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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is not abnormal?!

380 replies

Linnylinn1 · 24/10/2019 16:19

In work today one of the girls asked me something about a credit card and transferring a balance. I said “oh don’t ask me I have never had a credit card, I don’t know anything about them!” She was totally shocked that I don’t have one (as were the rest of the office!” AIBU to think it’s not THAT shocking!!??

OP posts:
adaline · 25/10/2019 06:48

@1forAll74 but putting things on a credit card doesn't mean you're in debt or can't afford to pay for them Confused

It's just a different way of spending your money.

Hellofromtheotherside2020 · 25/10/2019 06:56

I've never had a credit card. I'm 34. My husband has one for work related expenses. I prefer my trusty debit card!

exLtEveDallas · 25/10/2019 06:59

I'm 47, DH is 53. Neither of us have ever had a credit card. We only have small, free, bank overdrafts that we never use. We don't have a car/tv/furniture etc on credit. The only 'debt' we have is a small mortgage - that we didn't get until 2014 when we bought our first house. I have no idea what our credit score might be - bad I suppose - but it's not something that I have ever worried about.

I don't have an issue with credit, but I don't think I've ever needed it, so it's not an issue.

Whoopsies · 25/10/2019 07:08

Neither of us have ever has one here either. Never needed one. When we bought our house we had 'perfect credit scores too.

Crystal87 · 25/10/2019 07:14

I've never had one either. Never needed one.

Teacher22 · 25/10/2019 07:16

My DH and I have an account book into which we put every incoming money and record every outgoing transaction.

Forty years ago a bank accountant told us we should use a credit card to buy things as it gave us a four week ‘drag’ before cash had to leave the account to pay for them. But only if we had the discipline to save the money and pay off in full every month. As we had the account book we were easily able to do so.

Added benefits with this method are extra consumer protection for items over £100 and loyalty points. Putting everything, including utility bills, on credit cards gave us some pleasing annual bonus amounts and with, say, Tesco’s Clubcard points, you can treble the value on redemption.

My children have picked up our habits of avoiding debt and neither adult child has a credit card. They use banking apps and debit cards to keep up to the minute with what is in their accounts. The youngest had a decent enough credit rating to obtain a hefty mortgage.

I would recommend using a credit card if you have self control enough to pay the debt off in full every month. However, only half of credit card owners do this and it is the people who pay interest who allow the companies to extend benefits to the prudent half. So perhaps it is not in my interest, no pun intended, to say this.

Geneva1995 · 25/10/2019 07:22

I never had one until we bought our first house (very run down) so got a credit card for ‘emergencies’ but I regret it now as I didn’t use it for emergencies Grin don’t get one if you don’t need it

ChasingRainbows19 · 25/10/2019 07:22

I do t have one , I got one at 18 and it got me into a little debt ( along with a loan and overdraft and consolidation) learned the hard way so at 40 apart from my mortgage I have no debt or credit. My partner hates credit so he has never had one or any of his family actually. People I know with them have big bills and can't use them sensibly either.

I have considered one for travel/holidays but I can't bring myself to go back there...

OtraCosaMariposa · 25/10/2019 07:23

was unaware of the cashback thing..? Is that all CC?

No, it depends. Different companies offer different benefits. If you have a credit card from Tesco Bank, you get tesco points on everything you spend, and a increased points for spend in Tesco. American Express does a straight % of cashback for all spend .Virgin Atlantic have a card where you can earn points towards flights.

Every offer is different. Agree that there is a a lot of stupid on this thread Also worrying that someone can get to adulhood and has never bothered to find out how a credit card works.

I had my first card as a student for the year I was working overseas. It was for "emergencies" such as having to buy a flight home in an emergency on the understanding that parents would refund immediately. Have had one ever since. Never pay interest.

Fridakahlofan · 25/10/2019 07:29

I’m 34 and I’ve never had one

KatharinaRosalie · 25/10/2019 07:31

the “better protected stance” and that doesn’t apply where I live. I am apparently just as protected when using my debit card!

That's interesting, I have lived all over and have had credit cards from several countries, and nowhere have I encountered a debit card with similar protection schemes and insurances. What bank is that?

Teateaandmoretea · 25/10/2019 07:31

I have a credit card but wouldn't be able to help her re her balance as I've never had one. Paid it off every month.

