Why I Use a Credit Card

Lately, I've been reading books, articles on the internet, and blogs on how to decrease debt and save money. Throughout the articles and books I've read, some suggest that using a credit card is awful! Well, I completely disagree, if you have the power to pay everything in full. I was so tired of reading these money saving blogs talk about only using cash. I just had to get this post out there! Many of this information is not new, but it's always good to be reminded.  I am no expert on credit card information but for the average consumer here is what I learned and why I use a credit card.

1) Establish Credit
This is the most important reason why I use a credit card. When making big purchases like a car or even a house, the businesses will always check your credit. And with that, you need to use a credit card. Now, don't make big purchases if you don't have the money and you use your credit card. My mom gave me a credit card just buy books for college and she would pay me back. (My parents were able to afford my college tuition and expenses, plus I lived at home during college.) The first thing she told me about the card, was that I needed to establish credit, and when having a card always pay on time.  When you don't pay your bills on time, the credit gets worse. Many of you readers already know that but if you are like me, it's always a good reminder.

2) Getting Points and Rewards
Before you read this, I must warn you: DO NOT go on shopping spree just to get rewards from your cards.

When I got my first two credit cards, I didn't understand how much I should spend before I got the rewards. I just used it to buy things and never paid attention to my rewards. Now, after seeing what is offered, it is better to do your research and see what you can be rewarded for. I used to have a Disney card Their reward was basically having a Disney gift card but then I realized that I wasn't spending very much on Disney products.  Although, Disney has some great products, I don't need what they offer at this moment in my life.

I replaced that card with a Chase Freedom card, which offers me cash back. (I probably need cash more than anything right now.) And since I do have a Chase account, extra rewards are offered. You can even get more cash back (or extra points) when you go on their website and online shop through many of the list of companies they offer. Each company has a different percentage of how much cash back they will give. And with the Chase Freedom card, their are certain categories that I will get 5% cash back every quarter. Usually with those quarters, match the season. For July-September, I can get 5% more cash back when I spend it at gas stations, Kohls, and Theme parks. But always read the fine print on what you spend is considered cash back. The theme parks portion is only if you buy a ticket for a theme park directly through the park. Not if you spend money on the food or merchandise in the park.

With my card, and other cards, that promise to give cash back, they also have gift cards available and other products. Sometimes, it is better to get an "on sale" gift card because it will use up less of your points. For example, a $5 gift card will normally cost you 500 points. But for those on sale, $5 gift cards will cost you 450 points. Before you get the gift cards, just make sure it is in your budget and you know for sure you will spend it in that place. They are also good for gifts as well.

3) Cards don't allow you to carry a lot of cash
For safety reasons, I don't like carrying a lot of cash. While working on a college campus in my early college days, I had about $100 stolen out of my wallet. It was heart wrenching and made sure it didn't happen again. It is good to keep cash on hand if it's your way to stick to a budget or when stores don't accept anything but cash. However, the more cash you have in your wallet, or in a safe, it is at a higher risk of getting stolen. And if it's stolen, most likely you won't get it back. If a card is stolen or lost, the credit card company can just issue a new one and can stop payments on the stolen one.

4) Pay on Time
Before getting a credit card, you NEED to do your research, read the fine print and also see how much YOU SPEND! Credit cards are a way of borrowing money and that could come at a cost if you don't pay on time. Think about it, when you loan a friend or family member $50 and they say they will pay you back, but you don't get the money until months later! Doesn't that frustrate you a little bit? Credit cards want their money back so they charge you interest rates. Interest rates are high and I hate spending extra money on something that I don't need to. And with interest rates, it's like your getting charged for not spending anything, just owing money. With today's technology, it is easy to pay on time. You can always check your balances online and pay the outstanding balance even when the billing cycle is not finished. Unless you don't have the money, pay your balance in full. And also when you don't have the money, don't spend it unless it is a NEEDED item like food or gas.

5) Track your spending
Check on your credit card website to see how you can track what your spending. It will help you be a little more wise on your spending habits and see what you are actually spending. This summer was pretty crazy with many activities and events. Tracking my spending helped me put myself into perspective and I found that I was not saving any money during two months. There are many free apps and websites that help you track your spending. My boyfriend introduced me to a free app called: Spending Tracker from the MH Riley Ltd. I love it but you have to manually input everything you spend or recieve. It does not ask for any credit card info or your checking account. Or you can do the old fashion way and use a notebook. Also, having a credit cards statement may help as well, but that can take time. However you do it, tracking a good thing.



