I've paid off my cards - 100% - since 1999. I've never paid interest since 1999, and because my various cards give me various cash incentives to use their card, I get the opposite of interest - in any given month, I make $40 to $60 in "points" balances, which I routinely use for gift cards at Ace Hardware, Lowes and Home Depot. We usually use that money to buy "consumables" - detergent, tape, gloves, cleaning supplies, batteries, etc.

The trick with these cards is to make sure you don't use them to buy things you could not pay cash for in the first place. That's it. That's the big secret.

If they credit card terminal at the electronics store suddenly stopped working and they told you to pay in cash, you should be able to go to the bank, get the cash and pay (and not get the bonus points).

If you can't pay NOW you can't afford it. That's it. If you're charging and paying interest on gas food, you're poor, you need to go onto public assistance. If you're charging the cable bill, you're an idiot. If you're charging tools so you can make more than you'll earn otherwise, go for it, but make sure you pay that debt down before you buy a bag of chips, a can of soda or a slice of pizza.

You know, the more I type here the more I've convinced myself that I'm just pissed off at TD Bank and what I need is a new Visa card, that's all.

Nevermind.