Redecorating can be fun and expensive! There are ways to work around all the expenses when it come to redecorating your home and one way can be to choose the right card to do the job with. Whether it’s a credit card, prepaid card, or gift card, there are some ways to approach the task with a frugal mindset. After all, doesn’t everyone like to save some money? Here are some ways you can redecorate your home and save some money in the process by choosing the right card.
0% Offers: If you plan on using credit to redecorate your home, you should first take a look at the cards that offer 0% rates. There are many credit cards on the market today that offer special 0% introductory rates for new card members. This means you won’t pay any interest on your purchases for a specified amount of time. Typically, cards offer these special rates for the first 6 to 12 months of your card membership, but there are even some cards that offer 18 to 20 months of interest free. As long as you pay the balance off within the agreed time frame you won’t pay any interest on your purchases.
Prepaid Credit Cards: Many people probably won’t even consider using a prepaid card to redecorate with, but they are great tool for budgeting. Prepaid credit cards require you to deposit money to the card before using the card. Once you spend the funds, you have to add more to the card before you can use it again. The card is not a line of credit and these cards are not linked to a bank account. You could use this to your advantage by using the card to make purchases when redecorating your house. Set a budget for your redecorating needs by only depositing an amount to the card that fits within your budget. You could even do this over time and deposit a specified amount to the card each pay day. Try using direct deposit for this as most prepaid cards offer this service free of charge.
Maximize Your Credit Card Rewards: Find a credit card that offers rewards you can use towards redecorating. For example, find a card that allows you to cash in your earned rewards for gift cards and then choose a gift card to a store you will be making your decorating purchases at. Maybe your designing a home theatre, you could cash in your rewards for Best Buy gift cards and apply them towards the purchases of a new sound system.
Balance Transfer Cards: If you have already begun your redecorating and have charged up a credit card in the process, you could consider transferring the balance to a card with a lower rate. There are plenty of cards that offer 0% on balance transfers. It works just like the 0% offer discussed above. With a balance transfer card you can transfer the balance of a high rate card to a new card that offers 0% for 6, 12, 18, or more months. As long as you pay off the amount transferred within the agreed time frame you won’t pay a dime in interest.
Discounted Gift Cards: Did you know you can buy gift cards at a discount? How about sell your gift cards your not using? Instead of paying full price for your gift cards you can buy them at a discount. This could come in handy when your are redecorating. Just buy discounted gift cards to the store you plan on doing your shopping at and save a few bucks. Better yet, if you have old gift cards you don’t plan on using you can sell those and use that money for your home purchases.