CREDIT CARDS. Hay.

For weeks, I've been thinking of getting one but I haven't decided yet. (well, 95% of my mind says yes but 5% says no). Haha. Parang nahirapan akong mag-decide, noh?!

Well, why get a credit card? For me, I'm not getting it to flash and go crazy with shopping sprees -- kuripot pa nga ako, actually, (except kapag usapang pagkain). I'm gonna get it so that I can use the basic things that I have learned as an accounting student.

Sabi nga sa accounting, "COLLECT YOUR RECEIVABLES EARLY, POSSIBLY DURING THE DISCOUNT PERIOD, AND STRETCH YOUR PAYABLES UP TO THE END OF THE CREDIT TERM" (Wow, NERD TALK). And let's concentrate on the payables part.

Kasi ganito yan. You have cash, right? But it is better that you don't pay all your purchases with cash kasi you'll never know when you're gonna need them (so it's really good when you've got savings). Then if you want to buy something, let's say, an iPod Touch worth 23000+ (haha presyong Power Mac Center, halatang nag-canvass na) -- it won't be good to drop that amount of money in such short time -- I think mas OK if you pay it in installments, BUT, as they say in the accounting world, EVERYTHING'S GOT AN OPPORTUNITY COST -- may interest ang lahat. Yes, may interest. Pero kung tutuusin, yung cash na dapat ibibili mo sa iTouch na iyon eh pwede mo pang magamit sa ibang MAS MAHALAGANG bagay, so quits narin. Yung cash na yon eh pwede mo pang i-invest sa stock ng San Miguel Corporation (as if ang mura ng stocks) tas magkaka-cash dividend ka pang malaki mula sa investment so na-dwarf na rin yung interest sa credit mo. Well, my example isn't realistic but that's the general idea.

And besides, it saves time. Halimbawa sobrang atat ka nang bumili (gaya ko, hehe) pero di pa abot ang cash mo, eh pwede mo parin syang mabili.

Ang tanong: Anong credit card ang kukunin ko? Well, nandyan yung biggest international credit card company, pero I've heard so many negative feedbacks kaya parang ayaw ko (and besides, mukhang masyado silang mapili sa clients -- I don't think someone like me who hasn't worked for a year yet has a chance) and besides super laki ng finance charge. Then there's the other famous European card company pero di pa sya gaanong sikat and di rin maganda ang feedback ayon sa aking research (although yun ang credit card ng nanay ko and she claims na OK ang service nila). Then meron pang UST Affinity Card, kaso naman maliit ang credit limit at hindi pwedeng i-waive ang Annual Fee (haha...). Marami pang ibang nagki-claim to have the lowest finance charges and lenient sa applicants pero accepted locally lang naman yung CC. Pero may pinagpipilian na akong 2:

BPI Edge Card - the only CC that applies interest on your previous month balance, excluding your most recent purchases (ex. Beginning of June, your balance is 10,100. Then June 20, you bought something worth 5,000. THen June 23, billing date, your interest runs only for the 10,000 -- the interest for the 5,000 applies next month pa) saka doon din naman yung payroll account ko.

HSBC - ang talagang karaniwang kauna-unahang CC ng mga baguhang empleyadong kagaya ko. Hehe. Yep, 3.5% finance charge but has HIGH credit limit.

I'm choosing between the two pero ang hirap. Parang ayaw ko namang kumuha ng dalawa. Nakaka-tuksong gumastos. Ahahaha.

Give me advice nalang. :p Thanks :p

Credit Cards: They are plastic cards to purchase your dream stuff or weapons of self-destruction. Well, it all depends on how you use it. Good luck nalang sa akin.