $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck fees (mine expires in 2024). 1st and 2nd bags free. Good card to get before traveling.
   
3. United Quest card: $4K spending for 70K points. $250 annual fee. Preapproved through my United account. 1st and 2nd bags free. Good card to get before traveling.
4. American Express Gold card: 75K membership rewards points targeted offer (normally 60K points; need to go through pre-approval process) for $4K spend in 6 months (not three months as usual). $250 annual fee. These can be converted to Delta (1:1); Avios (450:250 ratio); Singapore KrisFlyer miles (450:250 ratio), Qantas miles (450:250 ratio). 
5. Chase Sapphire Preferred: 80K points for $4K spend in 3 mo. $95 annual fee. Eligible again: ~Sept 2022. Need to wait 48 months after meeting award spending to apply again. Denied in May 2022. Can try again after 30 days.
6. Citi Premier card: 60K points for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards for a $4K spend in first 3 months. 
   

2026 plan: My PhD submission will take place in 2025, and then I will need to go through my defense in early 2026 and do any thesis writing changes afterward. I have a post-doc that ends in Sept 2026. Then - I'm free to do what I want with no job obligations! 

I want to take a sabbatical from my job/life. I want to go to the islands! Cook Islands, Rarotonga, Samoa, Bali, Tahiti, wherever! Just serious R&R. I am happiest in a tropical setting, in a shaded lounger with an ocean to play in in front of me, a warm breeze and hot sunshine, drinks in hand, fresh, healthy food on the menu, with hikes and other activities to beautiful/interesting places available, and plenty of free time to do it all in. Potential itinerary: Auckland --> Rarotonga <--> Aitutaki --> Auckland (or sub in Niue, Samoa, or New Caledonia for the destination). I should have enough AirNZ miles (and saved up travel funds of $5K) to cover a very nice, relaxing trip.

Post post-doc, it is time for serious travel. Islands + Iceland & Europe top my bucket list, but since I'm getting older, the idea of doing a big Europe backpacking trip (or any trip) alone is getting less and less appealing. If I can find someone to do it with me, I'd now want to do it in semi-luxury. Meaning: more expensive. I'd want to get a private room in a quiet hostel now, take the first-class, private bunks on the train, travel slowly, etc. rather than save a few bucks by bunking with a dozen 20-somethings and sleeping upright clutching my belongings. For Iceland, I'd want similar, but a big driving tour with a rugged vehicle to get to out of the way places, or maybe even a Winnebago campavan thing. I'd even consider taking a trip with a tour group now (actually maybe not, that sounds awful!).

Alternately, if the US has recovered from covid, I'd love to do a big driving tour of North America--USA, Canada, Mexico, as well as other places in Central America.

I have saved up $5K for a local-to-NZ trip to Raro and $13K NZD for a big trip post-PhD and post-post-doc. Current ideas are to do an island tour: Hawai'i, rest & move back to the US, stay with my parents for a respite and to apply for jobs, then head over to Iceland for 3 weeks or so before coming back to NZ and looking for a new job. All I want to do is have a few adventures and rest my weary brain and body after a grueling PhD and post-doc before having to get back on the treadmill again. 

*2023 update: friend I banked all of the airpoints for is pregnant, so I need to find another use for those, and another travel companion. She is the perfect travel partner so I'm a bit disappointed I won't get to celebrate the end of my PhD with her and travel together again in the near future.

Potential Islands + Iceland Itinerary:

Auckland --> Honolulu --> Maui --> Hilo --> Kauai --> Honolulu --> Mainland (Home Base USA) <--> see friends in Boston/DC --> Boston/NYC/NJ/DC airport --> Iceland <--> London --> France --> London --> Mainland (Home Base USA)

Details:

I can fly to Hawaii from Auckland using 40K Hawaiian miles, and then use my Hawaiian or Southwest miles to fly around the islands. Each flight will cost 7.5K Hawaiian airmiles or 4556 southwest miles, and there are four flights (30K HI miles; 18,224 Southwest, each). 

