This is what 4,000(something) Bank of America Credit Card Rewards Points will get you. That is roughly, $2,000.00 spent in cash to get those points. You’ve read that correctly. Roughly $2,000 dollars charged to a Bank of America Credit Card will get you three BRITA filters (cost on Amazon: $16.98).
When I decided to finally use our Rewards points because we are no longer using credit cards. Let me just tell you, $2,000 dollars doesn’t go very far and laughing was all I could do to keep from letting a slue of curse words come out. BRITA filters was the best they offered for our point range. As TP and I climb slowly out of consumer debt (we have two credit cards with small balances and a car payment) we challenge ourselves to find humor in it all. How could you not laugh at this?
Some credit card users don’t have a problem using them. They charge something and pay it right off. Those people are the exception to the rule, not the rule itself. Many Americans are in serious debt to credit card companies and to keep Americans in debt, those companies are using any means necessary to keep consumers feeling good about spending money they don’t have. This is being done by way of Rewards systems.
Myth: Aren't there positive uses of a credit card? Like rebates and airline miles?Or, in our case..three BRITA filters.
Truth:Responsible use of a credit card does not exist.
Credit card debt is a major problem in America.There is no positive side to credit card use.You will spend more if you use credit cards. Even by paying the bills on time, you are not beating the system! But most families don't pay on time. The average family today carries $8,000 in credit card debt according to the American Bankers' Association. {Source}
It seems like every time you turn around, the credit card companies are thinking of new ways to bait you into signing up for their cards. According to MSNBC, the average household that carries credit card debt has a balance of $2,000!
If you sign up for an 18% credit card and pay $50 a month on it, you will pay $1,002 of interest in addition to the $2,000 of debt. You just spent $3,002 for a $15 hat you'll probably never wear! {Source}
Our family took the Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace course and it has literally changed our thinking in the way we want to live our life and what kind of quality we want in it. No, we aren’t perfect and we sometimes spend our money on things that we shouldn’t. But we’ve stopped charging, started saving, and created a budget. We don’t fight about money anymore because it is all assigned and re-assigned and re-assigned. Our way of thinking has completely changed. Maybe that’s why we found humor in our $2,000 BRITA filters.
I wrote a brief recap of our first experience in the Dave Ramsey class but didn’t continue on with it. I wanted to wait until we completed a few Steps and then write. But we are moving in so many exciting directions so when I use my $666 dollar filters I will smile and think about where we have come and where we are going.
-M