Charge-A-Plates Revisited

Defeat! Raise the white flag! Retreat! Now I know how Napoleon must have felt after Waterloo. I foolishly tried to engage the high primal thinker in another bout aimed at getting rid of Department store credit cards or as she calls them “ charge-a-plates”.

What prompted this moment of bravery? A notice from one store that effective with the next billing cycle the interest rate on unpaid balances would be increased to some outrageous amount. The notice was filled with all kinds of mumbo-jumbo, almost threatening. It did include an option to opt out.

Surely the tone of the notice and the implication that their credit card, I mean their charge-a-plate holders, were deadbeats would arouse the Irish in my high primal thinker. Sure enough, after reading the notice she in no uncertain terms told me to cut up the card , I mean the plate, and opt out.

Victory! A charge-a-plate ( I got that right, practice makes perfect ) was about to bite the dust.

Before I had a chance to get out the scissors my high primal thinker suddenly had some questions - she is far from stupid. "Wasn’t it true that we did not carry a balance on the plate? If so what difference did it make that they were raising the interest rate?" The answers were “yes’ and “none”. I was trapped and could see defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory.

One more try! “It’s the principle of the thing, they are treating you like a deadbeat”! The high primal reply, “But if we get rid of the plate, I can’t take advantage of their specials. Remember the bargain I got on that sweater . As long as we pay it off and ----------.”

For the high primal thinker charge-a-plates will always be a necessity. The war was indeed lost. I did salvage some self-respect . I viciously shredded my credit card from the same Department store. Hell , I could always use hers if indeed there was a bargain to be had.