rfchisholm

My baby girl just got engaged! Wedding in the fall of 2017. My wife and I have budgeted and committed to a fixed amount, but rather than just writing them a check, I'd like to maximize my Ultimate Rewards points in the process.

(If this is not the best place for this post ... i'll take suggestions for other forums to post this.)

Here are a couple ideas I have. I welcome input from others:

1. Teach them about CCd and Miles, so they can have points built up for honeymoon travel. (i.e. Chase Sapph Reserve 100,000). In other words, let them maximize their own points from their spend.

2. Buy VGCs and let her spend these.

3. Cherry pick specific expense items (i.e. tuxedos) that will take my CCd.

4. Use my CCd for as much as I can ... and have them pay me back for portion(s) greater than my commitment.

SoloExperiment

Buying VGC and having them spend those is a dick move - vendors will get pissed off very quickly and it will stress everyone out. Give them your credit info and have them itemize charges in a spreadsheet you can track of the spending amounts

canyoncar

Who cares? If you're spending thousands on a wedding, why does it matter how they get paid.

OP, best way is to just pay directly w/ CC for whatever you can, unless you're getting category spend on VGC

Chelski

Spending for a wedding isn't M/S. You should post in a thread specifically tied to a card type or program.

ibleed0range

I would tell them to pay for their own wedding. That's probably why I don't currently have any children.

Prometheus77

I have to agree. Not the forum for this. If you have the ability to organically spend thousands of dollars with CCs and you can't figure out the most profitable way to do in regards to CC rewards I'd hate to see what your MS game looks like.

tcook052

As this far more a general credit card program query than a Manufactured Spending specific topic it's been relocated to the Credit Card Programs forum for further discussion.

tcook052
MS forum moderator

philemer

Good idea but they may not qualify for cards if they are young and/or have a "young" credit history.


maybe

yup

Do NOT spend more than you have committed to. Bad lesson.

darthbimmer

My thoughts on these approaches:

1) Depends on how sophisticated your daughter already is with credit cards. Maximizing CC rewards is an advanced topic that few people overall care about. Don't make this the primary lesson if she's not eager to learn it.

2) Buying, keeping track of, and getting various vendors to take a stack of VGCs is potentially a hassle.

3) Simply putting down your credit card for expenses is a simple solution, especially if your daughter cares little about CC rewards (see #1). But do include all expenses on the spreadsheet regardless of whose card they go on. Overall budget planning is a valid lesson to be teaching here.

4) I don't know your personal relationship with your daughter and her fiance, but my approach would NOT be to hand them a pile of money. Instead I would a) set my limit and describe it to them, b) advise them as they make decisions on how to budget their expenses whether they stay under my limit or choose to supplement it with their own money, and c) directly pay for agreed-upon items up to my limit.

garykung

The following confuses me:

Who will exactly pay for the wedding?

If OP is paying, I see no issue when OP pockets all the UR. But my advice to OP is as soon as it is within the set budget, OP should not intervene the planning and allow the baby girl to take control. Even I am not married (yet), planning a wedding is a good learning opportunity IME. OP is welcome to teach any CC tricks when OP sees fit.

If OP is not paying at all, OP should teach any CC tricks when OP sees fit only. OP should never get himself involved because of the UR opportunity, as it can seriously mess things up easily.

The lesson - keep in simple.

rfchisholm

Thank you to those that provided a bit of feedback, ... and even to those spreading a bit of negativity. (77)

Yes ... We have committed to a SET amount, and don't intend to overspend that.
Yes ... This will serve as her final lesson in budgeting from her parents.
Yes ... Spreadsheet was constructed this weekend ... and tracking begins.
Appears as if best plan is to simply use my CCd where possible, deducting from committed amount. We'll capture points where we can.

This is my first wedding ... simply looking for ideas from those who may have been down this path before.

Thanks again.

dukerau

Are you or your wife going to feel guilty and allow going over budget? How much of the costs do you realistically thing will be payable by CC? Consider the rewards you can accrue on that spend vs the benefits of aligning everyone's interests - writing your daughter a check incentivizes her and her future spouse to stay within budget and evaluate every expense since they get to keep the leftover if they stay under budget.

darthbimmer

I think that's the right approach-- taking the mindset of "capture points where we can". The alternative, gunning hard to maximize CC points from the wedding, could be a major turnoff to your daughter, prospective son in law, wife, and other close family members.

Note well what I wrote a few posts above about how most people don't care about milking CCs for rewards points. It's a frequent topic of conversation here on FlyerTalk. "I'm trying to get my spouse/sibling/friend/colleague to see how many thousands of dollars they're leaving on the table by not playing the CC points game but they just keep telling me to shut up about it! What's wrong with them?" What's wrong is thinking that any given person shares our interest and priority in this game. Most don't.

Think how that would play out with close family members if they aren't 100% on board with your plan. Imagine your daughter going over the wedding photos when she gets back from honeymoon.... "Here's us sharing a slice of wedding cake... And there's Daddy in the background arguing with the caterers about which credit card they were supposed to bill so he could earn an extra 5,000 AA points."

Don't be that kind of father of the bride. Offer the idea of milking CCs but be ready to back-burner it if they're not interested.

And best wishes to the bride- and groom-to-be.

garykung

I have been involved in several wedding. IME, many of those will involve arguments eventually. I simply want to give you a head-up what you may face.