The luxury of credit card points

amother

↑ OP ↓

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 1:01 pm

amother Crystal wrote:

Agree. You don't have to answer, but do you accept cc payments for your business? I would bet those same people would pay you by cc.

My relatives who work in school administration and shul offices say it's not so.
That these people who vacation on points are just as likely to carry hundreds and thousands of debt year to year, claim they can't pay, refuse to pay even on cc.

And the downside is fighting over fees, people who cancel or fight cc fees.

amother

↑ Jetblack

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 1:35 pm

amother Mustard wrote:

I don’t read the whole thread. Definitely agree that tuition and mortgage need to be paid before luxury points vacation.

However using pints many times carries additional benefits. When I book a flight with points I can cancel it anytime up to 24 hours before no penalty. This allows me to be flexible. Last year I took my baby to visit my grandparents out of town and my whole family got shigella . I was able to reschedule my trip without any issue or loss because of points . For that reason I always book with points instead of cc. Nothing to do with saying look I’m getting a free vacation . You have to do what’s smart and works for you financially too.

Ok but if you’re not paying your electric or basic needs you take the money from the cash back rather than a flight. And yes I say this as someone with family out of town and can hardly ever go visit

amother

↑ Offwhite

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 2:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

Thats a different topic I think, has nothing to do with points. If you were a plumber and someone doesn't pay there are methods many businesses use. If you are a shul, completely different problem. I can tell you of dishonest people horror stories from my years working. Its a problem. But not that kind if problem. And its few, not many.

Also, people I know do round trip to Florida for large families for 100-200$ airfare total. Book the cheapest rooms available with their points, if they get upgrades, that is free. Go free places. Can you realistically spend less locally the whole week? Because I don't think the yeshiva wants kids coming back feeling left out of any and all fun from vacation to pay tuition. The kids shouldn't feel so terrible when they return. The school will fargin the 100-200$ for the entire week, and wait a bit more so your kids don't feel like aniyei ircha. I know people who make and bring their own souvenirs from the dollar store for the young children. Even local you spend money like that.

amother

Peachpuff

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 3:05 pm

amother OP wrote:

The second.

Like I said I run a service based business. Say a plumber. I provide a service, send a $500 bill. Get told that the client can't afford said bill. They try haggling down, negotiating, or even ignoring.
And then the client says they're "going to Florida on points" or "bringing the marrieds home for Yom Tov on points".

Side point

I am also a service provide. I quote the price before and get the agreement in writing. If someone haggles after that I black list them and then I only will do work again if they pay up front.

amother

Nemesia

Tue, Dec 24 2024, 7:24 pm

amother OP wrote:

It really bothers me, when posters say "I don't spend on vacation, I use points".
The fact that you use points is a luxury that so many of us don't have.

Instead we use our points for Amazon Cards to buy basic shampoo and toilet paper for the month.
Or the cash back option to at least pay something down towards the balance
Or as a charity option, to direct a donation towards ones school. Fundraising so the school will charge less tuition.

Yes, we get less value compared to a trip to Florida. But at least we get more of our basics covered.

It's just tone deaf. When a poster says she can't afford midwinter and she gets told "use points". That's a very "let them eat cake" mentality.

I agree
you need to spend an insane amount of money in order to get that many points which are worth something substantial. I learned from dans deals that The best way to earn them is to put all of your everyday spending on cards, this includes your kids tuition, bills, literally everything and this way youre earning cash back for money youre anyway sopending
I personally dint do well with cc's so I dont follow this advice currently but I hope to eventually
I did once book a 2 night hotel stay on points and that was super nice

amother

Zinnia

Yesterday at 12:23 pm

I agree op. When people ask for tuition breaks and then take 2 nice vacations a year with the whole family but justify it with “I’m using points!” That is not ok with me. Use the points to buy your basics and pay full tuition first. So many of us pay full tuition but never go on vacation bec the money is used up. The points mentality seems to imply it’s free money, but if it is free money, you’re also free t to use it to cover necessities like tuition instead of relying on me to pay the tuition to cover you.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 12:39 pm

amother Charcoal wrote:

🤔

What if you use the cc to pay tuition?
That’ll give you plenty of points

Which we use as a credit towards paying the actual credit card bill.
Or as cash back to pay the electricity.
Or as Amazon Cards to buy toilet paper, pads, underwear.

