Chase Freedom Unlimited +$75 rewards
Amex Gold Card −$325 fee · $80 perks used
Apple Card −$735 interest
§01 · see where it goes
See where it goes.Every store, every fee.
whose year · net last year
“three cards, no idea which one to use”
Jordan spent $23,785 last year.Here is where it went.
month 1month 4month 8month 12keep scrolling ↓
$2,761
spent by the end of November
hover a store
Amazon
online retail
$961
last year
13
purchases · $74 each
Right card here
Chase Freedom Unlimited · 1.5×
month by month · top store each month
biggest month: Aug, $2,767
$2,010
Nov
$1,865
Dec
$1,586
Jan
$1,891
Feb
$1,859
Mar
$2,215
Apr
$2,193
May
$1,542
Jun
$2,228
Jul
$2,767
Aug
$2,274
Sep
$602
Oct*
* only part of this month is in the year shown
Recurring charges
$2,208/yr
T-Mobile
every 30 days · right card: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Spectrum
every 30 days · right card: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Netflix
every 30 days · right card: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Spotify
every 30 days · right card: Chase Freedom Unlimited
Hulu
every 30 days · right card: Chase Freedom Unlimited
§02 · stop the leaks
Stop the leaks.Each one with its fix.
Monte found $735 a year leakingout of Jordan's wallet.
Interest on the Apple Card
$2,800 carried at 26.24% APR, more than every card in the wallet earned.
−$735
a year
§03 · spend it right
Spend it right.The right card for every purchase.
Jordan left $104 on the table.Same purchases, cards already in the wallet.
as paidmovingon the right cardkeep scrolling ↓
Rewards as paid
$553
+$0 from the same purchases
Chase Freedom UnlimitedAmex Gold CardApple Card
Chase Freedom Unlimited
Amex Gold Card
Apple Card
Flip to “On the right card” to move each purchase.
groceries
dining
airfare
everything else
off the card with a balance
§04 · plan the next move
Plan the next move,in the order that saves the most.
Clear the Apple Card in 13 months.Before any new card.
$250
Today$2,800 leftno interest yet
- $250 a month
- 13 months
- interest
- −$447
- minimums
- 12 yr 3 mo
- interest at minimums
- −$4,498
once it's paid off · a typical year, right card
still owing−$307
paid off+$521
then add
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards
+$57 a typical year
as paidthe right cardpaid offkeep scrolling ↓
§05 · next year ×1000
Same cards. Same spending.A thousand next years.
01As Jordan paid.
$ monte solve --wallet jordan --next-year --runs 10000 / 1,000 years
simulating 1,000 years
§06 · look back
Look back.The year, wrapped.
Tap through Jordan's year.
Jordan's year
576 purchases.$23,785 on 3 cards.
1 / 8tap →
§07 · how it works
How it works.Math on the card companies' published terms.
Follow one purchase through the math.
- 01576purchases
- 0214categories
- 0329card rulebooks
- 04$656.83rewards, right card
- 05−$427.03net last year
check: running…
$ monte trace jordan-434
- purchase
- 2026-08-06 · Sweetgreen · $41.53
- store code
- 5812 → category dining
- right card
- Amex Gold Card: 4x dining (cap $50,000/year) → $41.53 × 4 × 1¢ = $1.66 · source americanexpress.com, checked 2026-10-17
- card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited: 3x dining → $41.53 × 3 × 1¢ = $1.25 · source creditcards.chase.com, checked 2026-10-17
- card
- Apple Card: 2x on everything → $41.53 × 2 × 1¢ = $0.83 · off limits: carries a balance · source apple.com, checked 2026-10-17
- as paid
- on the Apple Card → $0.83
- verdict
- $0.83 left on the table: the Amex Gold Card was the right card