Furnishing my apartment with my Discover it Cash Back intro APR

As a credit card nerd, I think one of the most underappreciated features some cards offer is a 0% intro APR. Everyone likes earning cash back, booking flights on points and enjoying travel perks, but what about not worrying about interest on your purchases for more than a year?

Thanks to my Discover it® Cash Back and its 15-month intro no-interest offer (11.99% to 22.99% variable APR thereafter), I was able to make my almost-empty apartment feel like home after I’d moved states.

Without the card, I’d have to spend months buying things like utensils and side tables. Moreover, I wouldn’t have earned as much cash back all at once.

Read on to learn how I used my Discover it Cash Back to turn my bare apartment into a home and save on home essentials.

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Discover it Cash Back: At a glance

Discover it® Cash Back
Why get this card? The Discover it Cash Back card offers a substantial amount of value for cardholders who don’t mind keeping track of rotating bonus categories, as well as an ultra-generous sign-up bonus. Read full review	More things to know: Enroll every quarter to earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in various categories throughout the year and earn 1% cash back on all other purchases Matches cash back at the end of first year of card membership Highly rated customer service 0% intro APR for 15 months (11.99% – 22.99% variable thereafter)

How a 0% APR offer helped me furnish my apartment

When I moved states, everything I brought fit in my car. For a week, all I had in my apartment was an air mattress. I also had a couple of mugs and an old skillet along with a knife, fork and a spoon and plates my old co-worker gave me.

Within a month, I had a bed, coffee maker and two bar stools. A couple of months later, I also got a dining table, a desk and a futon. And of course, I got a bookcase, being the bookworm that I am.

That’s not exactly nothing, but my apartment still didn’t feel like home. It felt bare. Seven months in the new state, and I couldn’t cook properly with my kitchen lacking many basics. I watched Netflix on my laptop sitting on a futon in my empty living room. I felt like a student all over again.

Living in an extremely minimalistic environment in the middle of the pandemic made the goal of making my home comfortable more urgent. It would have taken months to fill the space with home essentials. I didn’t want to wait.

So, I got the Discover it Cash Back, and here’s what I bought with it.

Kitchen

My kitchen had the bare minimum – if that. As soon as I got the card, I bought:

• Cast iron skillets (a set of three) – $29
• Set of wineglasses – $15
• Cooking utensils set (12 pieces) – $28
• A utensils holder – $24
• A silverware set (20 pieces) – $17
• Glass food storage containers (a set of five) – $38
• Cutlery tray – $25
• Toaster – $42
• Instant Pot – on sale for $50
• Grease splatter screen – $13
• Sugar pot – $11
• Salt and pepper shakers – $26

Total: $318

Living room

As I’ve mentioned, my living room consisted of a tiny futon. The Discover it Cash Back helped me get:

• A 55-inch LG TV – $348
• A TV stand – $240
• Candle lighter –$10
• Two candles – $16 and $34
• A photo frame – $16
• A pouf – $70
• Two throw pillows – $30
• Two throw pillow covers – $8 and $15
• A throw blanket – $59
• A console table – $130
• A rug – $40 (a return from Amazon Warehouse)
• A coffee table –$83 (used from Amazon Warehouse)

Total: $1,099

Office

All my documents and important papers were lying in a messy pile. I had to do something about it and bought:

• A file organizer box – $20
• Organizer file folders (set of 25) – $10

Total: $30

Bathroom

My bathroom didn’t have much going on for it, so I bought:

• Bathtub caddy tray – $33
• Two fake plants (because I tend to kill real ones= but I want my bathroom to look nice) – $15
• A Mason jar bathroom set (four pieces) – $20

Total: $68

Bedroom

My bedroom consisted of a lone bed, so I added a nightstand ($90).

Total: $90

Total earnings and savings

The grand total of my furnishing efforts was $1,605. I spent this amount in a matter of two days, and it took me four months to pay it off.

That would have cost me approximately $68 in interest (my purchase APR is 22.99% after the into APR period) – all but canceling out my cash back rewards value.

I made three payments of $500 and paid $105 in the last month. I didn’t pay any interest and was able to maximize the bonus categories.

It was the fourth quarter of 2020 and Discover it Cash Back earned 5% back on Amazon, Target.com and Walmart.com purchases (up to $1,500 in purchases, then 1%). I did all my shopping on those three websites and earned $75 in cash back. The leftover $105 (after the spend cap) earned me 1% cash back – or an extra dollar.

See related: Discover it Cash Back calendar

The Discover it Cash Back also comes with the generous Cashback Match offer, which matches all the cash back you earn in your first year with the card.

This means that my $76 earnings will get me another $76 this year, bringing my total cash back from furnishing my apartment to $152.

Further, while I was shopping on Amazon, I received a $50 off a $150 purchase offer if I used my Discover rewards to cover any portion of the purchase. I spent a dollar of my cash back and took advantage of the deal.

Total Discover savings (including saved interest, cash back and Discover deals): $270

I saved another $120 in Amazon deals and coupons, thanks to Amazon Prime Day, which means overall I saved $390 in two days of shopping. It’s as if I got the TV for free and then some.

A card for savvy savers

The Discover it Cash Back provides amazing opportunities to save. The intro APR offers a chance to get a large purchase (or many small ones, like I did) without worrying about interest for 15 months. The higher your purchase amount, the more your savings potential.

Besides that, the card comes with an impressive 5% earning rate in rotating categories, and you can score extra savings with targeted deals.

If you’re interested in the Discover it Cash Back, check CardMatch and see 0% intro APR cards tailored to your credit profile, among other credit card offers. The service is free, and checking won’t impact your credit.