6 things that you should pay with your credit card

No matter what naysayers say, credit cards are considered a necessity, especially for those who run smart, responsible budgeting and rely on a convenient means to help extend the life of household incomes. In fact, people who have mastered the art of plastic swiping—the clever use of credit cards for essential purposes—know that there are great and valuable features in that little thing inside your wallet that can make your life easier. If you know when and how to effectively use it, you also get first dibs on some of the most exciting benefits that your credit card has to offer.

Here we’ve listed 6 things that you should pay or purchase with your credit card:

Travel fares

Travel young, travel right. Consider it your birthright to get to destinations you otherwise only see on Flickr, but be a little wise about it. Because airlines have been setting down their rates at ridiculously low prices, people have been clamoring for coveted one-peso seats, which usually open only ONLINE and until seats last. This is where your credit card puts you at an advantage. With your plastic you can 1) immediately secure low price seats online without the hassle of running to payment centers and 2) you can have free travel insurance and hotel discounts which most banks will give you as perk for booking through them. That, or your credit card can earn points convertible to free flights or gas. You may also watch out for your Bank’s seasonal travel sale and enjoy exclusive perks!

Tuition Fees

When you enroll your kids in the best schools, you do know the implications. It’s costly, and the reward comes more than a decade later. For households running a tight budget, it’s more efficient to charge the school dues to your card on installment—it streamlines your children’s fees into manageable payments without putting a dent into your household budget. A lot of banks are actually very lenient when it comes to enrollment-related charges, such as BDO wherein cardholders can avail of easy installment plans for as low as 0.70% monthly add-on rate with a BDO or American Express Credit Card. And most often than not, the installment payment plans offered by banks have lower rates than that of the in-house school financing schemes

School Supplies

With great tuition fee comes great miscellaneous fees. Again, if you belong to a household with more than one child attending school, that means the cost for school necessities are multiplied many times and may have an impact on your household budgeting. You can use your credit card to pay for your children’s books, school supplies and school uniform and ask for deferred payment terms for your purchases so you have enough room in your budget to pay for these items without compromising other obligations such as electricity, water and internet bills.

Bills

Speaking of bills, consider paying all of your bills through your credit card. You not only avoid the inconvenience of lining up individually for every bill you need to pay—we’re estimating that for every home, there are approximately 4 to 6 bills that regularly need to be paid—you also get additional credit card points offered by banks for your continuous use of your credit line. And the rewards items that you can redeem could range from premium items such as travel vouchers, appliances, and various gift certificates. More importantly, by paying your bills with your credit card, you avoid the risk of getting penalized for payables you have unintentionally overlooked due to your hectic schedule. Another option is to enroll your bills to your bank’s Automatic Debit Arrangement facility. It’s also easy and hassle-free.

Home Entertainment

Buying furniture on a tight budget is never an easy thing. Home furniture is actually an investment as it stays with you and serves you for many years if selected carefully. You should know by now that you get what you pay for. Pay cheap and you get a sofa set with upholstery that gets ripped after three months. Pay excessively and you do get high-quality items but at the expense of little luxuries that you will have to give up in the next few months, such as movie and dinner dates, to offset your big-ticket purchase. Buying furniture with your credit card is actually a smart move as it makes room for you to buy an investment piece without blowing your budget in one pass. Most banks have payment schemes, such as “buy now, pay later,” that you can use not just for buying furniture, but also for buying big ticket purchases such as electronics, gadgets and appliances and other basic necessities.

Hospital bills

It’s something we all dread to happen to us, but if the inevitable happens and you end up confined in a hospital, worrying about medical bills should be the least of your concerns. At the very least, your credit card should be able to cover your medical expenses and many banks offer installment payment for such charges. BDO, for example, offers payment for hospital bills for as low as 0.75% interest per month up to 24 months installment with a BDO or American Express Credit Card. This should buy you enough flexibility to fully recuperate and clear your medical bills in no time.

If used right, credit cards offer so much more than just day-to-day financial assistance. They actually offer convenience and awesome perks for households who use these plastic cards responsibly. Take the hint–the operative word for mastering the art of plastic swiping is “responsible.” Use it wisely and you’ve got your household budget under control.

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