Moving on a Budget: How I’m Using Chase Freedom Unlimited’s 0% Intro APR

In just a few weeks, I’m relocating from western Michigan to Chicago and will finally be moving into my own place.

While it’s an exciting move, but it’s not an inexpensive one. I’ve been accustomed to living with roommates, where furniture and household items were shared or distinctly owned by 1 person or the other.

Now, however, I have to furnish my own apartment, and I plan to use a feature of a popular Chase credit card to help make my move less stressful on my wallet — at least in the short term.

Chase Freedom Unlimited 0% Intro APR Offer

With my move happening in early April, I’ve created a list (and checked it twice — or more) of all the items I’ll need to make my new apartment home.

Spoiler alert: The list is a whole lot longer than just “new bed and new couch,” which were the only items I had in my head before I actually sat down to think about it. I don’t just need a bed and a couch, though those are big ones. I also need to equip the kitchen with plates and bowls, cups and glasses, pots and pans, cooking dishes, and, of course, an air fryer. The bathroom will need towels, cleaning supplies, bathmats, a shower curtain, and more. And that new bed? It needs a mattress, sheets, pillows (and cases!), and a comforter. Finally, the most important item is a TV.

Thankfully, I have money set aside for this purpose, but as I’ve seen the list of items I need grow, it’s likely that I’ll eat up just about all — if not slightly exceed — the amount I’ve saved. I’m fine exhausting the entire sum of my moving expenses, but I know more costs will pop up unexpectedly, and that’s precisely why I plan to put all of my moving costs on the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®.

The card offers a 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%. This means I can put all of my moving expenses and purchases on the Freedom Unlimited card and have a year and 3 months to pay it back in monthly installments with no added interest.

Is 0% Introductory APR Worth It?

If I have the money (or most of it, at least) for my moving expenses, why would I take advantage of a 15-month 0% introductory APR offer?

First, this option provides me with some financial flexibility. I’m moving into a new place in a new city, and inevitably, things will come up that I wasn’t expecting, especially in the weeks immediately following my move. I prefer to “protect” the cash I have saved up in the short term while I get a better handle on the total cost of my move and make a specific plan from there.

Generally, I plan to start paying monthly payments toward the total balance I accrue on the Freedom Unlimited card. Then, as I get settled, I’ll make a few larger payments (or maybe just 1 large payment) out of the amount I’ve set aside to eliminate the balance well before the 0% intro APR period expires. I don’t want to get anywhere near the possibility of racking up almost 20% interest (or more) if the intro APR period were to elapse without it being paid off in full.

Second, I can earn 1.5% cash-back on all my purchases with the card, a great return on purchases that don’t typically fall into bonus-earning categories on other cards. As an added bonus, the card has an elevated welcome bonus offer of $250 cash-back after spending $500 in the first 3 months of account opening.

LIMITED-TIME OFFER

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

U.P. Rating 

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This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

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Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

This all-purpose cash-back card offers great bonus categories, including bonus points for every purchase you make!

Welcome Offer

Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

$250

Annual Fee

$0

APR

0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Freedom Unlimited^® is easily one of the best cash-back credit cards on the market. There aren’t many no-annual-fee credit cards that offer multiple great bonus categories like 5% back on travel purchased through Chase, 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% back on all other purchases.

When paired with other Chase cards in the Ultimate Rewards family, you can transfer that cash back into points if you wish – making it one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3% back on dining and drugstore purchases
• 1.5% back on all other purchases

Cons

• 3% foreign transaction fee

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Card Highlights

• Limited Time Intro Offer: Earn a $250 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
• Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
• No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
• Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% – 28.49%.
• No annual fee – You won’t have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited^® card
• Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
• Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

The card also earns 5% cash-back on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal, 3% cash-back on dining and drugstore purchases, and 1.5% cash-back on all other eligible purchases.

How To Convert Cash-Back to Travel Rewards

But, it gets even better. If you have a Chase credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve^®, Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, or the Ink Business Unlimited^® Credit Card, you can convert the cash-back rewards earned on the Freedom Unlimited card into Ultimate Rewards points.

If I maximize the current welcome offer, that $250 in cash-back would be equivalent to 25,000 Ultimate Rewards points, a sizable sum that will go a long way with points I’ve already earned on my Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

How To Maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

I’m a big points-and-miles fanatic, so I’ll jump at the chance to double-dip on credit card benefits. In this scenario, I’m able to maintain financial peace of mind while taking advantage of the Freedom Unlimited card’s 0% intro APR offer, all while earning at least 1.5x points on my upcoming large purchases.

I’ll definitely convert my cash-back earnings into Ultimate Rewards points. You can transfer Ultimate Rewards points to several high-profile airline and hotel loyalty programs, such as Air France-KLM Flying Blue, United MileagePlus, and World of Hyatt.

Doing so allows you to achieve a per-point value of 2 cents (or often much more), according to our latest valuations of Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

I’ll initially be earning 1.5% cash-back on my moving expenses, but in practice, it’s like earning 1.5 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 spent since I also hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

If I were to redeem my rewards as cash-back, I’d only receive 1 cent per point in value. However, by converting to Ultimate Rewards points and then transferring to a Chase travel partner, I’ll very likely get double that value or even more when it’s time to redeem my points.

Final Thoughts

The Freedom Unlimited card offers a couple of key benefits that will make the move much easier on my wallet — and help fund a future trip after I’m settled in my new home.

Rather than immediately exhausting all the money I have saved up on my moving expenses, I can take a little more time to assess my finances after the move is complete and pay monthly installments with no interest until I’m ready to pay off the entire balance. Plus, I’ll earn valuable rewards on my purchases.