“You me I have to pay… HOW MUCH?” Don’t let your bills make you go red in the face.

It’s not a big calamity. Not the kind you call Bruce Willis to try dying one more time for. But it is those little everyday problems that make you want to pull your hair out; leave you red-faced or just in a stickler of a situation you’d rather not be in.

In a previous article, we showed you how your credit card could come to your rescue in major emergencies. But it’s not every day you find yourself stranded on a highway, in a foreign country or with a seriously ill relative. Even so, you’ll find your credit card can be one of the best friend’s you’ll ever have.

Even if just for you, to Live Another Day.

Social Emergency No. 1: The Friend Who Flaked Out on You

You’re out for drinks with a bud you haven’t seen for years. Halfway through, he coolly announces that he’s left his wallet at home and he hopes you’ve got enough cash on you to foot the bill. And as ‘luck’ would have it, he had an RM50 main course and 5 drinks whilst you kept your orders well within the RM50 you had in your pocket.

There are always variations but I am sure you’ve all had that – when you just had to foot the bill, for whatever reason. Washing dishes is  never pretty. Your credit card will come in handy at that time. Just make sure you get your mates to pay up later!

Social Emergency No. 2: The Lazy Price Checker

Grocery shopping on a day when you’d rather be playing your Wii/golfing/watching Desperate Housewives reruns is hard enough; doing all those calculations in your head before going to the check-out counter when you have 30 items in your cart is another thing.

How embarrassing when you get to the cashier and find yourself RM40 short.

You could put some items back and earn the wrath of everyone in the line as well as your wife/mum/stomach by leaving stuff off your shopping list or you could pay with your credit card first. And remember next time to bring a calculator.

Social Emergency No. 3: Little Miss Forget-Ful

Forgetting you only have RM5 in your pocket, you waltz into a restaurant and order an RM30 set meal. After eating to your heart’s content, you get that sinking feeling in your tummy; not from bad shrimp but from knowing you should’ve gone to the ATM first.

Again, you’re going to be pleased you have a working credit card and will not be forced to call someone to ‘save’ you or worse, beg the restaurant manager to let you go to the ATM.

Social Emergency No.4: The Ominous Unpaid Bill

Between juggling work and your hectic soccer mom social calendar, you forgot to pay your cell phone bill. You could find yourself stranded without a working phone line when you most need one but luckily most service providers will allow you an emergency call to their hotline for you to pay via phone with your credit card.

It could be the internet bill, gym membership or just any bill that slipped your mind and you find you need to make payment ASAP. Most service providers will take credit card payment over the phone, making it super easy for you to get things done. And you earn rewards points too that can be converted to all kinds of gifts!

In the End

Make the most of the convenience of using credit cards and earn rewards points while you do so. Get a card with a good rewards programme and turn these little mishaps into great gifts or cash back.

Check out our site on the cards with the best Rewards Programme or Cash Back Plan to make your decision – then apply online within the same links above.

 

• TAGS:
• Consumer Behaviour
• Financial Behaviour
• Personal Finance