# My credit cards, a second income. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 26, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579 "2008-11-26T18:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/41 "2008-11-27T22:01:06Z")
Haven’t used credit cards since 2000. Ran up around 5 grand of debt. Took me 3 years to pay it off. Since then I’ve been paying for stuff with my own money, instead of borrowing it. You don’t always need a credit card to rent a room in a hotel, and I can live without renting cars. Personally, I wouldn’t trust myself with a credit card, but thats just me. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/42 "2008-11-28T01:43:00Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > Don’t many hotels require a credit card for booking? I made a reservation for a hotel in Key West for next June using my debit card. They took the first night’s stay out as a deposit. Debit cards work as well as credit, as long as you have the money to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/43 "2008-11-28T01:59:50Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I made a reservation for a hotel in Key West for next June using my debit card. They took the first night’s stay out as a deposit. Debit cards work as well as credit, as long as you have the money to cover it. I’ll bet they checked your balance. When you use a cc, they “reserve” (I don’t recall the correct term) an amount higher than the room cost in case you steal towels or something. That’s why they don’t want cash. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/44 "2008-11-28T02:04:40Z")
No, they told us they would charge us one night’s stay, and that’s what they did. I don’t think they checked my balance…I think merchants can confirm if someone can cover a charge of a certain amount, but the bank won’t tell them how much money is in the account. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/45 "2008-11-28T02:21:47Z")
Yeah, that’s what I meant. Just for kicks, check your debit account “amount available for withdrawal” to see if it matches your total balance. I used to keep a cc with a very low limit especially for hotels. If I charged something else, even before checking in, it could hit the limit. They had reserved a certain amount. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/46 "2008-11-28T03:22:49Z")
I keep a close eye on both of my credit cards and my bank account to ensure that I know exactly how much money I have and how much I owe at all times. I have about $900 in credit card debt that I intend to pay off in the next three months and then I’m officially out of the hole, although I was never one to have more than $2,000 tied up in a credit card anyway. This seems like as good a place as any to ask since it was kind of mentioned earlier - when I use my debit card, I am often asked if I want to use it as credit or debit. Since the money is coming out of my bank account either way, what’s the deal? Is there any difference? I always choose debit. ---
**Author:** ![JackofHearts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@JackofHearts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackofHearts)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579/47 "2008-11-28T03:33:29Z")
> [@Quasimodal](#): > > Does anyone here use their credit card exclusively (but responsibly) just to build a better rating or to accumulate reward points? I always pay my card at the end of the month, but I like to use it alot so I get travel points. Yep, same here. If used responsibly (and by that I mean paid off every month, period) credit cards can be like a second income. I pass literally every expense I can (utilities, groceries, bills…everything) through my airline mileage card. I have more miles than I can ever conceivably use now (even bought my mom’s ticket up her for thanksgiving with them) and have never paid a penny in interest. Make the credit cards work for you, still don’t spend more than you can afford, and its a double-bonus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-credit-cards-a-second-income/474579.md?page=2)