Why Do Credit Cards Get Such A Bad Reputation?

I guess it is about time I shared an opinionated blog post.  I don't set out to offend, and I doubt this post will offend.  I just wanted to put it out there that what I am about to share is my opinion and nothing more.

I often see people speaking negatively of credit cards.  Most recently, I noticed this on the message boards for Confessions of a Shopaholic, which was essentially a film about a young woman who abused her credit card (review coming soon).  I have no problem with people not using credit cards.  That is a personal choice, regardless of the reason behind it.  That said, it does bother me when people mention their non- use of credit cards in a way that implies that people who do use credit cards are idiots for doing so.

I believe that when used properly, a credit card can be a valuable tool.  There are multiple reasons behind this.  First off, credit cards will not charge interest on any charges paid off by the due date specified on the bill.  This allows for me to purchase items without being forced to carry cash, and I earn cash back in return.  Both of those are very major perks.  Last June my wallet was stolen.  I had a small amount of cash and a couple credit cards.  The cash was gone, but it was an amount significantly less than it would have been had I not been using credit cards for the majority of my purchases.  I promptly canceled all of my cards, and found that one was used for over $200.  I was not liable for one cent of it.  Had I been carrying cash instead, I would have been out $200.

Using my credit card also earns me cash back.  Up to 5% on certain purchases.  Many times, this 5% is available in a category I often purchase anyway, such as gas or groceries.  It could add up to an easy $20 dollars a month, just for buying the same things I'd normally use cash for.

Understandably, credit cards aren't for everybody.  Not everybody can be handed this magical card the allows them to buy as much as they want without paying upfront.  I can imagine that it could be easy to lose track of charges as well.  This is when credit card companies become the bad guy by charging interest.  It is their right, though, as they are loaning a user credit, which in the long run, the credit company is accountable for.  They are also known for changing their terms in a way that is unfair to the user.  This can also be avoided if the user is careful.

Honestly, in spite of the negative aspects, I find credit cards to be very useful.  I also know many people who have gotten themselves into trouble with credit cards, and have written them off with good reason.  Others choose not to use them for a wide variety of reasons, and I hold no objections to that.  On the other hand, I just don't like hearing comments such as "oh, this is why credit cards shouldn't exist" and the next time I pull out my plastic, I hope those who have negative opinions of credit cards don't assume I am up to my ears in debt, because that is far from the truth.

Readers:  No specific questions this time, I would love for you to share you thoughts

Post Chrismas Thoughts

Christmas has passed again this year. It always seems to go by so fast. At this time of the year, I try to reflect on the past year and think about ways I can improve over the next year. I also take advantage of this time to enjoy quality time with my fiancé and the post- holiday bliss.

We had a good Christmas this year, and received a multitude of gifts that will greatly improve our home. We have artwork to decorate our walls, utensils for our kitchen, and the newest edition of Wii Fit to help with our New Years Resolutions. It is sad to return home, and get back into the daily grind, but at the same time I am glad to be back home after the long weekend.

On to New Years... I hope to put this blog to good use in keeping up with the resolutions I make. I plan on posting a list of 101 things I plan to accomplish in 1001 days. I have attempted this in the past and failed miserably. This year (and then some) I will have my readers to hold me accountable, imagined or not. So, expect to see a list being published first thing New Years Day, if all goes according to plan. I will post follow up posts periodically that link back to the original and explain my progress. I am currently unsure of how I will go about doing so, but more on that when the time comes. This will by no means be the meat and potatoes of this blog, but will provide regular content in addition to my periodic reviews and meetings with my book club.

Readers: Do you have any resolutions for the new year? If so, by all means, share. I may need some inspiration in coming up with 101 items by the end of the week.

Review: Cube

This movie will be very difficult to review.  Mainly because I am not 100% sure how I felt about the movie.  Usually when I sleep on it, a review will come to me.  I watched it, I enjoyed watching it, but at the same time I found myself wondering what the heck is up with it.  In all fairness, I suppose I will have to write a neutral review, due to the number of times I found myself rolling my eyes (mentally perhaps) at this movie.  Read on for more.

Where does free time go?

First, I apologize for the span between posts.  When I started this blog, I anticipated a post a day.  I thought the simplest way to go about that would be to spend as much time as possible whenever I thought about it stockpiling posts, and then scheduling them to be posted later on.  This is a very effective method for me, as long as the post isn't relevant to some sort of current event.  If that were the case, I would schedule said blog to be posted earlier.  I know it seems silly to want to be so diligent about a blog that may not have many readers, if any.  If I don't care; however, than why should any potential readers?  I would like to be reliable, as that can keep readers coming back.  The fact that I fell behind a couple of days on my blog really brought up the subject that I am surprised at the lack of free time I have.

