If you look at my key ring you would see 5 little plastic tags hanging from it. One is my membership to Gold’s Gym. The other 4 have bar codes for reward cards. I am enrolled into reward programs with several other business, but I just don’t carry their card or tag, because I don’t go their that often. You might say I use reward cards quite regularly.

I want you to note these are not credit cards. The cost of paying for things on credit my those credit card rewards to complicated and expensive to redeem. They are as bad as getting check back from some companies. I prefer to get my savings on the front end, as opposed to getting a check 60 or 90 days or maybe never later.

I have used the reward cards for years from when I buy the gas for our car. The 2 pennies per gallon of gas does add up. The grocery store off some really fantastic deals, for those who have a rewards card. 10% for at the chain department store helped with school supplies.

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Unlike coupons, reward cards are savings there week in and week out. Coupons are usually for those new or items that we don’t normally buy. Most places that have reward cards have savings on everything they sell, in addition to specials.

Below is a list of the reward card programs, that I use on a regular basis.

• Maverik Country Stores
• Fred Meyer
• Staples
• Shopko
• Albertsons

If you have notice that many of the places, I listed above also give you the option of credit card with rewards or just a plan rewards card. This seems to be a growing trend among businesses to increase their bottom-line.

I did not mention places like Costco and Sam’s Club. Our small family does not use a large enough quantity of goods to really pay for us to have their cards. Large families or small businesses are the ones who can really save big at these places. The average small family will not use 50 rolls of toilet paper in a year. Where a business could use that in a month.

Now there are stores that do not have reward cards, these are the stores who give you, “Everyday Low Prices”, or are continually “Rolling Back” prices. My spies and myself have notice that do keep their prices down to be in competition with those stores that have rewards cards.

Is This Your Credit Card?

If you talk to some people they will tell you that credit cards are the reason we have got our country in such financial distress. Spending money we do not have is never healthy. Then paying it back at such a high rate that we have to borrow money to pay off those credit cards.

The truth is I have met very few people who can resist the temptation from the buy now pay later demon. I must admit that there are time having that available credit can be helpful in time of personal disaster. However, it must be used with discipline of the highest order.

For me the idea of giving someone $10 to $20 on borrowing a $100 is a waste of good money. However, the America lifestyle demands that we have at least one credit card, if not more. Otherwise when it comes time to buy a house, a car, or other big ticket item we are turned down, for lack of credit history.

You can always say that if you don’t have the cash then you don’t buy it. Our culture says that it is a noble idea but not a very practical one. Enough look a the social economic impact of credit cards and now let us look at the numbers.

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If you absolutely must have a credit card then you need to compare all the different credit cards, rates, you can even apply for one through one central website. CreditCards.com is the place I would recommend as your starting point for you.

Before I buy anything with a credit card, I check calculate how much that item is really going to cost me. An easy way for me to calculate the extra money that I will be spending by using a credit card calculator. It is one way to scare you away from using a credit card.

Now consider using your credit card for a weekend getaway. After lodging, meals, travel, and extras you charged $1,000 on your credit card. You card rate is only 12%. That means when paid off the interest rate is $120. Yes if you paid it off in less than 23 months.

Let us say, when you get home, you got hit with some medical bills, your car broke down, and you forgot about the back-to-school clothes for your kids. Instead of paying $50 per month, like you planned, you can only pay $25 per month to the credit card company. Now that $1,000 will cost you $269. Then if you are late on a payment of two the $269 will go up.

Bottom-line: It takes a great deal of discipline to manage a credit card. If you don’t believe me, look at the history of the United States over the past $50 years.