(Apologies for the OT post, but there's a lot of wisdom in this group I've come to learn, particularly when sports aren't involved.)
Somewhere along the way, I came to fear debt. Probably because of how I used my first store credit card. (I don't remember the exact problem, but I think a 6-mo no interest thing confused me and I wasn't making payments ...or something?) Might've been how I was raised. Anyway, mid-40s couple here w/ no credit cards, but good credit. (I think my wife has a Kohls card?). We've been traveling more lately and for things like Car rentals and hotels, a credit card would make things simpler, though those companies have come around the last few years. I feel like we might be missing out on rewards/returns from airline travels and hotels though.
Does it make sense to get an airline card? (Which one? I've flown Delta, American, Southwest and United in the past 6-8 months.) A card from my bank? Some online card that has the highest rewards?
I've heard of folks using a credit card for all of their purchases and cutting a check (...probably electronically) at the end of the month. Is that the best way, or is there more to maximizing returns than is obvious?
To clarify, other than my house, we don't owe anything, and I'm not planning on changing my lifestyle because we have a credit card. If we don't have the money, we'll just wait until we do and make do as best we can ...just like we have. But, my wife's wanderlust is real, and I'm wondering if I can get the credit card companies to help me pay for it.
Any tips? Tricks? Warnings? Its hard to ask the right questions when you don't know what you don't know ...so talk to me like I'm 5 if you want/need to.
Somewhere along the way, I came to fear debt. Probably because of how I used my first store credit card. (I don't remember the exact problem, but I think a 6-mo no interest thing confused me and I wasn't making payments ...or something?) Might've been how I was raised. Anyway, mid-40s couple here w/ no credit cards, but good credit. (I think my wife has a Kohls card?). We've been traveling more lately and for things like Car rentals and hotels, a credit card would make things simpler, though those companies have come around the last few years. I feel like we might be missing out on rewards/returns from airline travels and hotels though.
Does it make sense to get an airline card? (Which one? I've flown Delta, American, Southwest and United in the past 6-8 months.) A card from my bank? Some online card that has the highest rewards?
I've heard of folks using a credit card for all of their purchases and cutting a check (...probably electronically) at the end of the month. Is that the best way, or is there more to maximizing returns than is obvious?
To clarify, other than my house, we don't owe anything, and I'm not planning on changing my lifestyle because we have a credit card. If we don't have the money, we'll just wait until we do and make do as best we can ...just like we have. But, my wife's wanderlust is real, and I'm wondering if I can get the credit card companies to help me pay for it.
Any tips? Tricks? Warnings? Its hard to ask the right questions when you don't know what you don't know ...so talk to me like I'm 5 if you want/need to.