 

When I was in college I was balancing class for 18 credit hours (most of the time), working part time, homework, and a very active social life without sacrificing the much needed "me" time.  I also had that mentality that I was very busy, and my ability to balance straight As and my social life was something to be proud of.  I mean, if you took into account my work schedule and class schedule, not to mention homework, it came out to close to a 40 hour week.  Enter the real world.  I work 40 hours a week, and find myself with less free time than I've ever had.  I wake up at 6:00 AM (sometimes I'll hit snooze until 6:20 AM), leave my apartment at around 7:20 AM to catch my train.  I work nine and a half hour days in exchange for an extra day off every pay period.  Thus, I sacrifice a good portion of my day.  I arrive home at a little after 7:00 PM in time to eat dinner, catch up on a little housework, and then retire sometime between 9:00 and 9:30 PM.  I do not go in bed at this time, but use it to sip some tea and unwind before a fall asleep sometime after 10:00 PM.  Weekends are hit or miss as far as how busy they are.  Summertime we're often taking trips to visit family, and with the holidays coming up we've been booked many of the weekends.  My extra day off has been moved around to make up for Holidays that my fiance has off, but I do not for our trips home lately.  I dread how I will manage my time when in the (distant) future I have children.

 

Keep in mind that I am by no means complaining about my schedule (I know many people work and keep tougher schedules than this).  I am more remarking on how naive I was in college thinking that I was busy with school.  I do manage to fit in several of my hobbies in that short period between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM.  I will read, or work on my blog, catch up on DVR, or just spend that time chatting about my day with my fiance.  The extra hour and a half on the train each day also helps.  Unfortunately, I have no way to blog on the train.  I'm trying to see if I can find an app for my new iPod that will offer this capability (many may be rendered useless without an internet connection), but I fear the small keypad may become taxing.  We will see how this goes in the future.  Perhaps a good topic would be how I manage my busy schedule.

 

Readers:  Any time saving tricks you use to get through the day?  Do you feel you're far busier now that you were when you were younger?  Also, any recommendations for blogging apps for the iPod?

DVR is My New Best Friend

My fiance and I signed up for a new company to offer us cable upon moving into our new apartment.  The cost is about the same as what our previous company would have charged after the trial period, but offers at least 100 more channels.  It also offers us DVR, so we record and are able to watch a larger variety of show than we previously watched.  We can also keep an eye out for movies we want to see and record them.  Currently, our DVR records fourteen different shows.  Read on for a brief list of show I currently have my DVR set to record.

Freebies from the Internet

I recently joined a website called Swagbucks.  Out of all the internet "freebies" concepts out there, this one seems to be the most rewarding.  It may take a long time to stack up enough Swagbucks to earn something, but they sure do seem to add up quick.  The concept is that you earn points through various ways and can redeem them for a wide variety of items in the Swagstore.  They have various things from gift cards, to books, to magazine subscriptions, MP3s, TV show episodes.  Maybe you could even save up for a PS3...

There are various ways you can earn the points.  The first and easiest way is to use the search function.  It is a search powered by Ask and Google, so the results are decent.  I do find what I'm looking for when I used the search function.  For some reason there are only two or three pages of results, but I know that if I don't find what I'm looking for by the second or third page, it is time to reform my search.  I have earned close to twenty Swagbucks in just under two weeks by casually searching.  They offer special search sites that feature a specific band or sports team, and the Swagstore from that site will also carry specific merchandise.  For example, I search with The Who, and have access to a variety of The Who merchandise if I choose.

The next way is to refer somebody.  My referral link is on the side bar of the blog, and also where the link above will take you.  For every person you refer, you earn one Swagbuck for every Swagbuck they earn for the first 100 Swagbucks.  If you have many friends, this could add up quickly.

Swagbucks also runs many different competitions or offer random codes for redemption of Swagbucks.  I've gotten an email newsletter with a code, gone on a quick scavenger hunt on a t-shirt website (all I had to do was find a red shirt with Chuck Norris on it, the code was in the product description.)  They do Twitter word contests, trivia, prediction polls, and many other things.

The final way that I've found is through the completion of special offers.  I renewed my subscription to a magazine I normally read anyway, and earned a quick 20 Swagbucks.  Haven't tried Netflix yet?  Sign up for another 75 Swagbucks.  Disney Movie Club?  150 Swagbucks.  Those two things I had signed up to prior to Swagbucks, so I'm a little bummed I missed out.

In just two weeks I've already earned enough points to redeem for a $5 Amazon gift card, $25 dollar Resturaunts.com gift card, several different comic books or gift cards, and a Detroit Lions' pennant, just to give some examples.  This is two weeks of doing no extra work at all, just using Swagbucks in place of Google.  I'll have to post an update when I actually redeem something, but in the mean time, it is definantly worth a shot.

Review: Dragon Age Origins

This past weekend was a huge accomplishment for me.  I beat my very first RPG since Super Mario RPG for SNES.  Granted, I was 18 years old the first time I beat Super Mario RPG.  I'm not the most devoted gamer, especially when it comes to RPGs.  I will play until I get stuck, give up for months, and then come back again and feel the need to restart because I went without playing for so long.  It is a vicious, endless cycle.  Well, back on topic, I beat Dragon Age this weekend.  I had been playing this game quiet a bit, fighting it out with my fiance over who could play next.  This game was just amazing in my opinion.  Read on for the full review.