*I'd like to pay for my friend's flights using miles as much as possible, as she is just as skint as me, and it will be vastly more fun if she comes! If she is able to get to a West Coast US hub from her home in Canada, I can also use my airmiles to get her to/from Honolulu, either from Seattle, San Fran, or LA, using ~35K Hawaiian miles.

To get myself back to my parents' house on the East Coast from HNL, I cannot use Hawaiian or Southwest miles, as these airlines do not fly near my hometown.

I'll stay a while in my hometown. Accrue and use some JetBlue miles to see East Coast friends in Boston, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and DC. 

After visiting my friend in Boston, I can fly directly from there to Iceland on Iceland Air. I can use 30K Alaska Air miles for Iceland air flights: https://www.icelandair.com/frequent-flyer/benefits/redeem-points/. (This is why I need to get the Alaska Airlines cc). I could also use Singapore miles, again hopefully having enough to again fly a friend over with me. I want to thoroughly explore so I am hoping to do a 10-14 day trip around.

I have a friend in London and he has been begging me and another friend to visit him, and British Airways allows a free stopover in London. Stopovers can be as long as I'd like, which is perfect. I'll stay in London at his place for a few days to a week. I'm also sure I can use his place as a home base if I end up flying around Europe! Paris, Madrid, Rome, or Berlin, anyone? Maybe I will go visit my Dad's side of the family to finally meet them! So, I will likely take one airline to Iceland and one airline back to DC or New Jersey / NYC. Try https://www.seatspy.com/ Seat Spy to find BA reward seats.

Then I'll fly back home using American, JetBlue, Delta, or United...one of the US airlines. Shouldn't be too expensive or cost too many points, almost everywhere on the East Coast is easy to fly to/from.

Itinerary: 

Home --> Boston

Boston   --IcelandAir-->   KEF   

KEF --BritishAir-->   London   

London <--?train?--> France 

London --BritishAir-->   NYC/DC   

NYC/DC -->   Home

Then, after that grand adventure, I hope I will be starting to be refreshed after my hellish, Trumpish pandemic PhD. I'll start looking for jobs at that point, and spend my time taking fun courses to upskill, get in shape again, helping out my family, and volunteering. I particularly want to learn how to draw/paint/watercolor, code, use Adobe software, GIS, increase my Spanish fluency, take a ToastMasters course, and take a ton of fun dance/stretch/workout classes, as well as dive into therapy more. Crossed fingers a good, well paying, flexible job comes up in NZ sometime thereafter!

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NEEDS FOR THE ABOVE PLANS: 

Current goal: accrue points for US trips, 2026 South Pacific islands travel, and 2026 Hawaii + Iceland trip. Need to do a cost-point analysis for all flights/points schemes - maybe through Miles and More and/or Point.Me, however, it looks like I still need:

United: 262,811 (never expire)

Delta: 43,314 (never expire)

Air NZ: 1,002.98 (never expire)

Hawaiian & Alaskan Airlines (Atmos): 203,399 (never expire)

Southwest Airlines: 93,843 (never expire)

JetBlue: 58,353 (never expire) 

American: 110,633 (exp Nov 2026)

Qantas: 35,983 (expire May 2027). 18 month expiration. Earn miles using Countdown/Woolworths rewards to extend miles. Book AirBnB via Qantas site to earn points/renew expiry date. Or convert points from Capital One or buy 1,000 points for ~$56 AUD. Cheapest/easiest way is to buy a $10 gift card to Kobo. Currently I can get a round trip ticket to Christchurch, Wellington using 16K points, or Queenstown for $40 NZD using up 24K points (it doesn't give good value for the points!).

