I think what go is saying is that credit card companies have trained us to spend more money by using credit cards. It is possible that you are in a small minori

I think what go is saying is that credit card companies have trained us to spend more money by using credit cards. It is possible that you are in a small minority of people who has common sense™ but most of us (including me) tend to spend more or simply decide to spend or not bad on the small stimulus. Again, I'm not accusing you of irresponsibility. I'm just saying what I think is common. Edit: I agree. If you're making an expense anyway, it is obviously better to get the highest reward you can get. But we're talking local optimization now.