Just because you have a credit card doesn’t mean you should use it to pay for everything. While credit cards give some awesome perks and benefits when you use them, not all expenses should go on them. Here are just 12 expenses to avoid putting on your credit card.
Due to crazy convenience and service fees, putting taxes on your credit card are a no-no. For those big tax bills that you weren’t expecting, putting them on the credit card may seem like the right idea, but it’s not. Do your best to pay this debt in cash or by debit card/check so you don’t get additional fees.
No matter how tempting it is, don’t put your wedding or honeymoon expenses on a credit card. This will only make starting married life more stressful when you start your marriage off with a huge pile of debt. Only put expenses on your card that can be paid off within the month.
Mortgages can be hefty, which sometimes makes us want to put them on the credit card so we don’t have to deal with them immediately, However, this is bad, especially if the mortgage is above what you can pay each month. You’ll accrue tons of interest that will severely lower your credit score.
Bail bonds or anything else that is considered a cash advance is a huge thing you should avoid putting on your credit card. Whenever you do a cash advance with a credit card, you’re often charged a 3% (or more) service fee, which adds up quickly.
School costs are so expensive nowadays, but you shouldn’t put them on your credit card. Try your best to get government assistance, scholarships, or student loans. Putting tuition costs on your credit card will only hurt you financially in the long run.
Virtual currency like Bitcoin are a really bad expense to put on your credit card. There are numerous reasons for this, but the main one is that virtual currency transactions aren’t always the most trust-worthy. Lots of people have their hands in on virtual transactions, meaning you have more of a chance of credit card fraud occurring.
Although medical bills can often be big and expensive, avoid putting them on your credit card. Instead, talk to the doctor or hospital to try to figure out a payment plan. These charges usually last a long time and, if they’re on your credit card, you’ll accrue lots of interest against yourself.
Don’t put any kind of down payment on your credit card. If you don’t have the cash to pay a down payment, then you’ll probably never be able to actually repay the whole loan. This is a red flag and means the loan is going to be a burden for a long time.
While it may be more convenient, putting gambling expenses on a credit card is a terrible idea. It’s super easy to lose track of how much money you’ve spent when you’re using a credit card and it’s easy to get out of control with “just one more go.”
If you’re starting up a business, put as few of the expenses on your credit card as possible. If you go into business with a bad credit score or tons of debt and loans, it’s going to be really hard to pay those things off or be taken seriously by potential investors.
Don’t put trip expenses on a credit card unless you have great self-control or have a large cash backup to pay off the charges within the month. It’s just too easy to spend way too much money when you’re putting everything on your credit card on vacation.
Don’t buy an automobile on your credit card. Most dealers don’t even do this and, if they do, they’ll put all of the fees and charges on you, which means the price of your car will increase drastically. Not only that, but these payments are hard to pay off every month and you can often max out your credit card, which lowers your credit score significantly.
