The Secret. Where credit is due.

Fooled ya.  This is really about personal financial habits.

Credit cards are a favourite to make people angry.  People rail about their 18% interest rate and fees and penalties and so on.

So, I laugh.  All the way to the bank.

I have 3 credit cards with enough combined limit to buy a 'benz.  I drive a 2001 Honda Accord.

None of my credit cards requires an annual fee.

I only use one of them.  The other two are backups as I travel quite a bit.

It's like this: the bill for the main card is posted on the 6th day of each month.

So, if I buy something on the 6th day of the month it misses that billing and it goes on the bill for the following month.  Then, when that bill comes in, I have 21 days from the billing date to pay it.

For purchases made on the 6th day of the month I get a combined 28 - 31 days, plus a 21 day grace period for a total of up to 52 days of interest free money.

Of course there's a little catch.  For this loan to really be interest free you have to do something dreadful: pay the entire amount due on the credit card.  (Corollary: charge only what you can pay).

And that is 'The Secret' (forget the wretched book and DVD.  What claptrap! Well, they made a bundle, so they really do know the secret: exploiting people's lazy greed!).

Never, ever, complain about credit card terms and conditions.  Used correctly, it is interest free money.

Here's another real secret:  if you approach the owner of a retailer with a little care and ask him real nice, he will violate his terms with the credit card co. and give you 1.5 - 2.0% more off of the price if you pay cash.  Especially if you wave the Amex card.  They hate the Amex card.