Uncommon Opinions

[Mike Lowe]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

Someone is going to have a hard time financing a house with zero credit to their name just because they were scared of owning a credit card.

I should have clarified in more detail: I use a credit card, but merely to rack up the free mileage/points (it paid for half of our trip to France and Italy), but I never--not once--have ever carried a balance.

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[Mike Lowe]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I ran in to this problem recently and you’re 100% right. Here’s my story:

I just turned 29. Only did two semesters of college. Have owned all cars I’ve driven (never had a car payment). Never had a credit card. So my debt was minimal, few hundred left to pay back, and my credit was non-existent.

Recently applied for an apartment. Got denied. Score is too low, even though my income more then covered rent/utilities. I simply did not have a credit history, and NONE = BAD in that world. It was extremely annoying, you would think being almost 30 with no debt would be a good reason to GIVE someone a chance, but I see why that’s a bad idea too.

I got a credit card (barely, it was the only one outside of a secured card — that seemed messed up) and took out a loan to finance a medical expense. My score shot up 120 points. I applied to a different complex for a townhouse and was instantly accepted.

Gotta play the game to be in the game.

I don’t think Mike’s advice is totally off. You SHOULD NOT use credit you can’t afford. The interest will bury you in quick order. But you do have to give in a little.

Definitely ridiculous the game that has to be played, but glad you were able to get it sorted. Good on you! Keep yourself there now.

[mgoblue]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

Definitely ridiculous the game that has to be played, but glad you were able to get it sorted. Good on you! Keep yourself there now.

Dave Ramsey also talks about this and there are ways to find lenders that won't care about your credit score. You just have to have enough down payment and possibly other things. It is possible though!

I use a CC like you do where I always pay it off, but you hear (and I get it) how online purchases and the like separate our minds from the value of money....making it easy to spend recklessly. That's more the point of no cc, helping to control spending.

[Mike Lowe]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

Dave Ramsey also talks about this and there are ways to find lenders that won't care about your credit score. You just have to have enough down payment and possibly other things. It is possible though!

I use a CC like you do where I always pay it off, but you hear (and I get it) how online purchases and the like separate our minds from the value of money....making it easy to spend recklessly. That's more the point of no cc, helping to control spending.

Yes, that concept came straight from Dave Ramsey when I read about it geez, close to 10 years ago now. I don't subscribe to everything he preaches, but a lot of what he says about finance really is excellent advice, and I didn't need to go to the extremes he discusses of only eating beans and rice for x years and never seeing the inside of a restaurant.

I paid of the remaining student loan debt I had, paid for 2 masters degrees in cash (this was a PITA), and have just refused--absolutely refused--to put anything on long credit in which I'd had a monthly payment or accrue interest.

So I made some sacrifices, but it's definitely worth it. Refuse to play the game. I'm glad others here are finding their financial independence as well--it's just as healthy of a life choice as being in the gym, eating right, etc.

[Majingir]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I don't care about or follow politics in any way. I also don't watch the news (national or local). Anything of note seems to get told to me by wife, friends, or when at work.

If not for social media trending topic headlines, I wouldn't know what's happening. And even then, I dont usually read more about the topic itself after seeing the headline.

I know bits and pieces about it, but dont care one bit.

Probably why I dont like 'family dinners'. The ones around Christmas and Thanksgiving and so on. It always leads to topics about politics, social issues, all those stuff. I'm just there like "Anyone wanna talk about a game on last week......" lol.

They say dont talk religion or politics with people, but it seems like everyone does in some way or another. You cant avoid it, but I try to ignore it.

[SmashMan]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

If not for social media trending topic headlines, I wouldn't know what's happening. And even then, I dont usually read more about the topic itself after seeing the headline.

I know bits and pieces about it, but dont care one bit.

Probably why I dont like 'family dinners'. The ones around Christmas and Thanksgiving and so on. It always leads to topics about politics, social issues, all those stuff. I'm just there like "Anyone wanna talk about a game on last week......" lol.

I just got through an Easter dinner without politics being mentioned. I'd say it was awesome but I was spent a lot of time just hoping it wouldn't be brought up, so I didn't even really enjoy it.

Wouldn't be bad if people actually just discussed things instead of everyone doing their best cable news impression and yelling over each other. Then I'm just like...you all need to shut the **** up.

I'm not sure any of this is an uncommon opinion though.

[Majingir]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I just got through an Easter dinner without politics being mentioned. I'd say it was awesome but I was spent a lot of time just hoping it wouldn't be brought up, so I didn't even really enjoy it.

Wouldn't be bad if people actually just discussed things instead of everyone doing their best cable news impression and yelling over each other. Then I'm just like...you all need to shut the **** up.

I'm not sure any of this is an uncommon opinion though.

I don't think anyone dreading family holiday dinners is an uncommon opinion lol. It's hit or miss, some are fun, others you're glad its only a short time every so often.

[Speedy]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I've never owned a credit card. I've had a car loan for 10 years before I applied for my house loan though. My credit score is also around 800.

I think the same as Mike...I don't buy it unless I can pay for it with cash. The only exceptions were my cars, my house, and the furniture I bought when I moved into my house (0% interest though).

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[DocHolliday]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I've never owned a credit card. I've had a car loan for 10 years before I applied for my house loan though. My credit score is also around 800.

I think the same as Mike...I don't buy it unless I can pay for it with cash. The only exceptions were my cars, my house, and the furniture I bought when I moved into my house (0% interest though).

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You are doing it wrong. CC are amazing and offer immense benefits, plus they offer a real nice barrier between your legit bank account.

As long as you are paying them off every month, they are not costing you anything, but they are giving you free stuff. Get some CCs.

Plus if you disciplined enough to never get one, I'm sure you are not going to all of a sudden start spending mad money just because you have one.

[kehlis]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

Yea, people try and make credit cards out to be a bad thing when they are actually the opposite.

People misusing them is the bad thing. If you are paying them off in full (I.E. not buying things you couldn't pay for with cash at the time) they benefit your credit score.

I really only have a couple, don't carry a balance with any of them. One is used for my parking everyday for work, one is for my cell phone bill each month, and the other is in case an emergency were to every come up that would require a lot of immediate money (another underrated benefit. SOmething you don't ever want to need, but nice to know it's there in case you did).

Most in this thread have indicated that they have the self control to have a CC. Not going to tell you to get one, but having one or two if they aren't being used will actually improve your credit.

[DocHolliday]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I think it is crazy when people use Debit cards to pay for stuff online, or use them at shady gas stations, etc. It is SOOOOOO much easier to correct hacked CC than a debit. If they get hold of your debit card, they are literally taking money directly out of your account. Much harder to get back. CC take care off this in like 10 minutes.

[LambertandHam]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

I think it is crazy when people use Debit cards to pay for stuff online, or use them at shady gas stations, etc. It is SOOOOOO much easier to correct hacked CC than a debit. If they get hold of your debit card, they are literally taking money directly out of your account. Much harder to get back. CC take care off this in like 10 minutes.

Around here using a card at a gas station has turned into a 50/50 chance of getting your details lifted via skimmer.

[Majingir]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

Why don't you just pay at the pump directly instead of handing it to the attendant?

[dsallupinyaarea]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

Having a CC makes traveling so much easier too. Hotel, car, etc.

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[TheMatrix31]

Re: Uncommon Opinions

You know you don't have to watch shows that way, right?

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I don't. Even the shows on those services, I typically spread out my viewing quite a bit.