Justifying a Big Purchase

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Mark17

One can never turn a vacation, attending sporting events, movies, going to restaurants, bars, the circus, and so on "back into cash" at all.

The point isn't to try to calculate the percentage profit (or investment retention) of a hypothetical card, in a possible future sale. The point is, of all the ways people can find enjoyment in life while laying out cash, buying cards is far more fiscally prudent than most. And therefore, I would suggest, something that should let the OP's mind rest easy in that decision.

I am not disagreeing with you whatsoever. Any card is a better return than going to a bar.

I think one should factor in, if they are spending more than say 5% of their cash on a cardboard picture of a dude, what they could turn that back into if they needed to, and the likelihood they will gain or lose. If you end up needing cash, how much you can get back is very relevant. That it is a better return on investment even if craters than wasting money on booze or food or circus trips isn't the only comparison.