Mortgage Challenge - Birthday Spending Spree - a record number of requests to take out a store card!!

Hiya All,

Welcome back to my Mortgage Free Challenge

Where are the weeks going?!! Four weeks today and it's Christmas Eve!! Sorry everyone, didn't mean to frighten you.

As you know, it was my birthday last week and as part of my celebrations, I went to Leeds to engage in some serious Credit Card shopping!! And boy did I have a great time doing it (OK, so some slight guilt was felt wondering how much each spend could potentially help with my Mortgage Free Challenge, but hey, it was my birthday!!)

What surprised me, however, was the number of shops who were (almost hard) selling their Store Cards. I take it they must be on some sort of commission? I didn't mind because I know I have benefited from these Store Cards in the past. Opened it, took the generous benefits including the use of the vouchers you are sent with the first mail out, paid off the balance in full then never used the Store Card again.

In fact, only today I read on Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website that it's not too bad an idea to take out store cards to take advantage of the opening offers -remembering to pay off the balance in full. So if it's good enough for Martin, it's good enough for me!

So do you want to know how many times I was offered a store card, told of the benefits (even though I said I wasn't interested!) then reminded again of the fantastic opening offer? Eight, that's right, eight different shops were in effect offering me their credit at hugely inflated APR which, had I been any younger (I wish!!) could have landed me into some serious debt.

I managed to "get them off my back" after about the 3rd shop that offered me their card by simply saying I already have their card. OK, so they then ask you if you would like to use their Store Card to pay today (even though I've already handed over a card) to which I politely reply, "no thanks"

Px