Oops...I Have Been Breaking a Golden Rule

In this points and miles game, there are a few Golden Rules that one must always follow to be successful .

Taken from Google Search

From never take "no," from the first customer service representative to never leave free one ways on the table, the Golden Rules help guide one from making silly and costly mistakes.

One of these golden rules is though shall not pay interest finance charges on credit cards. When one incurs interest charges for failing to pay their credit card balance, any benefit received, in the form of points/miles diminishes. On the blog, I have always preached that if one does not pay their credit card bills in full each month stay out of the credit card game.

Well, I feel like a hypocrite. In the past two months, I have paid over $15.00 in interest charges for failing to pay my credit card bills in full. GASP! The reason for the failure to pay the bill on time is not about the lack of money rather carelessness. Carelessness to ensure that I paid the entire bill. You see I pay my credit card bills little by little throughout the month; instead, of paying the entire bill once a month. On top of that, I have been using multiple credit cards, like five or six, because of the large amount of travel.

$15 is not a ton of money. I will not eat out for lunch or dinner out one night to save the $15. Its more the principal. In my early twenties, I was in credit card debt and I hated how I felt. Everyday sickened by the sight of the credit card balances going up and up with no plan for them to go down. I don't want to have that feeling ever again.

My punishment for breaking one of the Golden Rules is that I can only use one credit card from now on. Doesn't matter if I can get 20 points per dollar spent by using a particular credit card on a particular transaction, I'm not using that credit. (I say this here, but I know I would break it for 20 points per dollar earning, but you get my drift). The rest of the cards go into the drawer. Once I can pay that bill on time and in full, I may move to 2 cards in my wallet, but no more!

Even of those of us with a few year under our belt in the game need to be reminded about Golden Rules from time to time.

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