Is a rewards card worth it for a frugal spender?

[Anonymous]

I was looking at applying for a rewards card but the reality is that I don't spend all that much.  Literally I'll spend ~$50 a month. I always PIF so interest wouldn't be an issue. Would it be worth it to apply for a rewards card or go in another direction?

[Anonymous]

Any rewards are better than no rewards. If you would qualify for a rewards card why not take advantage of it? Unless there's an annual fee, there's nothing to loose by having a rewards card.

[Anonymous]

An example of an easy to use card would be the Citi Double Cash Rewards MasterCard. In truth there may be credit unions that would work for you and even sometimes a small local bank. My small local bank gives me a fixed rate 6.9% Apr Cash and Purchases along with rewards. Works for me as a small spender.

[elim]

At $50 per month spend, your rewards would be $1 per month on a 2% card.  That $1.66/day ($50/mnth) spend must not include food?

Don't forget you can pay insurance, med bills, cell, cable, internet, gas, groceries, etc with a CC. And it's always better to get 2% back on any emergency that arises.

[red259]

A 2% card can make sense just look for something with a low initial spend requirement. With little spend i'd avoid the points cards with the exception of maybe a hotel card if it has a low spend requirement and you need a free hotel night or two. Still beyond your signup bonus a no af 2% card is the best bet.

[Anonymous]

I second or third a 2% card best if you can find one that has no FTF and you can redeem at any dollar amount, my quicksilver which is only 1.5% often racks up to $100 with out much thought and it a nice little bonus check that you really didn't have to work to hard to earn.

[AverageJoesCredit]

Im a low spender due to my income but the DC is a good card to have just because you can use it as your everyday spend card and get back a little. You could also get a Discover with double cash back in its 1st year that can be nice . If a reward card isnt for you its ok but like fluffybubbles said, better to get something back than nothing. And like Elim stated, normal bills can be put on your card and since you probably pay them in full anyway, why not earn a couple bucks extra

[DaveInAZ]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I was looking at applying for a rewards card but the reality is that I don't spend all that much.  Literally I'll spend ~$50 a month. I always PIF so interest wouldn't be an issue. Would it be worth it to apply for a rewards card or go in another direction?

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If you're a frugal spender why would you turn down free $$$? And if you only charge $50/mo., are you paying cash for alot of theings? I mean, $50/mo. won't even cover groceries. I'm very frugal by nature and have to be due to my income, but I don't pay cash for anything, I use rewards credit cards. For one it frees me from having to lug around a pocket full of coins for change that hundreds if not thousands of other folks have handled, and even the electronic dimes & nickels from rewards add up. 

[grillandwinemaster]

Life others have stated, you can get creative and use your card to pay for utilities, insurance, cell phone bills, internet service, groceries, gasoline, etc etc. 

Do you live at home with parents? Otherwise, I can't possibly fathom anybody's monthly spend platform being only $50 a month. 

I concur with Joe above, try the Discover Miles card with no a/f, you'll get 3% back for the first year. 

Best credit wishes to you OP!

[Anonymous]

You can pay the household bills of other family members on your card or you can have them as an authorized user and you get the benefit of extra Rewards and extra credit building. If the cash back has no expiration it is not a race to get to your Redemption threshold you'll get there when you get there. As a Frugal spender I'm going to assume you have spending control so you can buy yourself fuel and CVS 100 for 90 gift cards from ebay for stuff you actually use throughout the month and that gives you more of an edge too.