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Here’s How You Should Play the Credit Card Game Without Overloading Your Wallet

Dear Clever Credit,

I’m new to credit cards and want to earn rewards. But it’s way more complicated than I expected! Between all the categories, different rewards rates and annual fees, I’m getting dizzy. How is someone supposed to play the credit card game without getting a headache?

Signed,

Credit Card Migraine

Dear Migraine,

So the credit card game is exhausting. If you want to get the most out of your rewards, you need to do math, have multiple credit cards so you can take advantage of transfer partners and supplemental rewards earning, and keep track of rotating/custom categories. It also helps to scour Reddit forums for tips on sign-up bonuses, card pairings and more. It truly is like having a part-time job.

If you think that sounds way too tiresome, you’re not the only one. Earning rewards on your credit cards can be simple — you just have to look at your spending.

[Read: Best Credit Cards.]

How Many Credit Cards Should I Have?

If you don’t want to overload your wallet, my rule of thumb is no more than three or four credit cards. And give each of them a job. Match each to your spending habits, not the other way around. Ask yourself where you spend the most.

Do you DoorDash every weekend, or do you prefer to cook at home? Do you buy most of your things online and want to earn rewards on those purchases? Because you can! What about bills you don’t really think about, like utilities and subscriptions? Yup, there’s a credit card for that, too.

What Credit Cards Should I Get?

This answer is going to be different for everyone. For example, I would never recommend a credit card with an annual fee to someone who just wants to earn cash back.

Figure out what type of rewards you want to earn — cash back or points and miles — and then give them jobs. These are the jobs I like to give my credit cards:

— Food. There are two types of food when it comes to credit cards — dining out and groceries. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find a credit card that earns the same in both categories — like the American Express® Gold Card — but it’s not necessary if you favor one over the other.

— Travel. If you only travel a handful of times a year, you don’t need a premium travel card with an exorbitant annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, lets you earn five points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Travel? portal and comes with an annual fee of $95.

— Everything else. This is basically where I put my flat-rate cash back credit card, like the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card. It earns 2% cash back on every purchase, so it requires zero brain power (making it my favorite).

Credit Rules to Live by

These are just some general credit rules to live by as you get started on your credit journey:

— Treat your credit card like your debit card. Only spend when you know you have the cash to back it up. Otherwise, it’s a slippery slope into credit card debt.

— Use your credit card for purchases you were already going to make. A lot of consumers can see that line of credit calling to them and may want to make a large purchase they wouldn’t normally make. By giving your cards a job, you can mitigate that.

— Keep your credit lines open. If you have a credit card that doesn’t earn much in the way of rewards but you’ve had it open for a while, don’t close it. Put your monthly subscriptions — like Spotify, Book of the Month and any others — on that credit card. This way, activity is still being logged, and you’re not spending extra to do it.

[Read: Credit Cards With No Annual Fee]

Just take things one step at a time and start with your costliest category. Once you get your biggest spend category out of the way, you can fill your wallet with supplemental credit cards that keep you earning on every purchase. Good luck!

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Here’s How You Should Play the Credit Card Game Without Overloading Your Wallet originally appeared on usnews.com

Shredded iceberg lettuce sold at Taco Bell linked to cyclospora outbreak

(CNN) — Shredded iceberg lettuce sold at some Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis in five states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and US Food and Drug Administration said.“Do not eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia,” the CDC said in its investigation update.Cases of the intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite are surging across the US, with nearly 7,000 cases confirmed or under investigation since May 1, according to data published Tuesday by the CDC. States have reported at least 141 hospitalizations.The outbreak linked to the lettuce, however, is considered to be a regional one, centered in the Midwest. The CDC has identified at least 1,644 cases associated with the outbreak across the five affected states. The FDA says additional states may be added as the investigation continues.CDC and FDA did not identify the lettuce supplier, but a source familiar with the investigation told CNN it was Taylor Farms. FDA said the lettuce was grown in Mexico, and it’s working with the supplier to “determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market.” Taylor Farms did not respond to CNN’s request for comment Thursday.The Michigan state health department has reported more than 4,300 cases of cyclospora during the outbreak investigation. Michigan said it has interviewed more than 1,000 people as part of its investigation and had previously reported that lettuce or salad greens may be a potential source for the outbreak.The state health department said that it “cannot say with certainty that every illness is linked to the same source of exposure” but that the concentrated, sharp increase in cases “strongly suggests that the vast majority of these illnesses are associated with the same outbreak.” This would make it the largest cyclospora outbreak in the US on record.“Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states,” the company said in a statement Thursday. “The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.”Cyclosporiasis is not usually spread directly from person to person. Instead, people can become infected by consuming contaminated food or water. Previous outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce, the CDC says.People with cyclosporiasis may have symptoms that include watery diarrhea, cramping and bloating for weeks.Federal health officials said there are multiple investigations underway, some tied to the large outbreak in the Midwest, some involving single states and some involving cases not yet tied to any cluster.Taylor Farms supplies grocery stores and restaurants across the country, although it’s unclear exactly how many of its products and which locations may be affected.Taylor Farms produce has also been linked with previous illness outbreaks, including E. coli cases tied to slivered onions in 2024 and cyclospora cases linked with lettuce in 2013.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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