If you are still uncomfortable at the thought of using a credit card, don't use it for everything. You can use it for one or two categories, like gas, going out to eat, or groceries. Or you can start using a bank issued debit card that is also the same as a credit card. They will take your money automatically from your checking account. Either way, you need to establish credit.

Also, for anyone that is starting college this is really good information to have. So many people on campus will sell students a credit card and it's easy to get caught up in the hype. Always read the fine print and make sure you are spending smartly.

Have wonderful day!

My Grocery Shopping Must Haves

It's pretty much a given fact: most people have to go to the grocery store. And for many people, it is every week. As a kid, I would go to Ralphs, Vons or Pavilions all the time with my mom or dad. At the time, I never really paid attention to the prices, what was on sale, or what brand was better quality. But I did pay attention to the free samples, kid snacks, and the coupon dispenser that was in the aisles (it was just fun to pull the coupons out.)

Since my young childhood days until now, things have changed a lot when it comes to grocery shopping. Now that I am grocery shopping on my own, I've definitely paid attention to prices and what I bring home to our small dining room table. I could go on and tell you about grocery store tips, but I feel I'm not exactly a seasoned shopper (yet!). So here are just a few things that I would never EVER leave at home when I go to the grocery store.

1) My coupons
I don't get the newspaper at home, so I mostly just get them online and print them out. I use www.swagbucks.com and they have online coupons available. When I am going to my parents house, I'll ask them to save coupons for me. (I never ask them to save every insert every single week, they don't like that hanging around)

Top: What I carry my coupons in when I go to the grocery store.
Bottom: My coupons in my coupon binder.

Now, I used to bring my whole coupon binder (another post on that later) with me to the grocery store, but that was kind of a pain to carry around. It is big and it got inconvenient when I would unpack my groceries considering our parking spots are not right at our front door. I used to have a blue pencil holder with different pockets. It worked out great...till I lost it! Well, I used envelopes for a little while and finally I broke down and bought this little mini accordion folder that says coupons on it. It was $1 at Target (can't beat that Dollar section) and I thought I would try it out. So far, only used it once and it works out great!

I also have coupons on my iPod. I only have Target coupons so far. (Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by how much is out there!) Target has a great app & website called Cartwheel. You choose items you plan or might get and you can get 5-25% off. And that is on top of your coupons and your 5% off if you have a Target card.

2) My Club Card
Trust me, it's the best thing to happen for me and my shopping. I'm glad these came out before I had to do my own shopping.

I mostly go to Vons, so I have my club card next to the cards I do use often. Many items that are on sale, you can only get for that price if you use your club card.  Not only that, more and more stores are adding coupons, free items, or items specially priced for you when you go on their website and add the deals straight to your card. Vons has the Just for U program, and I know for sure Ralphs and Stater Bros. do something similar. And most of my coupons are already added to my card.

Furthermore, many times, you get rewarded when you do use your card. At Vons, when you get 100 points, you get 10 cents off a gallon at Chevron or Texaco gas stations. It's like it was meant for me because Chevron gas stations are my preferred choice. Ralphs has something similar. And with pharmacy stores like CVS, Walgreens, etc. you can get extra bucks back. It's like getting a little gift card for that store.

3)My List
I usually don't want to make impulse buys, spend so much time at the grocery store, or forget things. So the list a must have. When I do go to Vons, we are able to make a list from their website and add the coupons/ special prices we have on our card, on our list. The Vons list shows what items you need to get, how much, what a coupon is worth, and when it will expire. I prefer to not use my iPod touch as a list and do it the old fashioned way and use paper. I don't really like putting my password in every time I need to check something off.


4) My Reusable Grocery Bags
When I think about how much plastic grocery bags are being used and how much it fills our landfills, it makes me feel guilty every time I have to use one. So, one less plastic bag that is used, the better I feel about using my bags. And I don't really care if the baggers like them or not. (I've heard complaints from them while my items were being put in them) They are also easier for me to carry when I unload my groceries from my car to our apartment.

Getting reusable grocery bags do not have to be expensive. They can be $1 usually, but I mostly get them for free. And they don't have to necessarily be the same shape or type of material. I've used a bag I got from a bachelorette party 4 years ago. I've gotten bags from work. I got a free bag from Vons using the Just for U program. And recently after attending a convention I've gotten several more bags that are perfect for groceries.

