| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| cab |
Credit CardsLooking to replace our credit cards (which are paid off each month) with something more useful than the ones we have, which do us little good other than leaving money in our accounts until the end of the month, and of course they also provide some insurance.One of the things we're looking at is whether there is anything decent available from any 'ethical' source. Or, failing that, are any of the charity linked cards much cop? Call me lazy, but I thought asking here before looking might save me some leg work... Anyone already gone looking? Anything good out there? |
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| bagpuss |
Have you had a look at http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cards/ | ||||||||
| cab |
I've skimmed the surface of moneysavingexpert, haven't really found much out yet. I think they had a review of the Co-Ops credit card there, an 'ethical' package that was no cop at all. | ||||||||
| Northern_Lad |
In what way? Don't forget, by spending money with the Co-Op you're not spending it with others. My Smile CC gives me money off, and I've got a Co-Op CC which donates to The Woodland Trust rather than giving me the money. |
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| Silas |
Hi Cab, this will interest you!
My wife recently got a Tesco credit card. She now pays for her weekly shopping with it and when she gets home, transfers the amount from her current account to her credit card thus avoiding all charges. This means that not only does she get Tesco Clubcard Points on her shopping, she doubles up and gets them on her credit card as well, and then we can quadruple them when we buy a holiday. Fantastic or what? |
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| Cathryn |
Mine is MBNA which gives money (and I cannot remember how much  ) to the Antony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Better than nothing. My other has given me 13 months interest free credit. Some of which I have no doubt spent in charity shops.
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| Mary-Jane |
*Quietly snorts with laughter in the corner* |
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| Nick |
Shut up you, you're off to Centre Parcs. | ||||||||
| Cathryn |
Center center...  Do get it right!
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| bagpuss |
surely to get it right it would be Centre Parks |
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| Nick |
I make the typo to set her teeth on edge. She's going to spend a WHOLE week looking at the word 'Parcs'. | ||||||||
| cab |
True, but I'm not only unconvinced that the co-op is all that ethical, I'm not likely to shop there because its not that good (at least the three branches here that I can think of aren't, they're 'corner shops' that are way further away than I need to travel, and they've got nothing I want to buy). Heres the review of their 'ethical' card, an old review now: http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2007/11/09/ethical-schmethical%E2%80%A6-the-co-ops-new-think-ethical-credit-card/ |
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| cab |
Or what. Nothing in the least bit 'ethical' about it, and given the choice between a cash back card and a Tescos card, I'd go for the cash. |
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| Northern_Lad |
Well, most of those 'non-ethical' comments wouldn't apply to you anyway as you clear the balance each month. What's ethical about charging interest anyway? With regards to the companies; you could probably either way for most of them. As to the rate; yeah, that's week - I'm fairly sure mine pays 2.5%; certainly at least 1%. The shops are all getting a 'face-lift'. There's one about half a mile from me that used to be dire, but they've cleaned it up, put in better lights and improved the stock - it's now far better. However; if it's not the closest to you... |
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| cab |
Some of the ethical concerns still apply; if I can get more cashback myself and give it to a charity I choose, thats better than less money going to a charity I might not have chosen.
Probably. I'd sooner get a blanket cashback rate on all card purchases than get a slightly preferencial deal of some sort with organisations that, as you say, are not clearly ethical (could be argued either way).
Don't get me wrong, I'd go further on the bike to get to a better shop, but its a mini-supermarket, seriously, how much am I going to buy there? I buy precious little at any of the supermarkets if I can help it, I'd be taking trade away from genuinely local retailers for the most part. The co-op down on Milton Road would be the closest... Then I guess Newnham or Mill Road. None of them have much that I'd buy there instead of, say, the market, the local butchers, the wholefood cooperative up the road, etc. Although the 2.5% rate sounds better... I'll certainly look at the co-op, like I said, that review is old so I don't know how accurate it would be now. |
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| Silas |
Yer must be MAD!!! 
