I don’t have a credit card currently, but I will probably eventually get one. I would definitely be careful though. Only spend what you can afford.
I have several with open accounts. Only one has an actual balance which I can happily afford to pay every month. I do not necessarily see debt as a bad thing. Now, let me explain that comment—my mortgage is debt, my school loans are debt, my car is debt, but I can write off on my taxes two of those three. Where I think credit cards are “bad” is when people abuse them–”oh, I’m having a bad day, I’m going shopping” or ” I deserve that, so what if I cannot afford it.” I charge items like car repairs. I need my car to run so I can get to work….30 miles each way, no public transportation.
My daughter once looked at me and said “Mommy, just charge it.” My reply was immediate “no.” People need to learn to distinguish the difference between a want and a need.
Dessa
I have two. One has a pretty high balance right now because I bought a TV on it but I’m paying it off (or almost off) this month. The other one is a Victoria’s Secret card which is empty. I use it when I shop there but pay it off later, the points add up and they give me lots of free underwear. I learned to be afraid when I got my first card, though. I only used it for emergency grocery trips and I realized even necessities add up to being debt… and debt is debt, no matter what you had to buy.
I have like one of every sort. My dad made me a custodial bank account when I was around junior high school age. I used to deposit and withdraw sporadically. When I wanted to buy a N64 due to the coaxing of my older brother they wouldn’t let me take the money out. While I still am absolutely absymal at managing my own money, credit cards made things way easier to deal with esp. later on when I had money to do plenty of shopping with and when that shopping was best done online. For the first few years I was pretty consistent in that I would only use the credit card as if it were cash and I don’t remember how I was exactly but I like to think I was very diligent regarding payments and what not. That (credit =~ cash) really didn’t change ever but between being lazy, forgetful, and being a month or so off in estimates between income and bills….esp. when i got laid off and when i couldn’t get unemployment insurance anymore (u dont take this if ur not looking for work / have health issues apparently)… i’ve definitely stabbed myself in the foot several times.
also i think credit cards makes it very easy to donate to organizations all over the world for whatever cause, i don’t have to worry about stamps, writing the envelop out and sending it, etc. or backing out from it later. but then for people like me who are terrible with their money that’s a bad thing, i actually need to be more cautious/hesitant about that sort of thing and after several people sent donations personally through me it is just now (like literally right now) occuring to me perhaps that’s better.
i have basically every credit card so i dont have to worry. i guess that’s also b/c being in New York some people carry around a LOT of cash, whereas having been jumped, robbed, etc. a number of times i prefer not to have much cash on hand asides from what’s needed. but the other not worrying part is just the simplicity of having an accepted card on hand.
I don’t have credit cards, I do terrible with them. I do have debt though, like my student debt. I will get a credit card later as, irony of irony I will need it to boost my credit rating. I wish to buy property and to get the lowest rate for mortgage, I have to have great credit. For now and for the last 15 years I have lived without Credit.
Comments (6)
I don’t have a credit card currently, but I will probably eventually get one. I would definitely be careful though. Only spend what you can afford.
I have several with open accounts. Only one has an actual balance which I can happily afford to pay every month. I do not necessarily see debt as a bad thing. Now, let me explain that comment—my mortgage is debt, my school loans are debt, my car is debt, but I can write off on my taxes two of those three. Where I think credit cards are “bad” is when people abuse them–”oh, I’m having a bad day, I’m going shopping” or ” I deserve that, so what if I cannot afford it.” I charge items like car repairs. I need my car to run so I can get to work….30 miles each way, no public transportation.
My daughter once looked at me and said “Mommy, just charge it.” My reply was immediate “no.” People need to learn to distinguish the difference between a want and a need.
Dessa
I have two. One has a pretty high balance right now because I bought a TV on it but I’m paying it off (or almost off) this month. The other one is a Victoria’s Secret card which is empty. I use it when I shop there but pay it off later, the points add up and they give me lots of free underwear. I learned to be afraid when I got my first card, though. I only used it for emergency grocery trips and I realized even necessities add up to being debt… and debt is debt, no matter what you had to buy.
I have like one of every sort. My dad made me a custodial bank account when I was around junior high school age. I used to deposit and withdraw sporadically. When I wanted to buy a N64 due to the coaxing of my older brother they wouldn’t let me take the money out. While I still am absolutely absymal at managing my own money, credit cards made things way easier to deal with esp. later on when I had money to do plenty of shopping with and when that shopping was best done online. For the first few years I was pretty consistent in that I would only use the credit card as if it were cash and I don’t remember how I was exactly but I like to think I was very diligent regarding payments and what not. That (credit =~ cash) really didn’t change ever but between being lazy, forgetful, and being a month or so off in estimates between income and bills….esp. when i got laid off and when i couldn’t get unemployment insurance anymore (u dont take this if ur not looking for work / have health issues apparently)… i’ve definitely stabbed myself in the foot several times.
also i think credit cards makes it very easy to donate to organizations all over the world for whatever cause, i don’t have to worry about stamps, writing the envelop out and sending it, etc. or backing out from it later. but then for people like me who are terrible with their money that’s a bad thing, i actually need to be more cautious/hesitant about that sort of thing and after several people sent donations personally through me it is just now (like literally right now) occuring to me perhaps that’s better.
i have basically every credit card so i dont have to worry. i guess that’s also b/c being in New York some people carry around a LOT of cash, whereas having been jumped, robbed, etc. a number of times i prefer not to have much cash on hand asides from what’s needed. but the other not worrying part is just the simplicity of having an accepted card on hand.
I don’t have credit cards, I do terrible with them. I do have debt though, like my student debt. I will get a credit card later as, irony of irony I will need it to boost my credit rating. I wish to buy property and to get the lowest rate for mortgage, I have to have great credit. For now and for the last 15 years I have lived without Credit.
I have a debit card now