If reducing the amount of plastic bags in our landfills doesn't convince you, many stores are rewarding customers for using reusable bags and many cities/ counties are making you bring your own bags. Through my experience, Target and Sprouts takes off 5 cents per bag used. And some stores add extra points to your club rewards. Also, in Los Angeles County, it is pretty much a law now that you have to use reusable grocery bags. If you don't have them, grocery stores will charge an extra 10 cents or so for every bag used. (I predict it won't be long till Orange County puts that law into effect.)

So, I'm still learning the best way to save money while grocery shopping but hopefully for those of you who are just starting to grocery shop on your own, maybe these little tips will help you out.

See ya later!

Shay

Inspiring to get Organized

This video got me hooked! It gets me inspired! I subscribed to her on youtube and it might help organizing your home or office. Although some things she has are out of my budget or I just cannot do because I live in an apartment, it always creates ideas in my head. After watching another few of her videos tonight, I got an urge to do something I've been meaning to do for a little bit now: Organize LAUNDRY care items!

Although my family says I have a great memory, sometimes I forget things. And all the time, I'm usually forgetting something when I do my laundry here at the apartment complex. I have to go back up the stairs and grab the dryer sheets before I dry my items. It was easy to forget because our items were in different places. Our laundry card was in one drawer while the soap and dryer sheets were in another cabinet.

Rearranging the "clothes care" items literally took me less than 5 minutes to do it and it didn't cost me a thing! Now, I know some people would put labels or made it look neater, but I had an itch and did what I could at 8:30 pm. I wish I took a before picture, but I guess you'll have to settle for the after picture.

We don't have and we don't need a lot of products to keep our clothes neat and tidy. And I wanted to put all clothing care items in ONE location. So in our linen closet, where the iron was located, I removed a laptop case I have (and barely use) and some light bulbs to another location in the closet. I'm a little tired right now to do the whole closet so this one shelf will do for now.  

As you can see in the picture: all my items I use to take stains outs, lint off, and wash my clothes are in one location. Not only was it items that we need (detergent, iron, dryer sheets), but items I had on hand left over from a "bridal emergency" kit I gave as a gift to my cousin to use on her wedding day. (Tide to-go pens, small lint brush) Another post on that later!

I took a tip from the Extreme Couponing show on TLC and lined my detergent together. We needed to get more detergent and there was a sale on our last grocery trip, so I stocked up. I usually always forget the dryer sheets so I put them in front and I don't use the iron much (because I hate doing it!) so I put that in the back. I put the lint rollers in the front too because it's easy to reach before we go to work.

I didn't want the smaller items to lay around and accidentally fall, so I found a clear glass we don't use and put them in it. Any small items can easily get lost and it's always a good idea to have a spot for it to be held. This glass is actually significant to both of us in different ways. Most notably it says Long Beach, CA, where we both grew up in the area. In the glass includes our apartment issued laundry card, Tide to-go pens (from the bridal emergency kit) and Downey wrinkle reducer (also from the bridal emergency kit that I had to quickly put in my purse before my cousin's wedding started. I ended up accidentally bringing it home with me).  

Well, I hope this inspires you and I know this will help me in the future. 

Have a great night!

Shay L. Hust

3rd times a charm

So I pulled up my own blog with the intention of deleting it. I haven't had a post in just over a year and I thought it was time to give more space to the internet. But as I read my own title, something in me told me that maybe I should try and start again, after the 3rd TIME!

I love reading blogs, especially ones that will help me cut down my expenses and finding creative things to do. I feel like I do have some advice to share, and to share what my friends and family have taught me. Especially, I have grown since last year and moved out of my parents. We are all on this earth for a reason, and hopefully this will identify as to why I am here.

What I didn't have before was an actual plan. I had a creative idea, but I didn't have a goal and a plan. My days off are Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays. Mondays and Fridays seem like a good day to put up some posts. I'll start off like that, and we'll see where this takes us.

So, as I raise a glass to trying this again, please pray, and hopefully I'll keep up.

Thanks for reading,

Shay L. Hust

PSA: Keeping The Beach Clean

Hello Friends!

Well summer is in full swing here in Seal Beach. The weather is acting weird but today is a perfect beach day which made me think of how much people will be visiting.

