For gas, auto repairs, that kind of stuff. I pay them off every month. It's going to be squeaky close this time, but I got some cash back on this statement that takes at least a small chunk off the bill.
__________________
Natalie
___________________ Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Thomas S. Monson 10/05/2008
Take care of the nickels and dimes, and the dollars will follow.
Life is a journey. It's not how you get there, but that you're on the road.
___________________ EF (approx): $3027.50
___________________
I'm only using CCs for unexpected issues these days, like car repairs and dental work. We try to pay them back down again.
I couldn't care less about stupid points and reward programs -- they're just gimmicks to make you use more credit. Sure, if you already have points, use them, but don't let them tell you what to do.
We used to use the American Express for Costco points - but it got too complicated to track our spending and it kept throwing off our budget, so we stopped.
I read in Dave Ramsey's book "No one ever got rich from cc brownie points" and it finally clicked for me.....
__________________
~Jessica
"Sometimes single" wife to commercial airline pilot Jason (aka "angrypuppy")
and homeschooling mama to Ben & Carter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I use the debit card for most everything, but if I am low on funds and I need something from the grocery store or gas a little earlier than expected, I will put it on the cc. I never carry a balance. I only charge stuff I KNOW I will be able to pay off in time. I don't do it for the points/rewards or anything, although I have gotten a few $25 Amazon gcs, which I gladly used.
We use the c.c. for big ticket items that we already have budgeted for...like a grill, a patio set. WE turn around and pay off the credit card, then get the rewards points. Our debit cards are also rewards cards and the points are added with the rewards credit card points.
We're planning on cashing out the points in October/November and getting gift cards to Target about the same time we get our Christmas Club $$ and funding Christmas that way,
__________________
~Nichole~
~wife to Zac~
~mommy to Wesley~
~mommy to Maggie~
The Bad Debt
American Trust: $3.092.39
GTO Loan: $6,650.85
Furnace: $7,203.10
Optima Loan: $12,776.11
The Not As Bad Debt
Dept of Educ Student Loans: $8539.97
Wells Student Loans: $32,921.05
House: $121,299.26
DH put everything on the CC. He pays it off weekly. He has a shell cc and they give you cash back every month on your statement. So no waiting to build up points. He also gets .05 per dollar at shell. So he is saving .20 a gallon.
I used to put everything on my cc but now I just use cash for everything. I might charge a gas fill up once a month just to keep my credit active.
__________________
Debra
Married to Michael
Mom to
Chassidy 24
Tanner 19
Johanna 15
2010 Grocery budget $384.91/$2010
January total $177.11 $254.54 in coupons
February total $182.68 $96.15 in coupons
March Grocery total
week 1 $25.12/ $30 $22.75 in coupons
week 2 .00/$30
week 3 .00/$30
week 4 .00/ $30
2011 Hawaii fund $1090
Money added to Hawaii fund in December $139
Money added to Hawaii fund in January $303
Money added to Hawaii fund in February $173
~I do. I even charge our car insurance. We get 4% return on gas and 1% on everything else. The only reward option is gas cards but that's always been just fine with me. We cash out $200 or more in rewards every year. I have been getting annoyed with the cc company though. They're getting really sneaky and we're recieving our bill 3 days closer to the due date than before. I still have 9 days but they're really trying to gather interest on us!~
__________________
~Constance ~DH ~DS 7~DD 5 ~ And expecting #3 Aug 30th!
260/1800 pages, Read the Bible in 2010 Challenge
Update your blog Challenge, Updates YTD: 6
March Exercise Challenge 165/240 minutes
2010 Mileage 7/500
March Grocery Challenge $91/$300
Water Challenge, 7 A Day Challenge, Wii Fit Challenge
Project A Month Challenge, Homesteading Skills Challenge, Sewing Challenge
Items Flung 341/2010
Books read in 2010: 7 Magazines read: 5
2010 : $16
MyPoints : 4420
I don't count on getting rich off of credit card brownie points, but it does help take a nibble off the bill.
As for paying the credit card as soon as I can, I wait till the bill arrives. Why should I let them have my money sooner? I want the interest off my money in my accounts, not theirs.
__________________
Natalie
___________________ Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Thomas S. Monson 10/05/2008
Take care of the nickels and dimes, and the dollars will follow.
Life is a journey. It's not how you get there, but that you're on the road.
___________________ EF (approx): $3027.50
___________________
I set mine up to email me when my bill payment hasn't been received yet. That's how I knew they were sneaking sending the bill closer to the due date. I'd get emails saying my bill payment hadn't arrived yet when I hadn't even gotten the bill! So I called them and told them I needed more time between when the bill was sent and when the payment was due. They stopped doing that!
__________________
Natalie
___________________ Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Thomas S. Monson 10/05/2008
Take care of the nickels and dimes, and the dollars will follow.
Life is a journey. It's not how you get there, but that you're on the road.
___________________ EF (approx): $3027.50
___________________
I am doing that now. I have card that is 0% until November. I think after November I wont in case I can not get paid off in time. But for now I even charged phone bills, cable bills, everything I could. Then paid off with checking account the next day. With WAMU you can pay $$ on it daily. That I love!
I think it is not a bad idea IF you only charge what you would normally spend and pay it off.
We do this. We have two cards we use. One is a Home Depot MasterCard and the other is a Shell gas card. We make purchase on the Mastercard and get points for Home Depot. Right now we can cash in for over $600 in gift cards to Home Depot. I am going to purchase wood blinds for our home. We ALWAYS
__________________
"Strong is what we make each other." ~ Marge Piercy
2010:
Penny Challenge: $0.21 Change jar Challenge: $1.25 Quarters for Debt: $3.25 Grocery Challenge: $ Coupons: $309.59 EF Challenge: $73.10
chef2: No More Eating Out Challenge: 7/365 Book Club Challenge:
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anyone use CC's to make purchases?
Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Take care of the nickels and dimes, and the dollars will follow. 
Life is a journey. It's not how you get there, but that you're on the road.
DEBT:
~DH 
~DS 7
~DD 5 
~ And expecting #3 Aug 30th!
: $16
Quarters for Debt: $3.25
Book Club Challenge:
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