Shopping 101: Magic Cards

When I walk into a mall, the sales and Fashion finds are possibilities that are endless. The thoughts go running through my mind, “will I find a cute dress to match those wedges I bought last week or will I finally find that perfect fedora that I have been forcing myself to allow my Tyra forehead to handle?”

I walk from store to store on a mission…walking on clouds where each store is a treasure box with different unique Fashion creations that can paint so many different styles. 

After a nice afternoon at the mall with my mom, while she played the violin to the tune of my shopaholic tendencies. I told her, “Mom, I don’t shop with my eyes closed.”

With that lovely quote, came my inspiration to give all Fashionistas advice on how to shop responsibly. I have shopped the same way since I was seventeen and got my first magic card. That magic card made it easy to go from store to store and even shop right from home. But what the Fashion gods don’t tell you, is that those cards can lose their sparkle and turn into plastic cards with nothing in return but paper mail sent monthly, if not weekly asking for everything you bought to be paid back. Ewww, I know. 

Sometime ago when I worked at a tiny bank for four months, I was bored out of my mind and decided I would try to find the fun in banking. I saw accounts with millions and accounts with just a few dollars. Which gave me the reasoning that money is like a points system. You win some, and you lose some…but you will never have enough. 

When it came to shopping, I knew that I had to save money before I spent it. For as much as I saved, I only spent one forth of it…ish. Of course a few years later and many other career moves, I progressed in the money point system. Not only did I learn how to manage one magic card, but I invited Prince Visa, Mr. Amex, fancy Capital One and the most recent addition to the bunch, little Discover. Okay, so I don’t name them! LOL. But it is true, I now have my Visa Debit card, an American Express Gold card, a Capital One Sky Miles and a Discover card (5% Cashback!!!).

The point system is now advanced…sigh.

First, the best advice I could give is to monitor your own spending. It is difficult, but it’s definitely not impossible. Before I shop, I choose my rewards wisely. My American Express Gold card is great for rewards on travel and concerts and I pay off my balance each month. Capital One is great for big purchases like a shopping spree for a new wardrobe or an upgraded phone you don’t want to pay off right away because the minimum payment is usually less then twenty dollars a month. If you have a high balance, I recommend paying half of your balance, so your credit is in a good spot. (Check your credit score at Free Credit Score.) My Discover card has been a pleasant surprise on online shopping and everyday spending, like on gas because you get money back from your purchases. Amazing, I know! 

Using these different magic cards, it’s important to keep track of what and when you have to pay everything off. I write in my own planner and track my spending on my iPhone, with each bank account having their own app. Both ways are great because writing on paper seems more like the old days in school when we learned how to add and subtract…and erase. My iPhone is with me all the time, so I have all of my accounts in front of me to monitor at any time. 

A great reminder is to keep the payment due dates around the same time, usually the beginning of the month is a good idea because the less dates in your mind; the less stressful it gets to monitor it all.

So the points system is pretty simple. Work, save and pay off the magic cards. But don’t forget, you CAN go SHOPPING! 

If anything in this article gave you an idea or made you think a different way, that’s great! Remember that shopping should be fun. You should never spend what you don’t have and when you have it…spend wisely. 

xoxo

Jessica Otero, MODA OTERO

Follow me on Twitter! @modaotero

(Source: modaotero.com)