I have lived and worked in places that are prime destinations for summer, winter, and holiday vacations (ie. Aspen, Disneyland Resort, Seal Beach, Newport Beach). Often I forget that I live or work in destinations that many people would die to live in. However, I soon remember that I'm in a destination area when I see more people come out during peak summer/holiday times. For example, my place of residence right now, Seal Beach, gets a little crowded during the summer.

I'm OK with tourists coming to this little seaside community. It is after all, what a lot of cities want. We want local businesses to thrive, go to our attractions, and for you to enjoy a place that is different from the normal. The problem though, I do have with some people is what they sometimes leave behind at the beach: TRASH!

Many people often forget that destinations they like to go to is not just a place to "get away." They are people's homes and place of work. Sure, there are some homes that are used only for vacation, but mostly people live and work here all year around. I get so mad when I see families and groups of people just leave so much trash and other things. The more that people do this, the more of my home they are destroying. And please, think about the tourists that want to come in after you have arrived. Would you like to go to a place to relax and have a good time, only to discover it was trashed by the people before you?

So people, please be respectful of the beach you are visiting. They are people's homes and you wouldn't leave trash if you were a guest in someones house.

For those that do clean up after yourselves, THANK YOU! I look up to you and what you are doing for the community. If you read this, please spread the word and re-post this if you strongly agree. I, and maybe some residents, would be very appreciative. I would love to hear some comments as well!

Cabin fever & what I'm doing to not get it.

Ok, so I haven't been up to date with my blog and the hotel tips. And there is no excuse, so I'm just going to keep on writing.

So it's a fact: I do not like job searching. I do not like being unemployed. And I do not like going out and spending money while I'm unemployed. (I'm a penny pincher) With that said, I'm spending a lot of time at home. Even though I am a home-body and I love my room, I can only spend so much time at home before I get annoyed at little things. My mother has said that I need to get out of the house more and she is right. But I do get in a mode of staying at home and the next thing I know, it's afternoon and my parents are on their way home from work. And when my boyfriend is off work, I like to go straight to his apartment because it is my way of "getting out of the house" and it doesn't cost anything except gas money.

My mom gave me an empty Starbucks coffee bag and a Starbucks gift card she found. She mentioned I should go and apply for jobs there instead of staying at home. So today, I traded in the Starbucks coffee bag for a free Tall regular coffee, and brought my laptop. http://instagram.com/p/M8iRZMgy07/

I had never been one of those people who go to Starbucks or any other coffee shop and sit with a laptop. I like to make my own coffee (hot & cold) because well... it's a whole lot cheaper and I'm not too disappointed if I mess up! Also, I'm those type of people that likes her quiet time.

And now I get it. I can't speak for everybody, but I'm sure they go to coffee shops to get out of the house. Especially for people searching for jobs or spend a lot of time at home on the computer. I used to spend time at CSULB and do my homework there because it was a bigger and different setting than my room in Lakewood and I didn't have much distractions. Maybe, I have coffee in my system right now but I'm loving it and being out of the house is amazing! I have actually have a little more confidence and happier thoughts. I'm all about natural light and this Starbucks, on Seal Beach Blvd. in Seal Beach, CA, has plenty of it.

So as long as I have money on a gift card and I can get free coffee by trading in a Starbucks coffee bag, I might just go to a Starbucks with plenty of seating and bring my laptop more often. We'll see how it goes. I plan on going at different times. The store is right by Boeing, a small hotel, and other businesses, and plenty of people come here in the morning to get their coffee fix before work. And there is a worker here that is super-uber-uber friendly and loud, it almost seems fake and she's trying to impress a manager or something.

Either way I'm out of the house and even getting inspiration to write more.

Using what I learned from my hotel career

Well, Memorial weekend is over and the start of summer vacations has begun. I have worked a lot of summers and see some travelers forget things that they really need or seen some misinformation that really scare travelers.

So, today I decided that I am posting hotel tips, or facts. I'll try and do this daily. Having experience in the hotel industry, I see a lot of things, and misinformation has become an increasing problem.

Right now I cannot afford to stay at hotels, but I wanted to use my knowledge and share it with people. Hopefully I can make your vacation a little bit better. You'll be able to catch those tips on my twitter page: https://twitter.com/#!/Shay2010 and you can follow me @Shay2010

So here it goes:
Hotel Security Suggestion #1:
Add names to the other people staying in the room.Your friend wants to go the room, and forgets their key OR you have different friends coming to the hotel at different times. The front desk needs to identify who is allowed in your room.