Good Idea Bad Idea

GOOD IDEA: Store Rewards Cards

So, yeah, there's the annoying factor of having to carry around an extra card, but you can just register most cards online and give your email or phone number when you go to the store.  You've probably done this at grocery stores, which is super fun, because if you're as lazy as I am you just remember all your old phone numbers instead of changing your phone number on the card.  This is neat, because you get called different names at different stores.  I'm pretty sure I'm Ms. Shmoyer at Vons.

Anyway, the perks of rewards cards are kind of nice.  For example, at Sephora, you collect points on every dollar you spend and get a gift for every 100 points.  Last time I was there, I got a free 12 oz. Philosophy facial cleanser, which isn't bad considering the 16 oz. size is $32.  Sometimes you get free stuff just for walking in the store, like a Tarina Tarantino bracelet I got last year.  Granted it wasn't the same quality as the ones I got at the Tarina Tarantino sample sale downtown a couple years back, but still nice.  (side note: sample sales are an interesting experience if you haven't been--sitting outside a store for about an hour, rushing in like cattle once the doors open and trying to grab anything that stands out as one of a kind, and naked people all over the place trying on stuff out of cardboard boxes... it's like Black Friday with pretty people.  What a horrible thing to say! Meh, whatever.).  Finally, during the month of your birthday, they give you a nice little gift, like this delicious smelling Philosophy 3-in-1 concoction.

Drug stores also have convenient rewards cards, and you get extra coupons on your receipt or when you scan your card at the scanning station in the store.  So yeah, sometimes you get weird stuff like "buy one La Lecheria Sweetened Condensed Milk and get one free!" and check to see if you accidentally scanned your Vallarta card, but other times you just get free bucks to spend in the store (and if you get a cool cashier, they'll use it on stuff like booze, too).

BAD IDEA:  Store Credit Cards

You really want one more bill to deal with?  No.  Just use AmEx.  Those points are worth more than whatever you're saving on your purchase of those hideous high-waisted pleated pants that you think are a good idea.