Credit

                I have an American Express card that I try to use for most of my purchases.   I like it because it pays me cash back.   It’s pays a pretty minimal percentage of my purchases until I hit a certain amount of expenditures for the year. I usually hit that amount within the first two months.   After that, it pays 1.5% back on most purchases, but a whopping 5% back on gas, groceries, or drug store purchases.   I spend a lot of money at the grocery store, so I really like this card. 

                Like most credit cards my American Express has a monthly credit limit.   It’s pretty high.   I didn’t think that I would ever be able to hit it.   I was wrong.  Over the last two months I bought a few big ticket items, had some significant work related expenditures, and went on vacation.   The purchases on this card climbed up and reached my credit limit.   I considered calling them and asking them to raise my limit.   I then thought to myself, “Why would I do that?   I have the money.   Why don’t I just send them an unscheduled payment so that I don’t hit the limit?”   It was pretty easy; the problem was solved.

                I’m annoyed that the United States Congress is considering raising our national debt limit.   I understand why we need to; it’s because we DON’T have the money.  It’s just not there and so we need to borrow more in order to keep things going.   What the heck, people?   Do you think this can go on forever?   I wonder how much American Express would be willing to raise my limit.   I guess if I kept paying the interest, they would raise it pretty high.   I wonder how long it would be before I couldn’t pay the interest anymore.   What would happen then?