When NOT to Use a Miles/Points Card

The other day I wrote about the 2% cash-back credit cards I own. Cash-back cards like these are great options for people who want to get into the game of cards that pay dividends but don't want the complexities of redeeming points with airlines and hotels. As I've explained before, airline/hotel affinity cards are only worth it if you travel regularly.

"Wait," you might wonder, "You travel a lot, why do you use a plain, 2% cash-back card so much instead of your travel cards?"

First, I do use my travel cards a lot. My most used card last year was an airline card I hit with $40k of charges. The situation is that I use cash-back cards also.

Second, the reason that I use plain cash-back cards also is that one of the complexities of travel cards is that for many categories of charges, travel cards are not worth it. 😧 Generally the points earning structure on these cards is something like, "Earn 3x points per dollar on purchases with the airline, 2x on select partners, and 1x on all other spending." The 1x on everything else isn't worth it as the points are worth way less than 2%, sometimes less even than 1%.

There are other benefits, though, besides the straight points value with airline/hotel cards. But then most also charge annual fees. These have to be factored into the equation. I use points-and-miles cards when the benefits I earn are worth more than 2%, I use 2% cash-back cards otherwise, and I'm thorough about knowing the difference. That's why I share these analyses under the tag, What's in YOUR wallet?.

Who Watches The Equalizer? Commercials Say "Moms"

Hawk and I have been watching the 2021-2024 reboot of The Equalizer, starring Queen Latifah. I don't recall hearing anything about this show or reading anything about it online a few years ago. I mean, not that I make any effort to stay on top of what's airing on TV or streaming, but generally if it's something people are buzzing (or memeing) about it'll come across my radar.

One thing that makes me wonder is who's the audience? The show aired on CBS, so there are certain demographics associated with that traditional cable channel. We're watching it on Roku Streaming, though. And one way you can tell who the audience is— or who the people with money believe it is— is to consider the ads.

The ads on The Equalizer all scream "Middle aged women with kids." That's pretty unusual for an action-oriented series The Equalizer. The genre skews heavily male. But it's not surprising considering this is a gender-bender show within the genre. Latifah, the improbable action star, was a 51 year old woman in the show's first season. One of her partners in action is also a woman. And every episode features "home life" scenes and a minor plot, where the main character lives with her older sister/aunt and her daughter. So there's plenty of screen time for women actors and women characters.

Why do I say the ads are pitching to women? It's pretty obvious. Most of the ads are for cleaning products: laundry detergents, spray cleaners, etc. Yes, there are men shown in these ads, but the women, the moms, are always the focus characters. Everyone knows that domestic labor is performed primarily by women in the US. That includes not just the use of cleaning products but also the shopping for them and the choice of which to put in the cart.

Oh, but there is one car commercial we're seeing repeatedly. Car advertising tends to be a male thing, right? Except the car ads are for Volvo. ("They're boxy but they're good!") They feature kids in the back seat talking to their mom about where they want to go in the car. It's vaguely implied that there's a second parent in the passenger seat up front, though the only adult shown is mom behind the wheel. They're boxy, but they're good! 😂