A pair of balance 15 credit cards without debt, saved nearly $ 500,000

Jingling 15 credit cards may seem excessive, but Air Force officers and Britney Sturgis use them strategically to earn benefits and create credit – just one of the disciplined habits that helped them save Nearly $ 500,000 They have 20.

“We never carry a balance,” says Quinn, a 30-year-old pilot. “No matter what the balance was for the previous settlement period, it is automatically obtained by the next billing cycle.”

By doing this, they avoid interest payments, making the maximum benefit of their cards, including earning rewards, air and modernization of flights and hotels.

Spouses – both located at the Travis Air Force Base in California – primarily use several cards for everyday purchases, such as their Chase Freedom or American Express Gold Card. Less often the couple uses your Costco card for gas and their Hilton Honors Aspire Card to reserve hotels.

As participants of the military service of the active service, they also use the refusals of annual payments on their premium cards, reducing costs and facilitating the maximum reward.

In addition to cash rewards, the final benefits often cover significant costs. “We make a lot of family trips paid for in points,” says Quinn, including a recent flight of business class from San Francisco to London, completely covered with the airline.

These advantages help them stretch their budget. They put about 30% of their income for investment.

The couple’s ability to manage so number of credit cards is impressive, says Betsy Hutchors, Certified Financial Planner in Tennessee. “I applaud them for the ability to maximize the credit card preference to my advantage,” she says. “Where they pay them every month.”

If there is an unpaid balance, it can lead to high-interest debt-tariffs Average more than 20% – Credit cards offer advantages over debit cards. These include stronger protection, such as zero responsibility for fraud and simpler disputes about the collection, making them a reasonable choice for everyday costs. A great credit limit can also Help increase your credit score.

Given this, wearing 15 cards is “not for everyone”, – says Noah Liu, CFP in Los -Andeles.

While Quinn and Britney effectively increase financial awards, “squeezing these last few credit card points” may not be “optimal from a practical point of view, because it is such a pain to manage and track,” he says.

And the management of 15 credit cards – which Quinn calls “hobbies” – requires a significant organization and financial discipline, which is not all care.

While the Sturg family “sounds incredibly disciplined in how they use consumer loan,” a lot of will and records are required to support 15 credit cards without a permanent balance, “Hutchys says.

For most people, she recommends wearing no more than four credit cards. Otherwise it becomes “hairy” for a typical borrower.

But “Obviously, the assault is not typical that worked on them,” says Hutchys.

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