Southwest: 93,843 - DONE but apply for more cc's for stretch goals

• ~22K for inter-island Hawai'i flights: DONE
  
• ~5.5K HNL <--> KOA, OGG, LIH each way, wanna get away plus fares
•  Can go Big Island, then Maui, then Kauai'i and back to HNL for ~22K points.
• *Stretch goal: 22K more for friend's interisland flights
• *Extra stretch goal: need 47K more for friend's flight to/from SFO or LAX
  
  

Singapore Krisflyer: 49,800 - DONE but can apply for more cc's if these are lowest miles spend

• 17.5K miles to fly HNL --> Hometown US DONE
  
• 27.5K miles to fly Hometown US --> Iceland via EWR DONE
• Also look at Singapore air points, 19.5K for a West Coast --> HI flight. DONE
• Convert other Chase/Citi/AMEX/Capital One points to Krisflyer points if these are the lowest miles spend available. 
• Here is how to find award flights on Singapore Air. Link 2. 
  
  

British Airways Avios: 162,434 - DONE but can apply for more cc's if they are lowest spend

• ~27K miles to fly Iceland --> East Coast US w/ a stopover in London to see friend: DONE
• stretch goal: 27K more to get friend from Iceland to East Coast. DONE
  
• can convert Capital One points to Avios at a 1:1 ratio. 
• *Look into converting Capital One Venture points to BA Avios to cover West Coast --> Hawaii flights for friend. Reportedly 13K miles for flights instead of 35K Hawaiian miles. DONE 
• can convert AMEX Membership Rewards points to BA Avios at 1:1 ratio.
  
• cc to apply for: British Airways Visa Signature card. 100K points for $5K spend in 3 months. $95 annual fee. 10% BA flights booked through specific website link. $100 statement credit for flight to London. (latter two perks to be redeemed to get friend a cheaper flight). Card eligibility: cannot have card or have rec'd bonus in past 24 months.

HawaiianMiles: 203,399 - DONE but can apply for more cc's; Alaska Air: 73K miles - DONE + Stretch Goal: DONE

• Alaska: 30K miles to fly from East Coast US --> Iceland as they code-share with IcelandAir
  
• stretch goal: 60K+ ideal 
• Alaska: 17.5K miles to fly from HNL --> Vancouver for friend. Extra stretch goal.

• Hawaiian: 40K miles to fly from Auckland to Honolulu: DONE
• Hawaiian: 35K miles to fly friend to/from West Coast and Honolulu, round trip: DONE but probably can use Krisflyer or BA Avios for cheaper flights.
  
• Hawaiian: can convert AMEX Membership Rewards points to HI miles at a 1:1 ratio.
  
• Hawaiian: cc to apply for: Hawaiian Mastercard. 60K miles for $2K spend. Eligible in 24 months. (From when?)
  

Air NZ: 1,002 - NOT DONE

• ~750 airpoints to get to Honolulu from Auckland one-way
• ~1000  airpoints to get round trip to Rarotonga (Cook Islands) 
• Aitutaki round trip to/from Rarotonga: to be booked on Air Rarotonga
  
  

JetBlue: 58K - DONE

• ~40K points to fly to cities directly from hometown to see J (~20K roundtrip). May also be able to use other cc points to fly on other airlines for same/better rates, so need to check around. DONE
• Can convert AMEX Membership Rewards points to JetBlue at a 250:200 ratio. 
  
• JetBlue Plus card: 60K points for $1K spend in 3 mo. $99 annual fee. 
• JetBlue Business card: 80K points for $2K spend in 3 mo. $99 annual fee.
• Applied Sept 29. conditional approval but got letter needing my ID too late so they closed my app. Tried applying again and was instantly rejected. Not sure what is going on?!
• Oct 2024: finally approved!! Just need to spend $1K in 3 mo and bank 50K points
• 50K points awarded 24 Dec 2024.
  
• 
  
  

United: always need more points - apply for more cc's

• 80K+ miles to fly round trip US and back to NZ. Best choice for US-NZ flights.
• cc: United Explorer Mileage Plus Explorer: 60K for $3K spend in 3 mo; $95 annual fee waived first year.
  
