Heh. Someone should tell Scott that you can make calls to any number in the US using Google voice (available in Gmail via a downloadable plug-in) using a simple computer headset for free.

You can also get an unlocked cell phone for cheap (either CDMA or GSM) and buy SIM cards when in country to make local calls. Once you get that number, you can get cheap VOIP forwarding services to transfer a US number to that cell phone.

I've visited Brazil, India, Argentina, and Mexico and done the above without problems.

I've seen my scores drop a bit more than 2-5 points after my last app-o-rama. Experian (Chase and Amex inquiries in my area) dropped from 756 to 730. I'm holding off on Chase and Amex applications for now, it's been 3 months since my last app-o-rama, and I'm planning a 4-6 month break. How long do you think I should wait? How low should I let my score go? My Transunion is in the 770s and Equifax in the 760s, and I'm not planning on applying for any car loans or mortgages anytime soon. I'm not sure if it's wise to wait for my score to recover, or if I'm being silly passing up some good offers.

@Shannon

First off, just wanted to thank everyone at FTG for all the advice! I ended up getting into this hobby back in September after applying for both Citi 75K cards for the wife and I. A month later we both applied for the Sapphire Preferred card. We've also banked an additional +110K each from other offers for a grand total of over 620K in 3 months!

Back in November I tried applying for two Citi cards 65 days after my first application: the MC for 40K (I was told by the CSR that I qualified for the 1st time bonus since I didn't have the MC) and the business Visa AA card for 50K. The first I was rejected for rightfully, since the CSR was just wrong. The second I was rejected for due to too many credit inquiries.

How long should I wait at this point to apply for any future cards? 90 days since my last application in October? 90 days after I was rejected in November? Some other time?

I'm thinking of applying for some AmEx cards – does that change anything since I was only turned down by Citi?

Thanks for all your advice – I wouldn't have mustered up the courage to get into this game without you guys.

Re: when to cancel a card
One tip I learned on a different post: ask the agent to transfer the available credit on the card being closed to one that you're keeping open with the same issuer. That keeps up your overall available credit.

Really nice, clear post on how to get started. These travel blogs are absolutely overwhelming for newbies, so thank you for spelling it out without using all the abbreviations some of us haven't learned yet. (Typed with a huge smile.)

Completely second first post on Google voice account. It works great. I carry only my ipad and a pair of earbuds with a mic inline (which of course double to listen to music, movies, etc) No laptop, USB connections, old phone to carry around… No charges upfront or recurring until you make international calls, and even then, it's cheap. I loaded my account with $10 a long time ago, still haven't used more than about $1 of it.

You seriously carry an old phone just to make phone calls home? That's just crazy talk, where do you carry it at? The more stuff I can figure out how to leave behind, the better. And with tablets abound these days, no one should be traveling with a laptop unless they actually need to do work, and even then…I'd have a serious internal struggle about carrying around a laptop, let alone a corded phone…

I carry my cell for emergencies, but everywhere I've been so far, I've been able to call the US for free, and really cheap abroad. It is a little weird to call a local number when abroad, as it is actually long distance since it routes through the US, but hey, their rates are still really cheap. Skype works too, but I prefer my method still.

Tip: If you have lots of Capital One miles left, you can redeem them for gift cards at $.01/mile. They make good Christmas presents or you could use them to buy presents from Walmart, etc.

I have about 30 accounts open. I cant even remember most of them. Almost none of them have an annual fee. In such a case, does it make sense to leave them alone, or would it be better to closee off a few cards?

I am a senior citizen whose only income is social security and savings. I have an excellent FICO score around 800. Is there any cards that I would qualify for to get bonuses on hotels? I have a Starwood Preferred card with about 3000 points on it.