Thoughts on buying direct, but not the 150 points necessary for Membership Extras?
Personally, I wouldn't buy direct under 150 points unless I was certain I'd eventually have enough to total that number, if I were doing so in order to eventually be blue carded. Otherwise I'd stick to resale. That's just me. If it makes sense to do that to meet your family's needs, then by all means go for it! It's al