• United Club Infinite: $5K for 100K points. $525 annual fee. United Club membership to lounges. Two free passes to lounges. $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck fees (mine expires in 2024). 1st and 2nd bags free. Good card to get before traveling.  
• United Quest card: $4K for 70K points in 3 mo. $250 annual fee.
  

American: always need more points - apply for more cc's if needed

• 80K+ miles to fly round trip US and back. CC bonuses available from: 
• Barclay AAdvantage Aviator (churning rules are unclear) and 
• CitiBank / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard (available after 48 mo of last receiving the bonus. Last bonus in Feb 2018, applied in Dec 2025).  

Delta: always need more points - apply for more cc's if eligible

• 90K+ miles to fly round trip US and back to NZ. Best used for flights w/i US. 
• cc's: the AMEX Membership Rewards points transfer 1:1 to Delta, however, you can receive the bonus points only once per lifetime.
  
• AMEX Gold: 75K for $4K in 3 mo. $250 annual fee.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Airline Conversion Partners / Good cc's to earn points

• Citi Thank You points: Singapore, Qantas, JetBlue
  
• Citi Premier card: 60K for $4K in 3 mo. $95 annual fee.
  
• Capital One Rewards Miles: BA, Qantas, Singapore
  
• Capital One Venture Miles Rewards: 75K points for $4K spend in 3 mo. $95 annual fee. 
• Chase Ultimate Rewards: United, BA, Singapore, JetBlue
  
• any of the Chase branded cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred: 80K points for $4K spend in 3 mo. $95 annual fee. Eligible again in Sept 2022.
  
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: 50K points for $4K spend in 3 mo. $525 annual fee. 
  
• American Express Membership Rewards: US: Delta, Hawaiian, Singapore, BA, JetBlue, Qantas; NZ: Air NZ
  
• US: AMEX Gold: 75K for $4K in 3 mo. $250 annual fee.
• NZ: AMEX platinum, spend $1.5K in first 3 months, get 500 Air NZ miles. Applied in 2022.
  
  
• They all can be converted to Singapore KrisFlyer at a 1:1 ratio, then used on any Star Alliance and many other airlines, like Air NZ. Here is how to find award flights on Singapore Air. But BEWARE - Krisflyer points expire 3 years after they are earned, with only one chance to extend the expiry by 6 months.
  
  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Manufactured Spending Tips:

Can buy VISA gift cards at Staples to meet min spend, get 5X points, and liquidate via Walmart BillPay). Here are other tips for applying. Could also loan $$ to Kiva and pull out cash after 1 round.  Also plan to charge work expenses to the card and get reimbursed. Here is the full guide to Manufactured Spending. 

****************************************************
Since Chase has some god-awful new rule about opening more than 5 credit cards every 2 years, plus you now have to wait 48 months between bonus awards for cards in the Chase Sapphire family in order to qualify again. I have to be much more careful now. I need to figure out how many I've applied for and keep track of my cc apps:

CREDIT CARD HISTORY AND TRACKING LOG

2025

US

1. Capital One Venture Rewards. Applied 23 July 2025. Instantly approved. Card received by 1 August 2025. 75K miles for $4K spend in 3 months. $95 annual fee. I applied for this card because I want to start building longer credit on more cards and I like Capital One. The points also transfer to many of my expiring mileage programs (BA, Qantas). I intend on getting the miles, then downgrading this card to the free VentureOne Rewards version, and keeping that card for a long while. Need to cancel by June 2026. 
   
   
2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus. Applied 23 July 2025. Instantly approved. Card received by 1 August 2025. 40K miles for $1K spend in 3 months. $69 annual fee. I applied for this card to reach my stretch travel goals - specifically, I can use them for inter-island flights in Hawai'i. Need to cancel by June 2026.

