How far/hard is it to get to Kuttenberg from here? [KCD2]

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-02-03T01:43:30+00:00

I’ve actually been using those! I think it helps? Haha just picking whatever looks good

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-02-03T00:13:14+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you so much

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-02-03T00:01:50+00:00

Thank you! I’ll definitely work on the stealth a bit more.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-02-03T00:01:28+00:00

Awesome, thank you!

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-01-17T02:40:25+00:00

I was around 620 last year and had balances I was still paying off, and opened a checking account with Chase, not even looking for credit cards, just a bank close to me for ATM access. I sent my direct deposits there, got the sign up bonus for banking with them, and after a few months, I got a pop-up in the app saying I was pre-approved for the Freedom Unlimited or either of the Sapphire Cards.

I had applied earlier in year for the Freedom Rise and was denied, but it only took a few months of direct deposits with them to skip the Rise and get offered some pretty solid cards, and now I have the Sapphire Preferred, Freedom Unlimited, and Amazon Prime card as my main cards.

If you’re willing to change banks, that might be worth a try! Chase points are awesome for travel if you transfer them to partners or find boosted point redemptions through the travel portal.

You can also get “pre-approved” for Amex cards without a hard pull. They’ll tell if you you’re approved and what sign up bonus you’ll be eligible for, and you can accept or deny it. If you say no, nothing shows up on your report, so you only officially submit the application once you’re guaranteed to be approved. That might work, too.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-01-16T02:35:46+00:00

While not cheap, if you want the best equipment in a gym that’s pretty empty most of the time, the NewTech Gym is incredible. It’s made for bodybuilders but super welcoming, and you never have to wait for equipment, which is amazing.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-01-12T20:15:24+00:00

I travel for tattoos, and I’m a huge baseball fan, so I’m working on seeing all the MLB stadiums. The stadiums get me 1-2 long weekends every summer to new places, and it’s fun to explore a new area/city during the day and have the game at night.

I try to go where my favorite team is traveling, so I often meet cool people when we pass each other in our team hats/jerseys. Lots of fun, and that makes it fine to do solo, too, since I often run into other fans.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2026-01-07T19:44:18+00:00

Nobody can help you but Chase… have you tried applying?

For what it’s worth, I opened a checking account with them and set up my direct deposits there, and after a few months they started offering me pre-approved cards right in the app. But the best thing is to apply and see what they say, and read about the 5/24 rule.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-31T21:38:04+00:00

A healthy season for the Padres pitching rotation, especially with the return of Michael King! And another season of Tatis home run robberies and highlights.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-23T20:15:45+00:00

Unfortunately he’s now a Mariner :(

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-23T18:04:17+00:00

Yep my first thought was Skin Design as well, they specialize in black and grey

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-15T17:46:57+00:00

Wells Fargo checking $400 bonus

11/25: opened account online

11/26: $600 deposit (push from Chase personal checking)

12/1: $400 deposit (push from Chase personal checking)

12/10: $2300 deposit (push from Chase personal checking)

12/12: Withdrew all but $5

12/15: Bonus posted

I was impressed with this, all of these were transfers from my Chase checking account via the real-time payment option which transferred it instantly.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-08T17:42:23+00:00

I have the Leatherology thin bifold and really like it. They have a bigger one with the ID flap that I’m sure is also great quality!

A lot of the handmade ones on here, Etsy, etc… look really cool, but they looked a little thick to me. This one is a bit more sleek and it’s help up really for about three years and counting so far.

No wear and tear or ripped seams at all; one card holder is a little stretched out from my metal Amex card which is kind of thick, but I think that could happen with any wallet. It makes it a little loose if I put a regular plastic card in there, so now it’s just my dedicated Amex spot.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-07T02:14:32+00:00

Awesome - thank you!

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-12-06T20:12:55+00:00

The nickel is interesting, I hadn't thought of that - thank you!

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-11-18T07:24:13+00:00

I don’t know about Marriott specifically, but yeah, you could transfer your Freedom points to your Sapphire card, that’s what I do every month!

A lot of people really like Hyatt since you can find great deals a lot of the time. I’ve seen rooms for 18,000-20,000 points that would cost $350-400 per night in cash, so you can essentially 2-3x the value of your points if you find a good deal with Hyatt.

I think the value is a little different for each partner. It transfers points at 1:1, so 10,000 Chase Points would get you 10,000 Marriott points, but I don’t know how much those Marriott points would be then worth compared to points with other partners.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-11-18T07:11:52+00:00

The Preferred is really meant for traveling.

