Having a credit card can sometimes make us believe that purchasing power is equivalent to having actual money. With our available credit limit, we can choose to buy anything with a price tag that is equivalent to it. Buying gadgets is one of the more common reasons why consumers use their credit cards. While this is generally a sound practice when the cardholder has sufficient income to make future payments, there are at least 3 things to consider before you swipe your card to buy that much-desired gadget.
At this point however, there is a need to qualify the common misconception that a credit card is a bad thing.It can be really bad when not used properly but is very good when used for the intended purpose. This is to be able to have access to goods needed while still waiting for actual cash which is on its way. One just needs to have actual paying capacity and the best card there is in terms of low interest rates, reward benefits, and cost savings. Chris Mettler of CompareCards.com highly suggests that people compare the features of credit cards first before choosing which to use.
Granted that you now have the most suitable card given your personal circumstances and a gadget that has seriously taken your attention, consider these:
1. Can Your Purchase Wait?
Newly-introduced gadgets typically come at a high price. Experience says that prices go down considerably after some time, sometimes even by a mere couple of months. So if you can delay your purchase just a little bit longer, chances are that you might be able to get a better deal for your money.
2. Are You Absolutely Sure You Want This Gadget?
You may want to ask yourself this question when considering to buy a new gadget. Problems and issues with gadgets and devices come out during use. You need to consider the fact that one disadvantage of being among the first owners of newly-developed gadgets is that you will also be one of the first to experience headaches when products perform less than expectation. We can always learn from the mistakes of others before we let go of hard-earned money.
3. Do You Need the Gadget?
This should actually be the first question you should be asking yourself before you bring our your credit card. Will your new purchase just result to redundancy because you still have a similar older model which is still in excellent condition? Is the purchase being made just to satisfy a whim?
Answer these questions truthfully to yourself and you will know if using your credit card to buy a gadget is justified.