NZ

2024

US

I didn't apply for any cc's in 2024. Removed from 5/24 cc list: 

1. British Airways Visa Signature card approved 7 Dec 2022. 75K points for $5K spend in 3 months. $95 annual fee. Spend to be applied to Nov US trip for family wedding for 3 people. (Was DENIED Alaska Air card (50K points for $2K spend, $75 annual fee) on Dec 6 2022.) Points awarded on Feb 17 2023. Need to cancel by end Nov 2024. CLOSED 19 June 2023. Remove from list Dec 2024. 
   

NZ

Applied and received: 

1. Westpac no fee, no foreign fee cc. APPLIED 5 SEPT 2024 (for $500 worth of credit). Conditionally approved. Final approved 10 Oct 2014 for $3K, had to bring in my ID and documents twice. Received 23 Oct 2024.
   
2. Wise Debit card 5 SEPT 2024. Have both physical and digital debit cards - need to add to Google pay to use digital version.
   
   

Applied and rejected:

• AMEX no fee cc. It offers 1 Air NZ airpoint per $100 spent, with a bonus 50 airpoints with a $750 spend in the first 3 months. APPLIED 24 AUG 2024. REJECTED 30 AUG 2024. They do not include my stipend or any other 'non-payslip' income in my total income, and plus I probably have too much credit available in the above two credit cards, so therefore I was rejected. I give up on this for now. I will use my ANZ airpoints and then close that credit card - I do not want to pay for the annual fee any longer. 

2023

US - no cc's applied for

NZ

Applied and received: 

AMEX no fee cc. It offers 1 Air NZ airpoint per $100 spent, with a bonus 50 airpoints with a $750 spend in the first 3 months. This is a BETTER RATE than the cc I currently have, which offers 1 Air NZ airpoint per $110 spent!! and the fee is $150/year. Why? APPLIED 29 JULY 2023, should find out if I'm approved in 5-10 biz days. Verdict: rejected. Need to apply again after getting rid of high limit ANZ card. 

 

2022

US

1.  Capital One Venture Miles Rewards: applied 26 May 2022. 75K points for $4K min spend in 3 mo. $95 annual fee. Can convert points to miles (Avios, Qantas). APPROVED 26 May 2022. Need to cancel by end April 2023. Remove from list June 2024.  [Applied for Chase Sapphire (22 May 2022; denied - not 48 mo since last bonus awarded) and then Chase United Explorer (25 May 2022; denied - applied for too many cards too close in a row). So applied for this card on 26 May 2022]
2. Applied Alaska Air cc, 50K points for $2K spend, $75 annual fee. applied 5 Dec 2022. denied.
3. British Airways Visa Signature card approved 7 Dec 2022. 100K points for $5K spend in 3 months. $95 annual fee. Spend to be applied to Nov US trip for family wedding for 3 people. (Was DENIED Alaska Air card (50K points for $2K spend, $75 annual fee) on Dec 6 2022.) Need to cancel by end Nov 2024. Remove from list Dec 2024. CLOSED June 19 2023 by accident.
4. Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card applied & APPROVED 30 Sept 2023. 60K points for $3K spend in first 3 months (by end 2023). $95 annual fee. Need to cancel by end Aug 2024. NOPE - they closed my card due to "fraud" ??? V. odd.
   
5. JetBlue Plus card awaiting approval 30 Sept 2023. 40K points for $1K spend in first 3 months. $99 annual fee. They also needed me to verify my identity but I got the letter requesting IDs too late and they closed my application. Oh well.

NZ

1. AMEX platinum, spend $1.5K in first 3 months, get 500 Air NZ miles. Eligible for NZ AMEX bonus in June 2021 (closed AMEX account 4 November 2019); eligible for bonuses 18 months after closing date of last statement on card: "Card Members who currently hold or who have previously held any other Card product offered by American Express International (NZ), Inc. in the preceding 18 month period are ineligible for this offer."). Applied 26 May 2022. asked for follow up info that I didn't supply.
   

