I Have 15-Plus Credit Cards, But I Only Carry These 3 in My Wallet

We're gonna need a bigger wallet.

I have what would be, by pretty much anyone's standards, a lot of credit cards. Indeed, at last count, the number was around 15 or so.

It may seem excessive, but they all have their purpose. My collection contains no small number of travel rewards cards. There are another half a dozen cash back cards. And I even have a couple of store credit cards.

Unsurprisingly, when you stack them all up, my pile of cards is well over an inch thick (and heavy -- the metal cards weigh a lot!). Despite this, however, my wallet is about as minimalist as they come.

How is this possible? Because though I have more than a dozen different credit cards, I typically only have three in my pocket at any given time.

1. Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

This is my favorite business credit card, hands down. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns 2X points per dollar on your purchases, regardless of category, for the first $50,000 in purchases each year. Terms apply. Oh, and there's no annual fee.

While this alone would make it a decent card, it gets better. Rather than any old credit card currency, this card earns Membership Rewards points. In my opinion, these are the most valuable credit card points for booking free travel, especially international travel.

I like to use this card for purchases that won't fit neatly into the bonus categories on my other cards. While that's not too broad an umbrella -- 15-plus cards means a lot of bonus categories -- it has still been a very valuable card to own.

2. American Express® Gold Card

I like food. I like credit card rewards. I like earning lots of credit card rewards on my dining and grocery purchases. So, I love the American Express® Gold Card.

This wonderful little card earns an outstanding 4X points per dollar on U.S. grocery store purchases (on up to $25,000 in purchases each year). Terms apply. It also earns 4X points per dollar on dining purchases -- worldwide. Terms apply. This last bit is why this card keeps its place in my wallet even when I travel.

(There are some airline rewards in there, too, but I don't use those; that spend goes on The Platinum Card® from American Express.)

While this handy dandy card has a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees), some of that is offset by the dining and Uber credits. And even though I don't always use those credits up, I get enough value out of the rewards to make up for any missed credits.

3. Bonus at large

So the third slot in my wallet is a bit of a wild card (pun intended). It tends to go to my newest credit card. That's so I can work on the welcome or sign-up bonus that likely came with the new card.

A sign-up bonus is an extra bonus of cash back, points, or miles that you can earn for spending a certain amount on your new card within the first few months. They can be highly valuable, equal to hundreds -- or occasionally thousands -- of dollars in rewards.

I'm typically working on at least one sign-up bonus on any given day. Depending on the spending requirement (and the rewards categories), I may use that card for pretty much everything, or just specific purchases. Either way, it lives in my wallet until I've safely met the bonus requirements.

Your wallet may vary

I'm sure there will be people with some questions. "What about gas?" they may ask. Or, perhaps folks who wonder what's the point of having a luxury travel card if I'm not going to flaunt it?

For me, those simply aren't priorities. I work from home, so I don't use enough gas to bother carrying a dedicated gas rewards card. If I need to fill up, I tend to put it on my bonus-in-progress card. Or I'll fill up with one of my rotating category cards if it happens to have gas as a bonus category that quarter. And I've already written about my thoughts on The Platinum Card® from American Express.

Regardless, this is just a look at my wallet. Your wallet probably looks very different. And so will that of your neighbor. And so on.

Your credit cards should be a reflection of your personal wants and needs. There are so many fantastic options out there, so we can all customize our collections. Maybe you need a gas rewards card. Maybe you want a one-card wallet. The options are nearly endless.