<human>: Can you condense the text into three sentences or less?

At the time, I didn't understand that annual fee's meant paying for a card to own.

It's just a basic Platinum Capital One card with no benefits to speak of and it really has me thinking lately.

I only have two lines of credit, the Capital One card and an Amazon Store card.

Stupidly and unknowingly, I applied for American Express (twice) and got declined both times, thinking an Average Joe can get a card (I was wrong) to think I can get one so easily. So instead of two hard credit checks under my name, I have four within the past 6 months since I got my first credit card.

Now I'm all paranoid about paying that fee for the rest of my life.

I have been thinking of getting a Discover IT card lately but not too sure yet.

My credit Karma score reports as 690 and I always pay my bills and I'm never late on my payments as well.
<bot>: I have an annual fee card at a young age, it bothers me to no end. What can I do and what alternative routes can I take?