Soon-to-be parents of a brand new Dyson

Finally the time has come...we've cashed in our credit card points for a Dyson vacuum cleaner! Not just any Dyson either - it's the one with the ball that can "turn on a dime." I never thought I'd be the type to get excited over an appliance, especially one that is used for cleaning, but I'm at the edge of my seat waiting for it to arrive at our front door. All the better, we didn't have to shell $500 out of pocket to have it. I hope Midnight's cat hair is no match for my high powered sucking machine.


And as to not hurt the feelings of our old vacuum cleaner which is still truckin', we will likely keep it around for days when I'm too lazy to carry our new addition up and down our four flights of stairs. We've had our classy purple and red Hoover Fusion for over 2 years now and while we've managed to break pretty much every attachment the thing has, it still does the job. For something that was less than $100, you can't ask for much more.

Credit card points are a wonderful thing. If you have a credit card that earns points, we have some tips for accumulating big numbers:

1. Buy absolutely everything using your credit card. No item is too big or too small. We've charged a pack of gum and as much of a down payment on our new car as the dealership would let us.*
2. Give people that judge you for not carrying cash dirty looks. We don't see the point in using the green stuff unless absolutely necessary. We avoid establishments that don't take credit card (eh hem...gelato cart at the National's game). Get with the times!
3. Join all special programs. Bank of America (our credit card) has paired up with tons of different websites to offer you double, triple, or quadruple your points just by shopping online. All you have to do is follow the links from their website. I earned triple the points for most of the furniture I've bought off Target.com.

*Laura and Joe Plus Zero does not encourage credit card debt. Have the money to pay off your credit card.