Credit cards

How many of my fellow gray hippies have given up on credit cards?

I got rid of mine some years ago and haven't missed them in the least. I still do use a debit card, but that's materially different. I hate the idea of being in debt for anything. Everything I own is paid for, including my house and car.

If there's something I can't pay cash for, I do without it.

 

I too quite the credit card, I can be very dangerous with one. I use debit only as I need a means to handle my cash electronically.

 

I still find credit cards convenient, but I always pay them off in full every month. I don't mind technically being in debt for a couple of weeks, but I dislike any long-term debt.

 

i avoid credit unless it's a life threatening issue. i had multiple id theft attempts...they are no fun. i won't have a debit card or anything 'with the magnetic strip' except driver's license for the same reasons. i no longer have a cell phone..dint work out here anyway. dint work in a lot of places...why would i call for help when i can help myself better than 'the system'?

given that i had a commodore 64 right after they came out, i had to be the 'goto' person for computers in our office...and got drug kicking and screaming into the digital age, it's kind of funny that i have gone 'backwards'. some modern ideas are bs,,really, many are bs. i think i understand my parents and grand parents better now.

 

I have one credit card, rarely use it, I use my debit card all the time for the convenience.

 

Confession time









I got a one credit card with a $5000. limit and keep it paid up. The confession is I'm an Amazon and Ebay junkie. On those special occasions when I get organically confused I order shit from Amazon. A few days later when I'm straight and forgot about it I get a surprise in the mail. Its like christmas and having a mystery friend...Someone keeps ending me great siily books and gifts. Today I got a great book on tropical gardening and plants as a result of last weeks silliness.

Also gotta have it to book flights so I do use it appropriately at times. I once had a card with a $55000.00 limit...OMG. I dumped that to prevent stupid mistakes.

 

credit is hard to come by when you have screwed over as many corporations as i have


this black sheep must call a sibling if a card is needed

 

My Credit Card Never Has Time To Cool Down, Everything Goes On It,

Food, Rates, Phone, Fuel, Power, Insurance, Pizzas, Wine......

Then At The End Of The Month I Do A Simple Transfer From My Savings Account To The

Card, That Way I Never Pay Interest, And Like GrannyLongerhair, I Never Buy Anything

I Can't Pay For 30 Days Later....

The Banks Hate It, But "Tough Tittie" For Them....



Cheers Glen.

 

I never had a card, always pay cash. Glad that I can still buy things anonymously and not surveilled.

 

Don't fool yourself on the not surveilled part. Unless you live on the Serengeti Plain in Africa or only buy dope in the privacy of your own home you are surveilled. If you live in an urban area your picture is taken over 70 times a day and there is a record of over 70% of the transactions you make. I hate to sound paranoid but facts are facts. I don't let it run my life.

I'm not afraid of big brother because there are so many little brothers out there. Most cell phones have built in cameras and it's amazing what inadvertently gets caught on security cameras. There have been criminals acquitted for various criminal charges because they were withdrawing cash from an ATM across town at the time of the crime.

I'm not afraid of the cameras, I just don't want them in my home.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

Never had a credit card, never borrowed money except once had a mortgage, which we paid off in 6 years.

 

I think you're right about that, but I don't think it's about "surveillance", per se. I think it's more about targeted marketing. They don't really care about yours or mine individual purchases ... what they care about is the purchasing trends of our demographic, so they can target advertising and whatnot at us.

Along those lines, I really dislike the "loyalty" cards the grocery stores use. They're basically bribing us with discounts in order to get information on our purchasing preferences.

 

No credit card, but I have a debit card. Don't like debt so I save for stuff I want. Hasn't always been this way, but, lessons learnt .

 

That's not a bad philosophy!

You got that right!

 

Well, yes the amount of fund surveillance is definitely a marketing thing. I was also thinking about the security cameras that are both outside and inside stores, at the ATM. Catching people running red lights etc. But like I said to me it isn't such a bad thing. I remember reading about the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case that one of the alleged assailants had his picture taken at the ATM machine when the rape was allegedly taking place. Then there was the Oscar Grant case where a young man was shot by BART Police while handcuffed and caught on numerous cell phone cameras.

Along the same lines of the loyalty cards I remember a few years ago when the movie "Taking Woodstock" came out the newspaper ran an ad with a contest where you text messaged info to a specific number and entered to get a free ticket to the movie and a free pipe from a local shop. I almost never text as I feel it is a waste of time. It takes me about 10 minutes to compose something that I could call and ask in 3. Anyway I texted and got my free ticket. I found the theater, sat down etc. Just before the previews came on I got a text message about "The House on Sorority Row". The first preview shown was for "The House on Sorority Row". On cell phones there is a function that will tell anyone who has your phone number where you are if they have your cell number. Its funny on the screen there is an Icon for it. The Icon is a set of Cross Hairs. Kind of Creepy. Essentially I gave them the means to track me. They gave me a place to be and a time to be there. Luckily they only wanted to get me interested in another movie.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

You can disable the GPS functions.

 

Credit Cards can be evil.

But even at 20% interest the impact isnt as great as one may think, compared to other silly things we do.

20% on 20K is $77 a week down the toilet. Whereas the second car you dont really need, the doubly expensive first car, or a mortage for a house bigger than you need ends up equating to hundreds a week down the toilet.

So Someone saying I dont have credit cards, they are evil, when they have a second car that only gets used twice a week, or they go get take out every second night, well

 

I haven't had a credit card since 2004.

 

I have since then.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

I'm never getting a credit card. The credit card company called my mom to ask a bunch of questions after spending money in North Carolina when we live I NJ ( we're on vacation).
Creeeeepy!