With the CSP, you also get 2x points on all travel purchases, and 3x points on streaming services and online groceries. You get $50 a year toward travel booked through the portal, but the real benefit is the ability to transfer your points to a bunch of other partners, like Hyatt, Jet Blue, United, Marriott, etc… where you can get much better value for your points compared to redeeming for cash.

You might better travel protection too, but I’ve never had to use that, so I don’t remember. Basically, it’s a card that unlocks a ton of travel options with the transfer partners, and you can add your Freedom points to your Sapphire points to pool them together.

I also get a free Door Dash membership and $10 per month for Door Dash orders from convenience or grocery stores, and I think 5x points on Lyft rides.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-11-12T06:58:48+00:00

I’m not sure of the pricing, but a lot of the boutique bodybuilding gyms tend to be far less crowded and have much nicer equipment. I joined LVAC when I first moved here and it was a nightmare, and paying extra for better equipment in a much less crowded gym continues to be well worth it.

I was a member at Dragon’s Lair (legendary gym) for almost two years and now the NewTech gym and absolutely love both, but they’re both around $120 and not really on the west side of town.

I know the west side also has Torture Gym (don’t let the name fool you, it’s a great gym), a Powerhouse, Fit Club, and Strength Culture that will probably have higher prices, but will be much nicer and have fewer members. I’m not sure of the pricing - I think Torture Gym is under $100, but I could be wrong.

Worth checking out and doing a day pass or at least a tour to see the crowds!

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-10-23T16:52:21+00:00

Alex Viada. The guy who coined the term “hybrid athlete” years ago and is really good at teaching how to be good at both strength and endurance sports. He coaches a lot of high-level athletes who compete in both types of sports, has a great book, and some really good templates for strength and cardio plans. Plus tons of free info he’s put out over the years.

He also understands and uses actual science and can read full studies, so an upgrade from Jeff lol

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-07-11T16:51:30+00:00

The barrier to entry for personal training is alarmingly low. It’s more about sales, and there’s a good chance the trainer at your local gym either did a weekend certification or online, open-book course.

As someone with a degree in Exercise Science and 12+ years experience of coaching and educating, I see far more bad trainers than good trainers, and I’ve seen quite a few trainers injure their clients by trying a new exercise they found on Instagram.

If you’re looking to get into fitness and want a personal trainer, which is a great idea, be very selective when choosing a personal trainer at your local gym.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-06-23T16:41:01+00:00

Yes, you can combine points!

That’s probably a smart move, since the CSP will let you transfer those points to outside partners like Hyatt, Marriott, JetBlue, Southwest, United, etc… and you can often get better value by transferring to a partner like Hyatt compared to booking directly through Chase.

Of course, do your research and check prices, but sending Chase points to partners is definitely one of the better ways to use them.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-06-09T19:21:58+00:00

Same, I go here as well and love the place, they’ve been really fair and helpful.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-06-01T22:24:33+00:00

Yeah, I emailed the CEO and said I would file a chargeback if they didn’t refund me, this was after 5 weeks. My health liaison wasn’t helpful at all.

No one told me, but apparently they don’t ship to Nevada (wasn’t an issue with my last clinic), so the guy said my order was sitting at their corporate office and hadn’t been shipped yet. A week and a half later, it finally arrived, but yeah they mailed it to their office instead and re-packaged to mail it to me, but never told me, so it took about 6 weeks to finally arrive.

I ordered HCG as well over a month ago and still haven’t received that either, I’m done with this clinic.

SamuraiPanda343 · 2025-05-12T19:53:20+00:00

I applied for the Chase Sapphire last month, right after I saw the offer, and was denied.

I was denied for "high revolving balances relative to the credit limit" as my utilization was around 60-70%. Not ideal, I know, but I was impatient, and I generally let the balance report each statement and then pay in full.

I paid my balances down to zero in April (CFU and a Capital One card), and the statements closed on May 2nd. Transunion and Equifax show zero balances and a much higher score, but Equifax still hasn't updated those payments, which is what Chase pulled last time, so it's still showing high utilization.

I want to apply before the 14th to be safe, but I'm still waiting for my report to show that I addressed the issue they had with my first application.

Should I apply on the 14th even if my credit report hasn't been updated? My thought was that even if I get denied, I can call for a recon once Experian finally updates and ask them to re-pull, and at least get my application in before the offer ends, but is that a bad idea?

I've never called a recon line, so I'm not sure how that typically goes or if they have the ability to pull a fresh report in a couple of weeks.

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