Are Credit Card Reward Programs Worth the Hype?

I am such a willing victim to rewards programs. You have to admit that there is just something innately irresistible in being rewarded for spending money. Y to the ES please!

But as I eventually found out, rewards programs are not all they're cranked up to be. If you're not a heavy credit card user, then the rewards due you are minimal to the point of being ludicrous.

Are Credit Card Reward Programs Worth the Hype?

I am such a willing victim to rewards programs. You have to admit that there is just something innately irresistible in being rewarded for spending money. Y to the ES please!

But as I eventually found out, rewards programs are not all they're cranked up to be. If you're not a heavy credit card user, then the rewards due you are minimal to the point of being ludicrous.

Dealing with an Unauthorized Credit Card Purchase

It was just another humid summer day, but when I received these messages on my cellphone, I might as well have had my whole body dunked in ice water because I was shocked beyond belief. It was my first time to fall victim to credit card fraud and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Dealing with an Unauthorized Credit Card Purchase

 

It was just another humid summer day, but when I received these messages on my cellphone, I might as well have had my whole body dunked in ice water because I was shocked beyond belief. It was my first time to fall victim to credit card fraud and it wasn't a pleasant experience.

A Constant Struggle

As a personal finance blogger, I feel that I might regret this admission later on, but I don't care. Hello, my name is Jill and I'm addicted to shoes! Cute flats and sandals to be more precise.

I've been living with this affliction for some time and I thought I had already tamed it, resorting to buying shoes only when I need to. And to keep my addiction in check, I consciously avoid my triggers, not setting foot in malls unless I have to (which honestly isn't much of a sacrifice because I'm not really fond of malls).

But these online stores are weakening my resolve. Not only do they focus on flats, they are also locally made! How can I not support local products right? It would be anti-Filipino!

So far, I have prevented myself from splurging on a gazillion new pairs because of a few simple reasons:

1. Inconvenient payment scheme- most of the payment schemes are through bank deposit or G-cash, and while those sandals may be cute, I'm too lazy to go to the bank and leave the comfort of my airconditioned office, just to make a deposit.

2. Huge surcharge on Paypal- they accept Paypal but slap on a ridiculous surcharge for doing so. For example, the sandals I wanted was Php1,080 with free shipping, but when I opted to pay using Paypal, the bill went up to Php1,200++ that's almost a 20% difference! No way Jose.

3. I have no more room for a new pair- I live in a tiny shoebox of a home and so every purchase has to be mulled over, because I only have a finite space for shoes and clothes. As much as I love new shoes, I love not having to deal with clutter even more.

Just like an addict trying to change his ways, everyday is a struggle and so I make my life easier by unsubscribing from store email updates, unfollowing seller accounts on Instagram and creating a goal that would make the sacrifice so much easier to bear (i.e. creating a fund to renovate our condo). But I do sneak a peek every now and then to see what the new styles are, and just when I'm ready to buy a pair, I am once again deterred by the limited payment schemes. Success!

So dear online shoe stores, thank you for making it easy for this shoe addict to not take a walk on the dark side.

*Images from POSH Pocket Shoes, Lulu Swing, Yellow Bird Shoes, Anthology Shoes and Suelas.

A Constant Struggle

As a personal finance blogger, I feel that I might regret this admission later on, but I don't care. Hello, my name is Jill and I'm addicted to shoes! Cute flats and sandals to be more precise.

Living on the Edge: The Parental Version

My parents never took out a life insurance policy. Scratch that, my mom did take out a life insurance policy  years ago, but the insured were her kids with the beneficiaries being our BFF cousins. In short, it was a joke and it was probably sold to her by a patient she couldn't say no to. And true enough, those policies lapsed within a year or two of taking them out.

Anyway, my parents didn't have a high regard for insurance because they were one of the millions who lost their money when the pre-need companies folded up one after another. In fact, even today, most people are apprehensive about taking out life insurance because they had a bad experience, or they knew someone, with a pre-need company.

Life insurance is way different from pre-need insurance, but that's for another post. This post is about how my parents never took out life or health insurance but still turned out well. So does this mean that I shouldn't take out life and health insurance as well?

That would be a big, fat NO.

Living on the Edge: The Parental Version

My parents never took out a life insurance policy. Scratch that, my mom did take out a life insurance policy  years ago, but the insured were her kids with the beneficiaries being our BFF cousins. In short, it was a joke and it was probably sold to her by a patient she couldn't say no to. And true enough, those policies lapsed within a year or two of taking them out.

Anyway, my parents didn't have a high regard for insurance because they were one of the millions who lost their money when the pre-need companies folded up one after another. In fact, even today, most people are apprehensive about taking out life insurance because they had a bad experience, or they knew someone, with a pre-need company.

Life insurance is way different from pre-need insurance, but that's for another post. This post is about how my parents never took out life or health insurance but still turned out well. So does this mean that I shouldn't take out life and health insurance as well?

That would be a big, fat NO.