The volatility of the economy these days is reflected by the price you pay at the pump.  The cost of being able to travel has never been more uncertain.  One week your car will get you back and forth to work for $20 the next week it may cost you double.  Automobiles are such an integral part of our lives that we are at the mercy of the oil companies to survive.  The more money we have to spend on fuel the less we have to spend on other things that are necessary.  Our car determines where we work and where we spend our free time.  We all feel that drop in the pit of our stomachs when we see our credit card bills at the end of the month and add up what we spent just to get where we need to be.  There are some bright spots however.

Most gas stations now offer a discount if you use your credit card.  Many stations offer their own card that gives you rebates for not only the money you spend on gas, but for items you buy in the store, and in some cases the money you spend at associated businesses.

One of the great pastimes of Americans has been the Sunday drive.  We have always loved the feel of flying down the highway with no real destination.  Our cars represented freedom.  With the uncertainty of fuel prices it has become a luxury rather than a leisurely activity.  Lately the price of gas has dropped and instead of being happy about it many of us are just waiting for the other shoe to drop before we are again paying up to or past $5 a gallon.  Many of us feel guilty now if we just want to go for a drive.

As American we learn to adjust to the ups and downs of both the economy and life itself.  If prices do go through the roof we will adapt and we will find a way to go on.  We have always loved our cars and that is not going to change.  Imagining the United States without cars is like imagining Sunday’s without football. 

In the meantime, enjoy the low gas prices.  Take advantage of this probably brief benefit and take that drive you have been putting off for so long.  Slide your credit card through the pump and smile while you can.

In today’s world everything is bought on credit. Groceries, a night out, clothes, a fancy weekend, engagement rings, everything. Even with all their spending and credit card using savvy, most people don’t know they can actually purchase a car with a credit card. Now, obviously, if you’re a below average income earner with poor credit this is not an option for you. However, if you are an intelligent and careful user of credit, then when the time comes to purchase a new or used car to replace your current automobile, or even to add to your family fleet, credit cards are definitely a viable option. Let me explain this in a little bit more details.

Of course, any car buyer who can afford to pay cash for an automobile, would be advised to follow this course of action before considering the use of any long term credit option that will find you paying interest on a purchase over the lifetime of the loan – or worse, years and years of credit card payments. However, purchasing a car with your credit card does have its benefits.

The greatest advantage to paying for a car with your credit card is that it becomes an unsecured loan. Should you find yourself jobless at any time in the future the automobile does not run the risk of being repossessed. You own the car outright – not the bank.

A second benefit of placing your car purchase on a credit card is you have the option of paying varied amounts on your car each month. You can pay more or less depending on your financial circumstances, although there is no great advantage to stringing out the payments beyond three or four years.

Third, your credit card is your own line of credit which puts you in a better bargaining position with the automobile salesman. You don’t have to wait for their approval to purchase a car. As a matter of fact, you don’t have to wait for anything. If you don’t like the price they’re offering you can take your business and automatic car loan approval with you to another dealership.

Finally, if you are a smart consumer then you will use a credit card with a minimum interest rate, not introductory mind you, and save yourself a large amount of money you might otherwise give to the finance company. Now get out there and get that car!

The American consumer is comfortable making purchases in all financial formats. We buy groceries with a debit card. We pay utilities on-line. Some of us even use the old throw back – a paper check when making our latest acquisitions.

Yet, even though the intelligent shopper can cite their lenders, their bank account numbers, and even their retirement account holdings, most people do not stop to think they could actually buy a car with their VISA, Mastercard, or many of the other plastic credit cards in their wallets. Certainly it does not always make sense to use this buying plan so let us only consider those times when it is advantageous to the consumer.

To begin with, the prospective buyer of a new or used car intending to make their purchase with a credit card must have a good credit rating. Too, it is also most beneficial to acquire a new car with “Visa” if there is enough money in the bank to back up the purchase.

For those who are financially literate, the use of credit in general, and a credit card in particular, is strategically managed to provide optimum results for themselves and their family. The fiscally responsible are aware that most credit card companies have been forced to keep their consumer ‘audience’ by providing perks such as cash back rewards of up to 2% to their card holders. Now, consider, that if you buy a new car somewhere in the range of $20,000 with your rewards credit card, you have just saved yourself up to $400. That’s a hefty sum for the average household.

