How Sweet - My Credit Card Misses Me!

Check it out!

I just got this email from Rogers Bank, where I have a Fido Mastercard.

Aw, how sweet! My credit card misses me!

Well, at least the bank that owns the credit card misses me…

Too bad! I’m committed to staying debt free!

Nexus

I last used this Mastercard on March 15 to buy a Nexus card for US $50, with the exchange rate, that worked out to CAD $71.60

And so far, no NEXUS. A few days after I applied – and they put the payment through right at that time, thank you very much – the US government offices closed due to the pandemic.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Nexus program, this card expedites travelers through the US and Canada border. It’s like paying to skip ahead in a line up.

The Nexus pass will be convenient for work.

That is, if I ever get back to work…

The land border between the US and Canada has been closed since March 20. When it reopens, I’ll be able to book an appointment at the Washington office, about five miles from the border, for an interview and to pick up my Nexus card.

Online shopping

In February I put an Internet purchase on this Mastercard, just to keep it active, that was around $100 – dog supplements.

So it’s been over two months since I used the card to buy an unattainable Nexus pass. In 2020 I’ve spent just under $200 total on this card.

Not good enough for Rogers/Fido? Ha ha! How sweet! My credit card misses me!

Credit card companies don’t make money off people like me who are committed to being debt free.

Who cares about my money?

Let’s look back at my post Nobody Cares more about my Money than I Do.

That’s your story too, right? Nobody cares more about your money than you do. Those credit card companies sure don’t care!

Here’s what my Covid-19 adjusted financial plan looks like:

Incur no debt
Don’t look at the current value of my investments
Don’t sell any stocks
No unnecessary spending
Build up my emergency fund
Try to save a little for next year’s TFSA

So I can kind of lump #1 and #4 together when it comes to using my Fido Mastercard: Incur no debt and no unnecessary spending.

I’ve never been a spender, especially when it comes to my credit card. I’m not a fashionista, I don’t eat out, I don’t hit the bars, and I don’t have expensive tastes.

The people who mostly see my credit card are the mechanic, the vet, and the dentist.

Then I use my emergency fund to pay the credit card bill when it comes in.

There are many others just like me, using the credit card for emergencies and to help cover bills due to unemployment. We aren’t big spenders who buy a bunch of stuff on our credit cards because we have wants over needs.

We’re using our credit cards just to survive.

Why do I have this Fido Mastercard?

In my article, Life with Credit Cards I talked about my Envision Mastercard ripping me off with foreign transaction fees when I went to Oregon in 2018.

The Fido Mastercard has 3% cash back on US dollar purchases, so that cancels out their 2.5% foreign transaction fee. I use this credit card when traveling and for occasional online purchases.

Unless I’m traveling, whenever I’m thinking about pulling my credit card out, I ask myself if this is urgent or immediately necessary.

If it’s not an emergency – use willpower!

Rogers Bank can keep on missing me. Thanks to the pandemic, I have no US travel plans.