I had a 'free' week on a narrowboat last year - I could probably get a free fortnight this year now! |
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| gz |
I've got a Co-op visa card...pays the equivalent of the old 'divi' when used wherever. Even more when used in the Co-op with the membership card 
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| JB |
How much did your 'free' week cost? How much did you have to hand over to Tosco before they would give you that? |
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| Silas |
A lot less than I would have spent anywhere else! |
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| cab |
Mad? Not at all. By not shopping at Tescos or any of the other snivelling excuses for fake 'value' I save enough money to take a holiday that I've actally paid for. Several times over, in fact. |
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| Silas |
Well thats great. Well done. I doubt very much that I could save over £1000.00 per year on my normal shopping bills to cove rthe retail cost of a holiday like this. |
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| JB |
Really? last time I looked at Tescos I ended going to a farm shop on the way home because Tecos veg was so overpriced. Although I was more interested in what sort of rate you got back how much did you have to pay Tecso for your 'free' holdiay, £10000? £20000? ... more? Although on the whole I'd agree with cab; money back that you can spend somewhere useful is a far better option than discounts which tie you into a single store or donations to a charity that you don't choose. |
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| Silas |
Well, it does rather depend on just how much money back you actually get. I think the Tesco deal is really good. |
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| JB |
Which was the question. Does Tesco give enough money back to offset the extra cost of shopping at Tesco (never mind the ethical cost which was where the thread sort of started) |
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| cab |
It comes down to which gets the most money really; if I can get more in cash back myself than a charity of my choice would get from an affiliated card, then its a no-brainer. But that isn't the only issue here, of course. |
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| cab |
Saving a grand a year by being more reliant on home produced food, bulk purchases and local retailers selling whats in season? Easy. We save that several times over. |
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| Silas |
The 'ethical' cost is irrelevant. It costs less to shop at Tesco than most places - so yes, it works well (for me). |
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| cab |
No it isn't. Read the question again:
Its entirely relevant. The Tescos card is neither particularly ethical nor does it provide any means of generating revenue to rival what can be done with a charity card. |
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| Silas |
I really don't think I could trim our shopping bill and retain the same standard of goods. Certainly not by £20.00 per week - or now £40.00 per week! |
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| Louisdog |
I have a Tesco credit card which gives me a lot of clubcard points on all my spending, not just in Tesco. In fact I very rarely shop in Tescos. I agree they are not very ethical though so you may not want to support/advertise them by carrying one of their credit cards.
I am an MSE fan, he has an article on charity credit cards here:- http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cards/charity-cards I think he basically concludes you may as well get the Amex platinum and give the cashback proceeds to charity yourself. Lots of charity cards listed here but I cannot tell what sort of donation they get:- http://www.money.co.uk/credit-cards/charity-credit-cards.htm It used to be that they'd donate £20 for you just opening the card, then some miserly percentage after that. Hope some of the above helps... Alex |
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| cab |
Looking at the assorted charity cards, I'm finding 25p per £100 spent is pretty standard. See, for example:
http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1193206378031,CFSweb/Page/Bank-CreditCards&media=92755 So thats, what, a quarter of one percent. Now there are plenty of places offering a 1% cashback facility on credit cards; sticking with the co-op I see I can get that and 2% in their stores: http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1193206368467,CFSweb/Page/Bank-CreditCards So in terms of whether or not the charity cards are any good, unless I can find a far better deal, they're not. Comes down to ethical policies now, really. |
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| Silas |
Well I think the 'ethical' cost is irrelevant. I can shop 'ethically' at Tesco or anywhere else if I choose. I can use my clubcard points for charity too if I wish. |
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| cab |
Then stop shopping at over-priced supermarkets then. |
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| Louisdog |
Ooh I didn't know I could use clubcard points for charities - how do you do that? Do they multiply the value by four, like with other deals? |
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| Jamanda |
But the question that started the thread stipulated that it was an issue for the person asking the question. Saying it isn't an issue for you is irrelevant. | ||||||||
| cab |
It does, thanks! Seems very like a cash back deal and a little self discipline to remember to donate the money is a better way forward, at least better than the normal charity cards. Of course, if I donate the money as an ordinary donation, I also get to gift-aid it 
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| Mary-Jane |
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| Silas |
Well, it depends just how 'ethical' you want to be. Perhaps your credit card should be an organic maple leaf printed with ground oak apple ink. |
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| cab |
Looking at the ethical banks... Well its only Co Op and Smile who have any credentials here and who offer credit cards (Tridos and the like do not seem to do so).
Hmmm... Options, at the moment, seem thin on the ground. |
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| cab |
Way to pick a site where denigrating peoples attempts to be 'ethical' is on topic... |
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| Silas |
Sorry. I was being unfairly synical. I don't think though that the Co -op bank is quite as ethical as they would have you believe. |
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| bagpuss |
Especially given the current economic situation I suspect trying to find an ethical bank will be difficult You could try a building society as then at least their business structure is a little more ethical |
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| cab |
My first impression is that they're better than some of the other banks, though. |
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| cab |
Thats a good idea. I'll have a nosey. |
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| Silas |
Yes, I agree, they do at least try. |
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| Nick |
Ethics are always cloudy. You want a credit card so you can borrow money without a fee for a month or so AND take advantage of the free insurance granted by the card AND you want cash back, or donations, and you're not prepared for the people who lend you money, pay for the insurance or hand over the cash on your behalf to be able to make, not a profit, but enough money to cover the expense of doing so? You're going to cost them money.
Just in case your ethical knickers weren't in enough of a tangle.
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| Northern_Lad |
'sright - the service provides (Visa, Mastercard) take money off the retailers for the honour of allowing their services to be used. So, when you buy your 50p item in the charity shop and use your card to pay for it the shop will probably loose money. |
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| cab |
Heck, I'll live without either cash back or a charitable donation. They make their money on the fees they charge, I've noproblem with that. I'd look either at a cash back/charity card or, instead, an organisation that has ethics I agree with. At present, the card I have and the card she has, well, they're okay, they do what it says on the tin, but they have no other benefits for us. Seems daft not to consider whether there are better options. |