I feel so liberated, not using credit cards anymore

[C.Ann]

Like what? I still pay it off each month so I can't imagine anything I'm missing? I might spend $12,000 dollars and you bet it will be paid off before we get hit with interest. Do you mean you get some kind of satisfaction in paying cash? Do you think that CC users such as myself miss out on that for some reason? I cannot imagine any perk you get that I don't get seeing as we both do not owe anyone anything? I'm sure you'll come up with something. You always do.

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Like I said, you would never understand, but those who choose to live their lives without CC's certainly do.. I'm not implying that you shouldn't use credit cards if that's what you choose to do - nor do I (or anyone else) owe you an explanation why we don't.. It's a lifestyle choice - plain and simple..

 

[C.Ann]

Who would call anybody in that situaiton a deadbeat?

to the OP. Congrats.

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The credit card companies.. There was a thread about it either here or on the Budget Board about it not too long ago.. It may have come up in the thread where people were finding that their CC interest rates had soared because they were late on payments that had absolutely nothing to do with their CC cards (electric bills; car pyaments; things of that nature).. Can't remember the name of the thread though - maybe someone else can..

 

[DMRick]

Perfect response Beth..choose your own course and do what is right for you. Good for you OP, glad you did what made you comfortable. Much is made that we are deadbeats for paying off our card each month and that it doesn't do anything for our credit score. Well we charge everything we can, and pay it off. I mean everything..food, gas, car insurance, vacations, etc. We have an obscene amount of available credit. I could buy a house in a fancy area near here, just from the cash I could get from our credit card (but never be able to pay it off LOL!). In spite of that we broke down and paid for our credit score after hearing what some said on these board..and bingo..they were wrong. It couldn't be any higher. I mean literally. It just doesn't go higher. So for us, that just isn't true that it will lower your score. We always have a car payment and have had a mortgage..but our credit score is very high, and we charge large amounts. I even charged my children's college educations. And paid them off...and still the score is high.

If the points are meaningless to you, or you like carrying cash, or prefer to use a debit card by all means do. But for us, it's saved us thousands on our last three cars, and I love getting the cash from citibank on those two cards. $600 CASH..so no worries on if I'll have to spend more by using them on a plane fare, and then having to pay for a vacation. It was cold CASH from those 2 cards. There are plenty of these offers. Don't trust yourself to spend just what you can pay off? Then don't use them. Afraid you'll get in over your head? Then don't use them. I certainly understand the feeling of not having bills..but then I don't have that problem..mine are paid off each month..because that's what works for me. I only spend what I can pay off. All that said, I also don't think carrying some credit card debt makes you a bad or irresponsible person. While I applaud those of you who felt you needed to pay off credit cards, and you have decided to go the route of not using them anymore..it's an individual decision, and either way doesn't make you a bad person.

Disney1Fan2002,

Congratulations on doing what is liberating to you! We all have to choose our own course and, if this is what makes things right for you - CONGRATULATIONS!

 

[C.Ann]

Who would call anybody in that situaiton a deadbeat?

to the OP. Congrats.

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Found it.. It was over on the budget board. Hope this link works right - if not, go over there and do a search on "deadbeats".

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=983134&highlight=deadbeats

 

[C.Ann]

While I applaud those of you who felt you needed to pay off credit cards, and you have decided to go the route of not using them anymore..it's an individual decision, and either way doesn't make you a bad person.

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Well said - and what some people just don't seem to "get".. Personal lifestyle choices..

 

[Cass]

Don't even get me started on Christmas shopping!

Well, I didn't get my present yet

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I cannot wait to be free of all of my debt. Car loans, credit cards...freedom. I imagine it would be such an amazing feeling. Suze Orman says consumer debt (credit cards, auto/boat loans, student loans) are like going to prison financially for a 40-70 year sentence. I couldn't agree with her more.

 

[Aimeedyan]

What a great feeling that must be!

We have really cracked down on ours - we are trying to pay off the CC debt we have and have vowed to not use them anymore unless an emergency. I hope to get our emergency fund built up quick enough to not even have to do that! I have only used it once in 6 months and that was for a doc visit that I had to pay upfront for because my new ins company was still reviewing my "preexisting condition" stuff and denied it intiallly. We knew we'd get paid back asap for it but I still hated to do it!

I don't carry cash but only a debit card. I don't trust myself with cash =)

 

[C.Ann]

I don't carry cash but only a debit card. I don't trust myself with cash =)

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Way back before my bank offered a debit card, I used to make myself write a check for everything.. You couldn't even imagne how much money I saved because I didn't want to go through the hassle of writing a check for $3.97 or $11.29 or whatever.. LOL Ended up being an additional savings plan for me..

 

[Buckalew11]

I only use CCs for trips and on-line/catalog shopping. I would never go out to eat and use a CC. Even if I was going to pay it off that month. Just couldn't eat and put it on a card. Ruins my appetite just thinking of that...LOL I know that many people do it and that is fine to me for them to do it, it just doesn't sit well with me--perks or no perks.
I am a cash type person myself. It is harder for me to let go of a dollar bill than to even write a check!! (I guess i play a lot of $ games in my head!!)