Once upon a time, not too long ago, my husband thought I had too many credit cards - especially for clothing shops and department stores. John thought having so many credit cards could discredit our credit.
I charged salon services, movie tickets and luncheons with friends - which seem to cost more than lunches. Anyway ... John thought the only thing I couldn't buy on credit was happiness.
Early in our marriage, a time I refer to as B.C. - Before Credit - we paid for everything with cash or checks. Subtracting the cost of purchases from the total column in our checkbook made it easy to see our financial standing - or occasionally our financial leaning. Despite John's concerns, however, we never had to cash a check to buy a red pen.
Now I'm down to one credit card and John actually encourages me to use it. For every dollar spent we get miles for free or upgraded airline tickets.
John draws his credit card as fast as Billy the Kid drew his gun. John turns plastic into miles as determinedly as Rumplestiltskin turned straw into gold and John hoards his miles as carefully as Silas Marner hoarded his money.
John charges everything. If there's no posted minimum for using a credit card, John will charge purchases under a dollar. I occasionally wonder if store owners think we're one charge away from being homeless; but when we're flying business class on vacation and I'm sipping a glass of champagne, I stop wondering.
Several vacations ago my purse was stolen; and until I received my replacement credit card, I felt like a prisoner. A voice in my head kept saying, "Don't leave home without it".
Some people leave home too often. They act like Teddy Roosevelt and rush through stores yelling, "Charge!" I don't. I think I use my credit card wisely - often, but wisely.
When I check my month's collection of receipts with the charges on the statement, I've never found a mistake. Okay, maybe the Big Bird socks for Cousin Walter were a mistake; but I've never found a charge mistake.
Yes, I thought using one credit card was both convenient and profitable - until I read that a Diner's Club Card from the early fifties is worth more than one hundred dollars. Yesterday's credit cards have become today's collectibles. Now I'm collecting my thoughts. Maybe I should have more credit cards.
