If I heard you say..

"I make half a million dollars a year but you hate credit cards,"

I’m asking questions.

Not because I think everyone needs to love credit cards — but because it tells me a lot about how you think about debt, money, and opportunity.

When it comes to debt, most people fall into one of two camps:

• “Debt is free money. Swipe now, deal with it later.”

• “Debt is evil. Avoid it at all costs, any kind of debt.

Most of us were never taught how to use debt strategically. We weren’t taught that credit cards can be a tool to build wealth, earn rewards, protect cash flow, and extend purchasing power — without paying a dime in interest.

Let’s get into why debt — specifically credit cards — isn’t the enemy, and how, when used correctly, it can actually be one of the most powerful tools in your wealth-building playbook.

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Debt as a Wealth Building Tool

Most of what people know about debt is fear-based: credit card horror stories. Bankruptcies. Being buried alive under 20-29% interest rates.

But debt itself isn’t dangerous or bad. Debt is neutral. It’s a tool — just like a hammer. You can use it to build a house, or you can swing it around wildly and wreck everything.

What I see is too many people are using debt as a life raft instead of a power tool.

Here’s the difference:

• Life raft debt is swiping to survive. It’s plugging financial holes without fixing the leak. It’s borrowing against a future you haven’t secured yet.
  
• Power tool debt is borrowing strategically to maximize rewards, free up cash flow, leverage low-interest opportunities, and stack long-term advantages.

If you're treating your credit card like extra income, you’re playing a losing game. If you're treating it like a payment method that works for you — earning points, perks, and protections on money you already planned to spend — that's where the game changes.

Debt, when used correctly, allows you to:

• Keep more cash invested and growing instead of liquidating assets to cover expenses.
• Access opportunities that can multiply your wealth (real estate, business growth, smart investments).
• Maximize rewards like free flights, cash-back, travel insurance, and protections that save you thousands over time.

Debt becomes a problem when it’s emotional. It becomes powerful when it’s strategic.

And credit cards, when used with the right mindset and system, are one of the easiest ways to start putting that strategy into action. 

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How Credit Cards Can Save You Thousands on Travel (Without Paying a Dime in Interest)

Travel is just one way where you can leverage the power of your credit cards. When you use the right travel credit cards the right way — meaning you pay off the balance every single month — the amount you can save isn’t small change. It’s thousands of dollars a year. Those savings can be put in investment accounts, your emergency fund, or other savings goals. 

Here’s how it can break down:

Example 1: Flights Paid for With Points

• A roundtrip economy flight from New York to Paris can easily cost $800–$1,200 depending on the time of year.
• With a card like Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold, you can earn 50,000–100,000 points from a sign-up bonus alone (plus what you earn on regular spending- each card has different points values for things like dining out, groceries, gas, etc).
• 50,000 points can typically cover a $750 flight through a travel portal. 

👉 Savings: $750–$1,200 on one flight.

Example 2: Free Hotel Stays or Upgrades

• Hotel credit cards (like Amex Marriott Bonvoy or Chase World of Hyatt) often offer one free night certificate per year just for keeping the card open.
• Free night certificates can easily be used at properties costing $300–$500 a night — especially at resort locations or major cities.
• Some cards also offer automatic status upgrades, which can get you free breakfasts, late checkouts, and room upgrades — perks that would otherwise cost an extra $100–$200 per stay.
• Some cards offer a hotel statement credit; meaning, if you book the hotel through the card’s travel portal, you get $100-$200 off your stay just because you booked through the portal.

👉 Savings: $400–$700+ a year if you maximize the free night, hotel credit, and status perks.

Example 3: Travel Insurance and Protection You Didn’t Pay Extra For

• Many premium cards automatically include trip cancellation insurance, rental car insurance, and baggage delay protection when you use the card to book.
• Without it? You might pay $50–$200 extra per trip to buy this coverage separately.

👉 Savings: $150–$600 a year depending on how much you travel.

So Let's Add It Up:

➡️ Total Estimated Savings: $1,300–$2,500+ per year — without spending any extra money or paying a dime in interest.

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The Fine Print (And Why This Only Works If You Play It Smart)

These cards allow you to build point wealth AND also offer valuable statement credits that can cover everyday expenses (think: rideshare credits, dining partner credits, etc). 

Now, before you go signing up for a bunch of cards: there are levels to this. Most premium travel cards charge an annual fee, and it’s not always cheap. That’s why it’s important to be strategic: you want to choose a card where you’ll actually take advantage of enough rewards, perks, and credits to more than cover the annual fee — and ideally, come out way ahead. Used intentionally, these perks can easily cover part — if not all — of the card’s annual fee and put real money back in your pocket without you even realizing it.

This strategy also doesn’t work if you’re carrying a balance month to month and paying 20%+ in interest. That $750 free flight isn’t so free if you’re also paying $1,000+ a year in interest fees. 

This strategy only works if you:

• Pay off your credit card balance in full every single month. No exceptions. 
• Treat your credit card like a debit card. Only spend what you already have.
• Stay organized with rewards, credits, & points expirations (otherwise you’re leaving money and rewards on the table.)

I'm not promoting any specific credit card here — there are plenty of great ones out there and since their rewards vary slightly card to card, it’s good to do your research and choose the card with the benefits that best suit your life. The point here is: credit cards can be a powerful tool to ensure your money is working for you, not the other way around. 

If you want help building a financial strategy that actually grows your wealth (and doesn’t leave you paying for it later), contact us today — we’ll show you how.