2021

US

1. CLOSED; Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic: opened 25 Sept 2018 CLOSED Sept 2021 by Synchrony Bank
2. Barclay AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard: Applied 25 July 2021 via Barclay. Approved instantly. 60K miles for first purchase within 90 days (DONE), $99 annual fee waived first year. Points awarded 24 August 2021. Need to cancel by end June 2022. CLOSED 8 June 2022. Remove from list 1 August 2023.
3. Barclay Hawaiian Airlines Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard: Applied 25 July 2021 via Barclay. Approved 26 July. 70K miles for $2K spend in first 90 days, $99 annual fee. Need to cancel by end June 2022. Total spent as of 30 Sept: $2033 (100+%). Points rewarded 24 Oct. 2021. CLOSED 29 June 2022. Remove from list 1 August 2023. 

2021 goals

The only travel for this year will be (at most) to the US to see my family. I will need to secure a place in MIQ before I can do that, though. I am trying to finish up my PhD and hand in my thesis mid-2023.

1. Book US travel (flights to US done (but keep getting cancelled, flights back to NZ not done)
2. Book MIQ isolation hotel for 2 weeks after return to NZ. NO LONGER NEEDED
   
3. Apply for new cc for trip and use to book MIQ hotel.
   
4. Cancel Southwest card before April 2021. DONE. Cancelled 11 Mar 2021.
   

1. Barclay's AAdvantage Business (American Air): $1K spend for 65K points. $95 annual fee. AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Business Mastercard. Applied for 60K points for first purchas.
2. Hawaiian airlines redo: 70K miles for $2K. Applied. $2K for 70K points and $99 annual fee.
   

Update: I did not travel in 2021.

2020

US

1. CLOSED: Southwest Airlines: Applied April 10 2020. Approved instantly. 40K points for $1K spend in first 3 months. $69 annual fee. Used to buy home office equipment. Points awarded May 2020. Need to cancel end March 2021. CANCELED March 11 2021. Removed from list May 2022. 

2020 Goals: 

Use United points built up during 2019 spending. I'll apply for maybe a BA card or something to get me around Iceland and Europe, as I plan to do a big trip before moving back to the US in 2023. Assuming the world hasn't ended by then...

--US work trip to Arizona, tack on 1 week trip home afterward. Will need to use airmiles to get from AZ to East Coast and from East Coast to the West Coast (work will pay for me to a) get to AZ and b) get from the West Coast to NZ). canceled due to COVID

--Try to cancel AMEX card--ask for them to match this offer: 200 airpoints for sign on bonus ($195 annual fee, need to cancel card and wait 2 years to be eligible for sign on bonus). 

--Accrue airmiles for a 2024 trip to Iceland/Europe. I have a lot of options for which cards to apply for:

1. Southwest (40K points for $1K spend),  

 

2019

US

1. Chase Ink Business Preferred. 80K points for $5K spending in 3 months. 23 July = app date. 29 July = account added to online accounts. June 29 2020 = award miles added to United account.

2019 Goals: 

1. Use 80K United points for 2019 US trip. Update: 40K was used for 2019; there were no award flights in March for 3 +/- weeks around my ideal travel date in Sept, so I bit the bullet and paid $1K NZD for my ideal return flight, rather than 1. cut my US trip and time with my parents short or 2. have to ask for 2 months off of work for the second year in a row.
2. Downgrade Chase Sapphire Reserve or cancel by May 2019 to avoid the annual fee ($450 annual fee). Update: no--use $300 travel credit in June, THEN xfer air points and cancel card. Update 2: Card is cancelled as of June 2019, after using up the $300 travel credit.
3. Check all airmiles statuses and re-up in June and November. For Hawaiian, either buy 500 miles or make sure I do an online survey to renew the date, or do a survey when in the US.
4. Wipe sister's fraud off of my 3 credit reports. Sister opened card and added me as authorized user August 2018. In the process of removing this from my credit reports as this counts as an opened account and counts against my Chase 5/24 limit. Feb 9 2019: my credit reports are now clean of this record.
5. In mid-July 2019: applied for Chase Ink Business preferred for 80K points for 5K spending in 3 months. Applied 23 July, account added online by 29 July. Earned 85K points on 22 Sept 2019.

