DaytonDailyNews.com

With many of us trying to get the best deals and discounts available for the holiday season and beyond, it is important to know what offers truly save us money.

One debated option concerns the use of department store credit cards. These days, almost all department stores offer them, promising big discounts up front and more deals down the line.

But do they save you money in the long run?

L. Marie Dubuque — who writes for Suite101.com, an independent online magazine — recommends getting department store credit cards, especially if you frequent the store.

She said it can not only save you money through the additional discounts they offer throughout the year, but they can help you establish credit.

But she does warn about overspending.

"Budget your purchases just like you would a checking account," Dubuque said. "If you write a bad check, you'll pay. If you go over your credit limit or carry a balance, you'll pay even more."

She also recommends that you read the fine print and check to see if there are any added fees, such as annual fees and charges for going over the limit of the card.

Melodee Sheils is the director of Graceworks Lutheran Service's Consumer Credit Counseling Service in Dayton.

She said that "department store credit cards are only a good idea if you're able to pay the balance in full by the end of the next monthly billing period. The interest rates are often higher than other credit instruments.

"You might experience an introductory discount, but if you can't pay off the balance by the end of the month, the interest rate may wipe out any savings you experienced initially."

Credit is the stumbling block with Carlo Dellaverson, a reporter with CNBC.com. He said he is against signing up for these cards not only because of high interest rates, but because, by applying for these cards, you are applying for credit.

"Your credit report will be pulled, an inquiry will be left and a new account with a low credit limit will be put on your report," he wrote. "The low credit limit is hurtful because it means even modest shopping can leave you with a high utilization percentage and thus lower credit scores."

So, before you decide whether to apply for a department store credit card, take a hard look at your budget habits. If you are able to pay your balance in full each month, the cards can be a good deal.

Shopper of the Week

One woman who has this consumer thing down and then some is Erin Chase, a Centerville mother of two who started a Web site called www.5dollardinners.com.

On her site, she offers healthy recipes that you can make from scratch for a family of four for less than $5.

Chase, who has the honorable distinction of becoming our inaugural Shopper of the Week, said although she grew up in a family that was pretty well-off, she has always been more of a minimalist.

"I'm not a Starbucks person," she said. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Chase grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and moved to the Dominican Republic right out of college to do missionary work. She lived there for six years, and met her husband, Steve, there. Steve is a computer software instructor who graduated from Bellbrook High School.

"That's where I really learned that I loved cooking," she said of her time in the Caribbean. "I was a house mom responsible for feeding 12 to 16 people every day. I learned to cook from scratch."

She said when she got back to the States two years ago, everything seemed too expensive to her, so she started researching how to save money.

"I started the couponing thing back in July," she said, adding that she began her site about three months ago.

"I started my blog because there was nothing else out there like it," she said. "I am out to prove it is not more expensive to eat healthy."

Due to the dietary constraints of her sons, who are 3½ and 1½, she has also learned to make many of these meals with no preservatives, no dyes, gluten-free and dairy-free. At the end of each recipe, she not only documents the amount spent on each ingredient, but also what elements the recipes include.

Chase said her favorite recipe of late is Apple Walnut Pork with Green Beans and Wild Rice. The cost of that meal? $4.68.

"I think of the blog as a frugal blog, but it's really a food blog," she said. "But I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it."

For more information, visit www.5dollardinners.com.

Contact this columnist at (937) 225-7325 or jikelley@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Shopper of the Week

Who: Erin Chase, 31, creator of www.5dollardinners.com

Home: Chase lives in Centerville with her husband and young sons

Work/education: The stay-at-home mom earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Texas Christian University and a master's degree in education from Regent University Online

Response to our topic of the week about department store credit cards: "We pay everything in full," Chase said. "We recently signed up for a Target one because we needed a new vacuum cleaner. We got the extra 10 percent off by signing up for the (department store) card. But then we cut up the card after that. It's too much of a temptation to use it otherwise. It makes sense if you are going to have a larger purchase and then get a large percentage off."