amother

Outerspace

Yesterday at 12:56 pm

I am tired of the level of judgment in these threads. It's no one's business how I use my points. B"H I don't owe anyone money or any explanations. When my kids were in schools, I did get a tuition break. We were struggling financially and couldn't afford to pay full tuition. Then DC got sick, and I made a decision, that every time we go out of town to see yet another doctor, we are going to make a trip out of it. I was determined that my dc's childhood memories will not be marred by medical treatments. They should also have memories of fun times spent together as a family. So I started opening cc for sign-up bonus points, and used them towards vacation during mid-winter break. I always made sure to have whatever tuition was agreed upon paid first, and cooked up a storm and took frozen food with us to lower costs etc. But vacation (within reason) for many families is part of their wellness - either physically or mentally, and no one has a right to tell them that they dont get to go. Perhaps those few days of taking a break can sustain them for the entire year and give them the energy to go on? Since when have we become the vacation police?? If you are that bitter about paying full tuition, you can discuss it with the school/s and negotiate. Yes, Jewish education is a right and a privilege, but most schools today run like a business, and IMHO it's not a sin to ask for a break if you need it.

No one ever got rich from jealousy. It only makes your world smaller and constrict your own energy. Try being happy for others, and maybe your own life will brighten up too.

amother

DarkPurple ↓

Yesterday at 1:42 pm

amother Zinnia wrote:

But it literally is free money. If these people would use cash to pay for every single expense they wouldn't be able to afford to pay full tuition. Now schools should be able to demand that you use cc to pay your tuition and then cash out the points and give them that to? Do cc points now count as income?

amother

Poppy

Yesterday at 1:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

The lack of self awareness on this site is amazing. These people are so privileged and ignorant, it really tries you

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 1:51 pm

amother DarkPurple wrote:

Imagine you're a playgroup Morah.
One family doesn't pay on Jan 1 because they don't have the money. You call, you remind.
On Jan 15, the family goes away to Florida "on points" stays at a hotel, rents a car, etc.
Now let's say you realize that they could have cashed in those points for $500 (the amount they owe you) but chose instead to go on a vacation.
And they continue refusing to pay because they don't have the money, even if you threaten to kick their kid out.

You think that's ok?
Why or why not?

amother

↑ DarkPurple ↓

Yesterday at 2:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

What if the family that doesn't pay has investments that can be sold, should they be forced to? What if a family member gifted them a trip to Florida, are they not allowed to accept it? What if they can only cash out $200 but can get a trip worth $500?
If you are a morah and someone doesn't pay you have every right not to take their kid anymore. You shouldn't make their budget and count their pennies.

amother

Crocus

Yesterday at 2:51 pm

amother OP wrote:

So many assumptions here. I run a service based business too but what my clients do with their spending isn't my business. If I am owed money, it's on me to collect. I'll be doing whatever that means until the money is paid in full. Small claims works wonders. It's not fun being an enforcer in your business but it's necessary to survive (and possibly thrive). I think you'd be far better suited to going after non-payers directly instead of letting their decisions eat away at you. This isn't healthy. You can't dictate better judgement or financial literacy but you can get paid for the work or service you provided. As another poster above said, changing your outlook and doing what needs doing to collect are personal decisions to not let things like this get to you anymore. Hatzlocha!

amother

↑ Hawthorn ↓

Yesterday at 3:09 pm

amother Crocus wrote:

That only helps if your clients aren't Jewish. If they are, you can't go straight to small claims court.

That's why it's hard for many Jewish businesses owners to collect money. You'd have to take them to bais din which itself is a cost. What can you really do to "enforce"?

amother

↑ Hawthorn

Yesterday at 3:11 pm

amother DarkPurple wrote:

If it's free money, it's free money. If you can choose to use it to go on vacation, or pay money you owe, you pay the money you owe. How is this a question even?

amother

↑ Moonstone

Yesterday at 3:32 pm

amother OP wrote:

Which we use as a credit towards paying the actual credit card bill.
Or as cash back to pay the electricity.
Or as Amazon Cards to buy toilet paper, pads, underwear.

I don’t get it. Why not forgo the luxury of two ply TP? Use leaves and rocks and send the money to your school instead.