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Credit cards for absolutely everything possible.
I try to remember to carry cash now for places I get stuck parking sometimes, but twice now I've had to bum bills =/.
@KG1978 wrote:
Cash does not make me money so I don't user it! Ever!!!! Someone asked me for ten cents the other day and I searched all over my purse and couldn't find a cent.
I do. Rarely. There's a great vegetable stand here that's known all over the county for their quality. They only take cash. No checks. No debit cards. No credit cards.
Up until recently, I used my credit cards everywhere, for any purchase, regardless of the amount - trying to maximize rewards. I always pay the balance statement in full to avoid finance charges. However, I've stopped using CCs at mom-n-pop businesses because of the fees that are charged to them. I guess I'm getting more sentimental in my old age. But since I never carry more than about $40 in my wallet, any larger purchases go on the CCs.
I use my cards for everything that I can... All about the rewards and playing the game to get them!
NEVER over-spend though.
@Lel wrote:Up until recently, I used my credit cards everywhere, for any purchase, regardless of the amount - trying to maximize rewards. I always pay the balance statement in full to avoid finance charges. However, I've stopped using CCs at mom-n-pop businesses because of the fees that are charged to them. I guess I'm getting more sentimental in my old age. But since I never carry more than about $40 in my wallet, any larger purchases go on the CCs.
I too refuse to use a credit card at a mom and pop place (except for my travel agent since the cruise/airline/disney/etc gets hit with the charge not her since she's paid by them, not me). Some cards charge up to 6% to process PLUS an additioanl monthly fee just to have the right to process that type of card. I don't even use my debit card at mom & pops anymore since I'm afraid they'll still get hit with a fee even if I type my pin. Plus cold hard cash goes a long way for small businesses.
Thanks for all the advice guys. I'll just have to figure it all out. I wanna close my capital one but will probably leave it open until my annual fee comes up next year. I originally thought I'd use my navy federal more because of the cash back but its only 1% so once my credit gets a little better I'll have to find a card with better rewards and use that more.
It just blows my mind how some people have so much credit. And I mean high credit lines that total like 50k. Just having about 8k now is a little overwhelming for me now but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I've learned a lot from here and from experience over the last 3 years of have CCs.
@squirrely2005 wrote:Thanks for all the advice guys. I'll just have to figure it all out. I wanna close my capital one but will probably leave it open until my annual fee comes up next year. I originally thought I'd use my navy federal more because of the cash back but its only 1% so once my credit gets a little better I'll have to find a card with better rewards and use that more.
It just blows my mind how some people have so much credit. And I mean high credit lines that total like 50k. Just having about 8k now is a little overwhelming for me now but I'm sure I'll get used to it. I've learned a lot from here and from experience over the last 3 years of have CCs.
Credit cards are certainly convenient and the best way to use them is to think of them as debit cards with rewards and protections. A cloned card can't drain your bank account and it's best to not use them for anything you can't pay for in the immediate future.
As for high CLs - they pretty much happen over time and they are indeed nice. Just don't let them seduce you into spending too much.
I use my cards to pay my normal monthly expenses like food, gas, DirecTV, cell phone ect... Can't use them for my car payment and ins. I use cash for my normal spending money and other purchases. If it is something mail order, I use a pre-paid Visa that you get in the stores. Why cash or this Visa? Sometimes I don't want my spending habits tracked. Like by an ex-wife's attorney that is very good at twisting things and lying. Or, it's good to have friends with credit cards. Just pay them when the bill comes in. I'm sure some of you can relate
I don't even have a debit card. I like to use CCs for everything because of the protections. Being able to dispute charges has saved us well over a thousand dollas. We got the money back for a fuel pump that was installed incorrectly....but it still works. The guy said he'd replace it, but he never did it. When we got close to 90 days we disputed the charge and got every penny back...and are still driving with the fuel pump. In another instance we charged bridesmaids' dresses for my daughter's wedding. The store literally closed and packed up and moved in the middle of the night. No dresses. Everyone was stuck. Even though it had been past 90 days in that case, AmEx refunded every penny to us. All others who paid cash or wrote a check were stuck.
I just don't feel I've got the same protections with a debit card....and I know I don't have the same protections with cash or check.
We mostly use an AmEx Delta for the airline miles. We use anothercard for 5% cash back on gas. Another for 3% back on groceries. Discover for the 5% categories. Cash and miles back is a fun game to play...and quite lucrative. We pay everything by CC that doesn't charge us a fee to do so. We won't pay a fee.