2018

US

1. I applied for a card at Barclay Elite Mastercard AAdvantage that gives 60K points with first purchase and $95 annual fee on 3 December 2017. UPDATE 19 Dec: they asked for proof of address; I sent that in; should be approved within 30 days. Called and got approved 16 January 2018. Points awarded Feb 2018. to cancel after July 2018 credit card app. Sent notice of closure message on 5 August 2018.

2. On 30 May 2018, I applied for chase Sapphire reserve that gives 50K airmiles for $4K spend in 3 months; $300 travel credit; $100 towards Global Entry app; $450 annual fee. Will use for LASIK charge of $5800 NZD to meet min spend. Approved 5-7 June; activated card 22 June. Met spending requirement $4K with LASIK. Eligible for Chase Sapphire again: ~August 2022.

3. On 25 Sept 2018, I applied for an Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic card to save $300 on a shop. This was not the plan and out of the ordinary--my dad has leukemia and I think I was slightly out of it when I agreed--I definitely forgot about my CC Plan and the 5/24 rule. Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic opened 25 Sept 2018.

2017

US 

1. Chase Ink Business Preferred. Applied for 3 April 2017, approved 12 April 2017. $5K spend for 80K Chase points done and earned by July 2017. DONE. 

2016 

US 

1. Dec 21 2016:  Applied for Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer for 50K points for a $2K spend. DONE.

2. Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard. Applied 23 July 2016. 50K points for $1K spend in next 3 months. Instantly approved. DONE. CLOSED: Barclay's US Bank/HI card: Jul 23, 2016  

15 July 2016. DENIED DUE TO TOO MANY OPEN CARDS IN PAST 2 YEARS: Chase MileagePlus Explorer: $2K min spend for 50K airmiles.

2015

US
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred (min. spend met! 45K points). Opened July 17 2015; Points awarded October 2015

2. LANpass Visa Signature (min. spend met! Sept 2015; 20K points) Opened Aug 2015; Points awarded October 2015; CANCELLED May 2016

3. Chase Explorer Business ($2K min. spend; applied Oct 11 2015; APPROVED 14 October; 50K points) Min. spend met November 2015. Points awarded Dec 2015. CANCELLED May 2016; Re-eligible Dec 2017 [Note: Biz cards apparently don't count towards the 5/24 rule.]

New Zealand
ANZ Air NZ airpoints card.   Cancel by Oct 2016

Qantas ANZ Visa Platinum: applied Nov 13 2015. (20K points; $1K NZD min. spend; apply by 31 Dec; first year fee waived). Approved 25 November 2015. Min spend half met mid-December. Cancel by nov 2016

2014

AMEX Delta SkyMiles opened Sept 2014

Citibank AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard opened Nov 2014 (closed 17 Oct 2015)

Barclays US Airways Premier World opened Aug 2014

AMEX Delta SkyMiles Business opened Sept 2014

2013

Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Business (reward: Sept 2013)

Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer (Reward: April 2013)

2012

Chase British Airways

2011

Chase United Mileage Plus

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Closed accounts:

• Churnable now as bonus was awarded >24 months ago:
• Chase British Airways: opened July 2012; second wave of bonus points hit account maybe July 2013; closed June 2014. Eligible for bonus after July 2015.

