credit cards

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How to decide whether to keep a credit card with an annual fee

I mentioned that there is only one reason to keep a credit card that carries an annual fee: The benefits you get from holding the card that you would have paid for anyway must be greater than the annual fee. … Read More … Read More

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Conferring with the enemy (Part 5): Finishing the deal

All posts in this series: Conferring with the enemy (Part 1): A credit card for a travel plan Conferring with the enemy (Part 2): Fulfilling minimum spend requirements on a credit card Conferring with the enemy (Part 3): The waiting (for … Read More … Read More

Guilt tipping, or another way that a card makes you spend more

  Last year, I spent an entire month spending only cash. My review at the time was that it was a giant pain in the neck, but it nevertheless (somehow) saved me hundreds of dollars. Since then, I’ve gone back … Read More … Read More

Why not to use flexible point currencies for earning miles

  I will continue to tell everyone to not put your every day spending on a credit card. Many of you will continue to not listen to me. So let’s assume that you’re convinced you need to use a credit … Read More … Read More

How can I convince you to not put your spending on a credit card?

  As I never grow tired of saying, being financially aware is one of the most crucial ways to find peace in your life and achieve anything you want. Being rich isn’t the goal, but being intentional and making the … Read More … Read More

Conferring with the enemy (Part 3): The waiting (for miles to post) game

All posts in this series: Conferring with the enemy (Part 1): A credit card for a travel plan Conferring with the enemy (Part 2): Fulfilling minimum spend requirements on a credit card Conferring with the enemy (Part 3): The waiting (for … Read More … Read More

In-app-ropriate: don’t use an online service to track your spending

  There are numerous sites and apps where you can sign up to manage your money, track your spending, and all of that. From what I’ve seen, they range from okay to horrendous, depending on what their angle is (and … Read More … Read More

Conferring with the enemy (Part 2): Fulfilling minimum spend requirements on a credit card

All posts in this series: Conferring with the enemy (Part 1): A credit card for a travel plan Conferring with the enemy (Part 2): Fulfilling minimum spend requirements on a credit card Conferring with the enemy (Part 3): The waiting (for … Read More … Read More

Conferring with the enemy (Part 1): A credit card for a travel plan

All posts in this series: Conferring with the enemy (Part 1): A credit card for a travel plan Conferring with the enemy (Part 2): Fulfilling minimum spend requirements on a credit card Conferring with the enemy (Part 3): The waiting (for … Read More … Read More

Why foreign transaction fees are (annoying but) no big deal

  WARNING: This post contains math. Are you old enough to remember travelers checks? When I went on my first trip abroad when I was much younger, that was still the de facto method of using currency when in a … Read More … Read More