Comments on 2000 Dollar Budget Wedding: It Pays to Discover

We should be careful in using credit cards, they c...

2010-02-04T02:25:40.429-05:00

We should be careful in using credit cards, they can screw up our 1 month budget if we don't use it well...

Thank you for writing about joint finances. This i...

2010-02-03T11:25:16.794-05:00

Thank you for writing about joint finances. This is one of the stickiest parts of our partnership, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that in your discussion of marriage and joint living, you address this very central, realistic issue. I always appreciate your financial advice, even if it may not apply to my partner and I just yet.
I'm 23 and have never had a credit card. I've never felt comfortable with credit companies (they always seem to be doing something terrible to someone, somewhere). I'm not sure what this does to my "credit report" or what affect it'll have when we want to get a house, or a car, or something like that. We stick to debit cards, and while we haven't yet committed to an awesome joint financial plan (like Sara's), we're working on it. Thanks for putting the info out there though, at least I've learned that there's the option of gaining money back while spending it.

Of course, the problem with credit cards is that m...

2010-02-03T10:12:15.251-05:00

Of course, the problem with credit cards is that most people can't control their spending. But you are right. You can earn money back with the right card.

Yes to the article and the comments. I use my Ame...

2010-02-02T13:20:08.422-05:00

Yes to the article and the comments. I use my Amex Blue whenever I can (I'm planning to pay for the honeymoon flight with it, after yeeeears of credit card use - paid in full at the end of the month.) But I NEVER use it at small merchants. I use debit or cash for that.

Also, if you read the Better World Shopping Guide ...

2010-02-02T11:28:43.465-05:00

Also, if you read the Better World Shopping Guide (which I learned about on this blog and then purchased--thanks!), the big credit card companies get low grades (Discover & VISA get D+). On the other hand, it is nice to get the cash reward. Our Chase card gives us 1-3% cash back (depending on what is purchased), and Chase gets a C+, fyi. Just try to keep your savings account at a local credit union (B grade) or socially responsible bank (we use Wainwright).

I've been doing this for years as a way to sti...

2010-02-02T10:01:31.552-05:00

I've been doing this for years as a way to stick it to "the man" and make the big banks pay me... but yes, the cost to smaller merchants is worrisome.

I'm a fan of the credit card as well, for the ...

2010-02-02T07:35:46.593-05:00

I'm a fan of the credit card as well, for the same reason. My favorite right now is American Express Blue. For the first $6500 you spend annually you get 1.5% back on everyday expenses (groceries, gas, drugstore, etc) and 0.5% on everything else. After that you get 5% back on every day expenses and 1.25% on everything else. They automatically send you a check (or give you a credit on your statement) and I regularly earn over $200 a year with it.

@ Sarah: Oh no! I didn't realize I was perpetu...

2010-02-02T07:24:45.778-05:00

@ Sarah: Oh no! I didn't realize I was perpetuating a reverse Robin hood effect. I'll have to read that article more carefully. Thanks!

We have a Bank of America card that does the same ...

2010-02-02T07:10:12.229-05:00

We have a Bank of America card that does the same thing for Amazon.com gift certificates.

I should say this, though-- in life, nothing is free. The merchants that you use the credit cards at pay for your rewards program, for better or for worse. Check out this article at the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/your-money/credit-and-debit-cards/09money.html The end of the article has ways to try and do this with less guilt, so we try our darndest to use cash at our smaller merchants.