• Churnable at a later date?/After a few years/account closure:
• Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer (personal): applied Feb 3 2012) CANCELLED DECEMBER 10 2012; opened Feb 2013; points probably awarded by June 2013; closed Feb 2014. Reapplied Dec 2016. March 2017 50K bonus awarded. closed 19 December 2017. Need to wait 24 months after receiving bonus to reapply. CLOSED: Chase United Explorer: Dec 21, 2016; eligible for points again April 2019. Applied 25 May 2022.
  
• Chase United Mileage Plus Explorer Business: Churned 2015/cancelled May 2016; Eligible for bonus after Dec 2017. 80K points awarded July 2017. Re eligible for bonus in July 2019.
• Chase Ink Biz: Apr 3, 2017. 80K points earned July 2017. Eligible for bonus July 2019. Reapplied 23 July 2019. Accepted by 29 July. Need to spend $5K by 23 Oct for 80K points.
• Citi/Barclays AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard: applied 3 Dec 2017. Rec'd bonus in Feb 2018. Closed account in Jan 2019. Eligible again in 48 months from bonus: Feb 2022.  
• Chase Southwest Airlines: Applied April 10 2020. Approved instantly. 40K points for $1K spend in first 3 months. $69 annual fee. Used to buy home office equipment. Points awarded May 2020. Need to cancel end March 2021. CANCELED March 11 2021. Remove from list May 2022. 
• CLOSED: May 30 2018: applied for Chase Sapphire Reserve. Got 30 day notice. Notice of credit check by credit karma on 2 June. 5 June = Reserve added to my Chase accounts. Approved officially via email 7 June. Activated 22 June. Met min spend with LASIK late July. Canceled June 2019. Eligible for new application 48 months after bonus points were added to account: Sept 2022. Remove from list June 2020. 

• Unchurnable (aka You're Dead To Me):
• AMEX Delta SkyMiles: opened Sept 2014. CLOSED
• AMEX Delta SkyMiles Business: opened Sept 2014; CLOSED SEPT 2015

Other closed accounts (for record-keeping):

• Barclays US Airways Premier World: opened August 2014; CLOSED OCT 2015
• Citibank AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard: opened Nov 2014; CLOSED OCT 2015; Eligible 24 months after account closure, in November 2017. 
• CLOSED: Chase Ink Biz: Apr 3, 2017. 80K points earned July 2017. Eligible for bonus July 2019. Remove from list July 2019.
• CLOSED: Barclays AAdvantage Aviator^® Red World Elite Mastercard card: December 3, 2017 (approved 16 Jan 2018) AAdvantage that gives 60K points with first purchase and $95 annual fee on 3 December 2017. Called 16 Jan and got approved. POINTS awarded Feb 15 2018. Close after approvals for 2 cards in May & September 2018. Sent message to close account 5 Aug 2018; account finally closed January 2019. Remove from list Jan 2020. 
• Chase Ink Biz: Reapplied 23 July 2019. Accepted by 29 July. Need to spend $5K by 23 Oct for 80K points. Re-eligible 24 months from bonus awarded. Advice sites say it does NOT count toward my 5/24 count (but they check that before they approve your app--it just doesn't count going forward for other Chase card apps) Bonus received 22 September 2019. CANCELLED 21 June 2020. Eligible for bonus again in October 2021.  
• Chase United Explorer - applied 29 June 2022. 60K points for $3K in 3 mo. $0 annual fee for first year. Activated 31 July 2022. [Applied for JetBlue Plus Mastercard: applied 25 June 2022. 50K points for $1K min spend in 3 mo. $99 annual fee. check status. (Was DENIED JetBlue World Elite Business card, applied 21 June 2022, 80K points for $2K spend in 3 mo, $99 annual fee - not sure of reason).] CLOSED 20 JUNE 2023. Remove from list August 2024.

SBS no fee cc. No fee, and cashback @ $1 per $150 spent. APPLIED 29 JULY 2023, got conditional approval. Received card after a lot of rigmarole sending bank statements and rental leases etc in Sept 2023 for $3.5K limit.  

Applied and rejected: