Embracing minimalism: My decision to redirect spending from a beloved card

For the past several years, my primary spending focus has been to achieve World of Hyatt Globalist elite status by using my World of Hyatt Credit Card.

I've been directing everything from monthly insurance bills and medical visits to home repairs and regular expenses (not categorized as high bonuses on other cards) towards my Hyatt card.

My motivation for this approach is two-fold: to accumulate World of Hyatt points and to progress towards earning Hyatt elite status at a rate of two elite nights for every $5,000 charged.

To achieve Hyatt Globalist status and enjoy its benefits, you need to accumulate 60 elite nights each calendar year. This status provides perks such as complimentary breakfast, suite upgrades, bonus points on stays, late checkout, and early check-in. While I gain many of these nights through both paid and award stays, I also rely on nights earned through credit card spending to fill the gaps.

This year, however, there’s an issue. It’s forcing me to significantly reduce my spending on this card, which has been a key asset in my wallet.

Reaching 60 Hyatt nights in a calendar year grants you Globalist status for the following year, along with several other Hyatt Milestone Rewards. These rewards include two Suite Upgrade Awards, two Guest of Honor awards, and a Category 1-7 award certificate, enabling a complimentary stay at any Hyatt within its second-highest award category.

While that all sounds appealing, there’s a catch.

Unlike most Hyatt elite status perks, which remain valid for the remainder of the year you achieve them and the entire following year, the valuable Category 1-7 award is limited to just six months post-earn. Additionally, while some Milestone Rewards activate only upon selection, the countdown begins as soon as you earn this award.

Typically, I don’t reach 60 nights and achieve Globalist status until December, but this year, I'm significantly ahead of schedule. This acceleration is due to substantial expenses on that card earlier in the year, some Hyatt double elite status promotions, and extended Hyatt stays caused by weather and illness.

As I pen this in late July, I’ve already accumulated 51 eligible nights in my account for 2024, with seven more planned stays in August (including another double elite night stay in Florida).

This means I’ll be very close to achieving Globalist status in August or September, rather than waiting until December as usual.

On one hand, this is great news because it wraps things up quickly (and I need to shift spending to my United card, as I’m lagging there). On the other hand, it’s unfortunate because I prefer to use my Category 1-7 award for summer trips in June when the kids are out of school; with my current trajectory, that won’t be feasible.

We love to redeem the certificate for quick getaways to New York City, staying at places like the Thompson Central Park New York or the Andaz 5th Avenue, where nightly rates can reach up to 35,000 Hyatt points otherwise.

If I earn Hyatt Globalist status as usual in late December, that aligns perfectly. However, if I achieve it in September, the Category 1-7 certificate will expire in March. Given our travel patterns, I won't have nearly as many chances to utilize this benefit during its available months as I would during summer break. Thus, I'm intentionally redirecting spending from my Hyatt card and reconsidering some upcoming Hyatt stays to delay reaching 60 nights.

It would be far more beneficial if the Category 1-7 award had the same expiration date as most other Globalist status benefits, providing at least a full year of usability, regardless of when it’s earned. Alternatively, it would be great if the expiration clock could start later upon selection.

Honestly, I might be too far along to halt progress and avoid qualifying for 60 nights until December. It could be wiser to forfeit optimizing the Category 1-7 certificate and aim for 70 nights this year instead, which would unlock a $300 Find Experience gift card for Broadway shows.

Still, it's odd (and somewhat frustrating) that Hyatt would create a system that discourages reaching 60 nights too soon. Until I completely accept defeat, I'm trying to postpone unlocking what should be a significant annual milestone for points and miles.

Bottom line

We often get caught up in rushing to unlock status perks, but it's sometimes more strategic to consider when to earn them in alignment with your lifestyle. Regularly reviewing your progress and forecasting when you'll reach certain thresholds can help you plan effectively around when you truly need those additional perks.