My parents made a big deal out of me getting my first debit card when I was in high school. It was my first step into adulthood and I loved every second of it, though they only trusted me with money I had in my account since it was a few years before I was allowed to get a credit card. Even my spending with my debit card was under scrutiny, since my mom had access to my bank account.
Loyalty cards have always been a no-go zone in my house, even after I had gotten a credit card. They were big and bad and scary according to my parents, and I stayed away every time a cashier asked if I had a store card...that is, until I got to J. Crew. As soon as I found out about J. Crew's card in high school I raced home to beg my mom if I could prettyplease get one. I needed it.
That idea was shot down real fast.
Now that I've gotten back home I've realized that I could actually use some of the benefits these cards offer. I've never been one to come in late on a credit card payment, and as a child of parents with generally responsible spending habits, my worries may be on the not-to-cautious side. I trust myself to not spend more than I have, though that's harder to enforce on myself than I'd like to admit. At the moment I'm looking at getting the Target RedCard, a Starbucks card, and a J. Crew card. This may seem like such a petty thing to blog about...but to me these things are like some big mysterious black hole. I can't quite decide if they are actually worth it for me to take the plunge.
My reasons are pretty simple. I go to Target, Starbucks, and J. Crew all. the. time. The Target card has a debit option, and you get 5% off every purchase, which would definitely add up for me. Thanks to the two Starbucks locations on the USC campus, I'm a regular, meaning those rewards could definitely come in handy. J. Crew's card doesn't give the percentages off like Target, but considering the private sales and extra occasional treats, it's hard to say no.
I'm curious to see how many of y'all have loyalty cards to any stores or brands. What do you think? Any advice or experience will help!
Hey! I just found your blog and was flipping through your posts and found this one and I have a bit of experience with the J.Crew card! Though they don't give any discounts (though make sure you use your student ID for 15% off!) my mom (her name's on the card) gets free $10, $25, even sometimes $50 and $75 gift cards in the mail regularly! The majority of my closet is J.Crew and if you're like me the card is SO worth having. It really adds up!
ReplyDelete