Did you know most credit cards can earn you points? These points can be traded in occasionally for merchandise or airfare. I bring this up because being on top of your finances is a key part of managing your job search.
Many people follow special introductory offers regarding interest rates or balance transfers when signing up for a credit card. Ask your friends, and surf around. See if the card you choose can earn you points (and make sure the interest rates are still good AFTER the introductory period). If the card doesn’t earn you anything, find one that does. Skip those with an annual fee. Put your credit card to work for you!
As you spend on the card, you can also look forward to getting yourself something like a new flat panel TV, restaurant gift certificates, or even airfare for a vacation. If you’re like me, you’ve worked diligently and very hard on your search, so you deserve this.
For example, I had enough points in 2012 to get airfare for 2 to Europe for free! And my April 2014 airfare to several cities in Mexico only cost me $69 (to buy a few make-up points since I was a bit short.) I took the photo above of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.
As much as possible, pay off your full balance monthly, and only spend on the card what you’ll have in a few weeks. This way you can avoid snowballing debt, stress, and paying the credit card companies any interest.
You can compare different credit cards at creditcards.com. I’ve been very happy with the customer service, perks, occasional bonus point programs, and concierge services that come as a part of the Mastercard I have, (the Citi ThankYou Preferred Card). And there’s no annual fee. Scroll through the options at this page, and check it out.
No, I’m not getting a kick-back from Citi–I wish–but a friend encouraged me to share my technique for using a credit card to your advantage. Enjoying some relax time or a goodie for yourself occasionally is a nice self-reward and healthy addition to your job search. What’s the coolest thing you’ve gotten with your credit card points?