Regular readers know that unlike many money-savers, I am not anti-credit in the slightest. In fact, I am unabashedly pro-credit-card, provided you use it just like cash, paying off the balance every month.
And that’s what I’m talking about over at Tree.com, much to the dismay of Dave Ramsey fans everywhere. Heh.
AGREED! We get nearly $1,000 cash or gift cards back every year for free. Every month’s balance is paid off, and the cards don’t charge annual fees!
But, realistically, you have to admit that detail-oriented, balance tracking, statement checking, stay on top of it credit card users are a very, very rare breed. 🙂
But, if it works for you, YAY!
Do you really think so, Ladybug? I think they’re maybe not so rare. But I am admittedly biased, being completely OCD when it comes to money. 😉
Totally agree!! We do the same thing (charge everything on our credict cards and pay off the balance IN FULL every month). We get an average of 3 free airline flights per year.
Let’s not forget that Target’s Red Card gives you 5% off EVERY purchase, too…that really adds up for me!
I can see why the cash system works for some, but it’s not the ONLY way to live a frugal/fiscally responsible life.
I have an amex that pays 5% cash back and we have received approx. $1000 every year for the last 5 years. No annual fee and we pay it off every month so no interest either. It’s very convenient, I don’t have to walk around with cash and we can easily see where our $ is going. We love it.
Well, the Lord bless and keep those credit cards…far away from me! 🙂
I am so glad that it works for y’all!
We found that the extra time involved with keeping track of changes to our plans, rewards points or cash, and scheduling payments each month were not where we wanted to spend our time.
Keep the good deals coming, Mir! Love it!
I laughed so hard at your Dave Ramsay reference. My friends think he is the most amazing and there is rarely a week where his name does not come up! I haven’t read the article yet, but by the comments, I am definitely a use our credit card for the points so we can go on a trip. I also check it regularly and I have not carried a balance on a credit card since I married my hubby 6 years ago. Looking forward to reading the article.
I’m in your corner on this one. We have the LL Bean card. Everything that can be charged is, and the balance is paid off every month, so there are zero fees with the card. We’ve gotten almost all of our camping equipment free, plus our (very sturdy) bed frame, luggage, and assorted big ticket items. Love it!
That’s how my parents did it, and when I took over the bill paying, that’s how I did it too. I love the perks. They keep upping my credit line hoping I will carry a balance. NOPE! lol
And I agree about the Target card with the automatic 5% off. Now my Lowe’s card does the same thing-auto 5% off. Woooo!
We are very conscious of what we’re spending on credit cards, but we do use them for the rewards. We only have two cards between us, and we regularly put things on there to get the cash back and then pay them off immediately. We don’t put everything on there, although I know some people do, just big ticket items, such as trips, hotels, car rentals, etc. We also have a few things that we do save on monthly by having it paid automatically at the due date, and we have ALL of our charitable giving on credit cards, as it helps me track what we’ve given each year. The only store card I have is Kohl’s, which is basically because I can only use it at Kohl’s, and I know that I will only buy enough there that I can pay off immediately as well (usually when they have a big sale and I have 30% off, either from you or from my mailings).
I never carry much cash and charge everthing. Sometimes it’s embarassing to charge a few dollars, but I have no shame. We also get about $1000 a year in rewards. I have a gas card that pays 5%; a Freedom card and AmEx. It all works for us and helps to track our spending. I don’t see it as a drain on my time at all.
My husband and I both have a credit card that deposits a certain percentage of what we charge on it each month directly into our sons’ 529 accounts. So, our kids get money (“free money” in my mind) set aside for college on top of what we’re consciously putting away. I think responsible credit card use is a great thing, and more and more people are realizing the perks! You’re pretty AND responsible, Mir!
I’m with you, Mir. We put everything we can on the Discover. It’s great for electronics purchases as well because if there is something wrong with the item and the manufacturer won’t make it right, you can appeal to the credit card company to reverse the charges. I’ve never had to resort to this, but my father has done it.
It makes me so happy to read this! I’m not the only one! I’ve found my people! 🙂 I get so tired of the “credit cards are EVIL!” people. Like everyone else, We are careful, pay them off at the end of the month, and reap the rewards.
Great article, Mir! We fully agree here at our house! We love our cash back that comes in January and helps pay for what we bought in December for Christmas and travel. Credit cards are the way to go- we haven’t missed making a full payment in 14 years!
so funny Melanie!! I was thinking the same thing. It seems all the “frugal” blogs (except Mir’s!) think credit cards are horrible. My Amazon Visa has allowed me to have free super-saver-shipped diapers for years and lately I’m loving the huge cashbacks I’ve been earning with my Discover. I have utility bills, medical bills, everything I can! autopaid with those cards, plus use them for all shopping, dining out & groceries. My credit cards are set up to automatically pay in full each month, so I’ve never paid interest or fees. (I must of course make sure there is enough in my checking before each due date, but because I’m only using the cards to purchase what I would have with my checking, that’s never a problem.) I could actually go on and on about how “smart” it is to use reward credit cards, but it seems like (unlike the followers of many money-saving blogs) Mir’s pretty readers already get it. 🙂
Another one who uses her cards happily and pays them completely every month! 😀