using credit card for everyday purchases

[FocusedAndDetermined]

+1 to cashnocredit

[bribro]

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@Dustink wrote:

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@bribro wrote:

I use my credit cards for everything. I get points, I build my credit history, I make my card issuers happy, and I can track everything on Mint.com. I especially like to charge small amounts to my Freedom card, which has the grandfathered 10&10 program - a $0.25 purchase nets me 11 UR points, which I value at $0.33, meaning the purchase was essentially making me money. I try not to do this with small, local merchants though because I feel bad about the swipe fees.

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What do you use UR points for?

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United and Hyatt.

[BlueNightStar]

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@cashnocredit wrote:

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@dddewdrop wrote:

    I use my debit card not my credit card because I am slowing gaining self discipline and am afraid I will be tempted not to PIF if I use my credit card too much. If you trust yourself to pay in full, then why not use the card if it will get you rewards? For me, for now, I used to be in a lot of debt and I just feel better paying cash or debit card.

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That sounds very smart. First know thyself.  Once you can handle it switch over to a CC but your caution is a good quality.

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Part of getting my financial life together was admitting that I have spending issues. I carried CC balances for years. When I finally got fed up with myself I started to get honest. Almost all of my debt is gone (one small 0% amount remaining) and I have PIF every card for the last two years. However, I find myself drifting into the old "I don't have to pay until later with a CC" mentality every now and then and spending too much. When that happens I go back to using cash for everything for several weeks. It bothers me so much that I am not getting rewards and money is coming out of my checking account immediately that it sort of resets my brain as to the proper use of CCs.

My father, who has always had excellent credit and has never been in debt, never understood why I would charge things that I couldn't pay off that month. He doesn't have a spending problem and I do. He has charged all of his expenses for years and never put more on a card than he could pay. I don't know if I will ever be disciplined enough to charge everything 100% of the time and will probably need to do the cash resets every now and then forever but I'm okay with that. 

[Open123]

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@BlueNightStar wrote:

My father, who has always had excellent credit and has never been in debt, never understood why I would charge things that I couldn't pay off that month. He doesn't have a spending problem and I do. He has charged all of his expenses for years and never put more on a card than he could pay. I don't know if I will ever be disciplined enough to charge everything 100% of the time and will probably need to do the cash resets every now and then forever but I'm okay with that. 

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You're absolutely right, there are two kinds of people.  Some naturally are like your father, and some like to have it now and pay it off later.

I don't think there's anything wrong with either.  It's a matter of personal preference.

[distantarray]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@distantarray wrote:

sorry couldn't help more some things are frowned upon on the forums =) tryin to keep the peace

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In my view, I don't think anyone sees anything amiss or unethical about using this method to pay one's rent.  It's perfectly legitimate to gain rewards for one's self and bypass the 2.8% CC surcharge to pay rent.

PS - Now, the "pseudo" purchase is when it becomes something questionable, for some.

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yep the other method is debatable on how ethical it is, personally I've been told by managers that they appreciate my business and that they still make money regardless so I have no problems with it, so with that being said people don't realize how much leverage a national company has on the credit card world especially with processing costs.

[distantarray]

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@Open123 wrote:

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@BlueNightStar wrote:

My father, who has always had excellent credit and has never been in debt, never understood why I would charge things that I couldn't pay off that month. He doesn't have a spending problem and I do. He has charged all of his expenses for years and never put more on a card than he could pay. I don't know if I will ever be disciplined enough to charge everything 100% of the time and will probably need to do the cash resets every now and then forever but I'm okay with that. 

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You're absolutely right, there are two kinds of people.  Some naturally are like your father, and some like to have it now and pay it off later.

I don't think there's anything wrong with either.  It's a matter of personal preference.

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Spend sometime in a 3rd world country

that's what did it for me, spent 3 months in Vietnam then realized how much I could get for $1. I would get coffee and croissant every morning, get a 1 hour massage, half hour shampoo, and breakfast like porkchop and eggs type food for total of $7 a day.... makes you a real tight wad after you get that kind of value atleast for me.

I always ask myself. Do I want this? or do I NEED this?    Wants are put on the back burner til I make some extra cash (I do well in poker so this usually fulfills my wants needs lol) and my NEEDS I buy. and no you do not NEED red sneakers like my 14 year old cousin claims he does lol.

[E150GT]

whats a debit card?