Literally thousands of credit card companies blanket this country – each offering enticements to the consumer for their use. For instance, certain airlines have aligned themselves with credit card companies offering travel miles for their use. (For example, Visa and Southwest Airlines have collaborated to create a Southwest Visa allowing the card holder to earn a free round trip flight for about $20,000 in purchase and can translate to a $500 round trip ticket.

A final consideration when using a credit card for an automobile purchase is many credit card issuers offer 0% interest rate deals. This introductory rate when can be very advantageous at your local car dealers. For instance, a $25,000 purchase at zero percent credit can free up $1250 at year’s end.

Good luck and savvy buying to those who will buy their automobile on credit. But, always, read the fine print.

If you’re filling up for gas and not saving money, then you’re already missing out!  If you’re good with credit card, I highly recommended you start looking into gas credit cards.  Using a credit card the right way can have a lot of benefits and can save you as much as 10% off per gallon.  If you’re unfamiliar with the process, I’ll show you exactly how you can get the most out of your gas credit card.

Get the right card - Make sure that when you do get a gas credit card that you’re getting a card that’s actually going to save you money on gas.  Don’t get a card that will give you rewards with other purchases.  The whole idea here is to get a card that will save you money on gas.  Make sure that you read the terms and conditions and become familiar with the card itself.  You’ll want to know how much you’ll be saving and if there’s an introductory rate, etc.

Use it always - Get in the habit of using your card all the time at the gas pump.  Make sure that you use your card every time you fill up.  If you can get into this habit, you can save a lot of money each month.  Let’s use an example.  Let’s say you spend $500 on gas and you’re getting 5% back.  That’s a savings of $25!  Multiply that $25 by 12 months and that’s a yearly savings of $300.

Pay in FULL- I can’t stress this enough but when you get your card and you start using for your gas purchases, make sure that you pay your card off in full.  If you fail to do so, you’ll find that you’ll be getting charged a ridiculously high interest rate.  This alone will defeat the purpose of even having the card.  Make sure you carefully watch your spending and know how much your bill is going to be.

Make a budget - This kind of goes with the last post.  Make sure you watch how much you’re spending each month.  You won’t want to spend over your head and find out that you can’t afford your bill.  Credit cards aren’t free money.  If you know how much you’re spending, it will make it easier to pay off your bill at the end of the month.

Saving money on gas is really easy if you know how to use your card right.  If you’re bad with credit cards, you may want to just stick with your current plan because there’s nothing worst than being in debt.  Make sure you do some searches online for the best gas credit cards.  Take your time, read the terms and conditions, and do your research.  Once you find the right card, start spending it wisely and watch the savings roll in!

TIP:  Use FINDgascards.com to find the best gas cards on the market.

Saving on gas can be easy if you apply for a gas station credit card but what most people don’t realize is what it takes in order to successfully apply for one.  Before you apply for your first gas rebate credit card, I highly advise you research at least five different cards to get a feel for what each card offers.  Below are the credentials you’ll probably need in order to get approved –

Good credit is needed - If you don’t have good credit, the chances of getting approved for a gas card are pretty slim.  Credit cards that generally have a reward system generally want you to have a decent credit score.  This credit score should probably be in the mid 600s and higher to get approved.  If your credit score is below 650, I would wait awhile until you raise your credit score.

Your credit history - If you’re a college student, you probably don’t want to apply for a regular gas card.  Instead, you’ll want to apply for a gas card designed for college students.  If you’re a younger adult that has a limited credit history, the chances of you getting approved for a gas card are once again, pretty slim.  I would wait until you have a credit history of at least three to five years.  Credit card companies love to see people with a solid credit history.  Without one, you’re not as reliable as someone with a credit history of 15 years.

Number of credit cards - This point not only applies to gas cards but also applies to many other credit cards.  The more credit cards you have opened, the more debt you’ll have access to.  Credit card companies don’t like it when you have a higher debt to income ratio.  So, if you have a lot of credit cards opened, the chances are getting approved once again are slim.  A good way to see what your debt to income ratio is by either looking on your credit report or figuring it out by adding up your limits.

These are probably the three main things that the gas station card companies will look after.  If you feel you meet all of these restrictions, the chances of getting approved are great.  It never hurts to try and apply but just don’t get discouraged when you find a denial letter in the mail.