Buying on Credit Cards and Points

Hi Linda,

Actually, our boys will be taught HOW to use a credit card. That is certainly something that must be taught correctly, you are right! The reason for us moving from credit to cash is because I think we are spending more than we should be. It is so easy when using credit or debit to spend more than you are actually aware of.

I used to use the envelope system. I would put a certain amount in each envelope for different catagories: car insurance, groceries, spending R, spending J, clothing, Christmas etc. I found when I did this system that our money always went way further than it did without the method. It made me really think about all those 'incidental miscellaneous' purchaes - that add up to another few hundred dollars a month!


We have even bought things on time, so that we could have them now, but put aside the money each month, so that when the item came due we would have the money. We actually paid for it the month or so before it was due to be totally safe. This can only be done if you know you have available cash to pay this extra money to a purchase. But it made it possible for us to buy things that came on a good deal when we didn't have the immediate cash. We became our own savings account.

As to the points: yes! I totally agree. I am the Queen of Points *grin*. I am known in Safeway. I go in there when they have things I want to buy, and I buy a ton of it. Even if it is enough for a year. Once I bought enough soap to keep us going for over a year! But I never buy anything I don't actually need. What I find is that the points for Airmiles only add up very slowly: 1 point per $10 - $20 spent. But when I find the Safeway flyer, they always have deals like buy 3 cans of Hunts Thick and Rich for $4 and get 50 airmiles for every 6 cans bought!

Wow, when those deals happen, which is about once a month, I get up to 900 airmiles on a shopping trip! It is really very funny where I live. They often will not have enough of what I want - I suppose it is not everyday that someone comes in and wants 60 or 120 cans of Hunts Thick and Rich - but *I* do!! That is 500 or 1000 airmiles in ONE shopping trip! And I use about 20 cans a month! Well worth it. So now, Safeway has a system for ME! Isn't that hilarious! I am probably the only person in our small town that goes in with three shopping carts and comes out with only three different brands of things - but yet has the shopping carts overflowing. *smile*

Now, they give me a special rain cheque - they don't give these out, but they realized the amount of money that stood to lose if they didn't let me have the rest of my shopping list when they brought more stock in *grin*.

So those purchases I certainly buy on credit card. The regular groceries are only about 100 airmiles a month. But my husband has a construction company, so through him I am able to save a fortune in airmiles.

I have been to Disneyland with four children 2 years ago, plus flown to Tennessee to see my good friend, twice, and then our last road trip was financed in part by the airmiles.

Right now, I am halfway to a trip for ten to the Dominican Republic!!! That is my holiday goal! Airmiles will pay our way there, and I am squirrelling away a little bit each month towards our family having a two week holiday. That will be our first real family holiday. I have taken portions of the kids on the road before, but we have never as a group of 8 or now 10, gone away for a lay back and relax holiday. So before our biggest son leaves home, it is our goal to take our children to the sun for a wonderful holiday. The boys can parasail, scuba dive, surf and deep sea fish, and the little ones can play in the sand and water.


Ray and I went to the Blue Lagoon in Fiji for our honeymoon. That was back in the days of prosperity: before kids and mortgages. But we also used credit cards! Now this holiday will be a cash holiday. Not one we are paying off for the following year. We have learned alot over the years!
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