JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The money crunch is on and we hear a lot about the horrors of credit card debt.
But how about making the credit cards work for you?
"Shopping for credit is like shopping for anything else. You always want to get the best buy you can," said Martha Cox of Family Foundations, a group that offers credit counseling.
Credit card companies are desperate for new customers. Gone are the days of a free t-shirt for signing up. The deal is much sweeter for some cards.
For example, a CitiBank MasterCard will give you $300 in gift cards, if you spend $2,000 on the card over three months.
The card carries an annual fee of $125, but you can cancel once you get the reward.
"If someone is willing to give you a good incentive for something you need to have, you should absolutely do it," Cox said.
However, she recommends the offers only be used by people who are financially sound, meaning you don't carry a balance month-to-month. Also, you shouldn't have any major purchases upcoming, as it may slightly impact your credit score.
One targeted offer from American Express offered $200 cash after making just a single purchase on a new card.
And an advertised offers $100 cash after $1,000 in purchases in the first three months.
Southwest Airlines offers two free roundtrip flights on its Visa card. It carries an annual fee of $99, but if you close it in a year, it certainly would pay for itself.
This Web site recaps some of the instant cash bonus offers.
First Coast News