I have a strange reason for having a cc, namely to keep my own spending in one place as we have a joint account. It also means he can't see everything that I've spent on the joint statement which I would find annoying/ intrusive on an ongoing basis.

I also get Tesco clubcard points for all of the purchases I make, which is a bonus and paying for holidays etc on it this mounts up. In addition, so much spending these days is online I feel it's less risky using a card that isn't attached to my bank account, but that may be just me being silly.

I didn't have one for years though, when I had my own bank account and I was poorer when I was younger I preferred to keep my money in that one place so I could do a balance enquiry and immediately know how much I had. It didn't give me a poor credit rating and I never personally had an issue of losing money from cc purchases.

So for me it's horses for courses really I've taken both approaches at different times. I was older than the OP when I started using a cc so for me it's totally normal not to have one also.

G5000 · 25/10/2019 07:40

I'm just here for the 'I don't spend money I don't have' comments. Because surely nobody has thought of this witty and patronising statement on the previous 13 pages.

AngelsOnHigh · 25/10/2019 07:40

Nope don't have one. The only social media I have is Mumsnet.

I figure if people want to see me, contact me or whatever, then they have my address and my phone number.

Oysterbabe · 25/10/2019 07:41

We don't struggle for money but we, my DH especially, like a deal and to save / make money wherever we can. We've made well over a grand on topcashback. We got a really good new customer offer on a current account where it made sense to have money in the account attracting interest so we put everything thing on a 0% credit card for a while and just paid it off in full at the end of the 0% period. At the moment everything goes on my tesco credit card, which is paid in full each month. We had a weekend away where we paid for 2 meals out, a visit to the aquarium and zoo with the points. All completely free.
We have credit cards. We have no debt. We like free things.
I could buy something with my debit card or I could buy it with my credit card through topcashback and get cashback, points and s75 protection.

Tohavefarted · 25/10/2019 07:43

This thread is a prime example of why they need to stop teaching kids in school now to divide triangles into 3 and start teaching them basic finances and money advice.

QuizzlyBear · 25/10/2019 07:43

I've never had one either. I managed to get into a bit of overdraft / store card debt when I was 18 and ever since I've steered clear of credit. I spend what I have in the bank and haven't ever really needed credit cards.

Honestly I am a profligate spender so it's probably better that I don't...

Original poster
Linnylinn1 · 25/10/2019 07:45

@KatharinaRosalie in the country I am in there is no section 75. The level of consumer protection is the same for both credit and debit cards.

OP posts:
Teateaandmoretea · 25/10/2019 07:45

I'm just here for the 'I don't spend money I don't have' comments. Because surely nobody has thought of this witty and patronising statement on the previous 13 pages.

The other side of 'you are an idiot for not having one because you can lose money and cash back' is equally patronising though.

People do get into financial difficulties and a lot of people prefer not to have one. That's totally reasonable as far as I can see.

Tohavefarted · 25/10/2019 07:47

Strange to come on a predominantly UK website then to question why people would have a credit card if your rules are different.

KnickerBockerAndrew · 25/10/2019 07:49

I don't have one. I always thought it was because it was I was lucky enough not to need one, but having recently obtained a mortgage, I am kicking myself a bit. I was told in no uncertain terms that I would have qualified for a better mortgage if I'd had a CC. I always thought it was a financially savvy thing not to have one, but I was wrong.

Spidey66 · 25/10/2019 07:51

@AngelsOnHigh but this thread is about credit cards?

Original poster
Linnylinn1 · 25/10/2019 07:52

@Tohavefarted I literally only looked it up last night a actually Hmm as I have never had one I didn’t really “get” the better protected argument.

OP posts:
ChasingRainbows19 · 25/10/2019 07:55

The only people coming across as superior are those that have credit cards to be honest. Oh you don't understand financial matters, you get free money. Some of us have good reasons not to have them. Just because you haven't run up a debt there will be people that have or that know people that have.

I grew up with a credit friendly household everything was on Hp. My dad continued this and eventually had to sell his house due to debts. He now rents and relies on pensions. I thought credit was normal and when I accessed it at 18 it was like free
Money to someone who had never had any. I ended up in a cycle of £10k debt in total over my twenties that took until my 30s to pay off. I was taught budgeting but it was too tempting for me as I was on such a low wage back then ( £5.10 at 24 was the max I earned when I was using my card and I moved out at 20)

As a 40 year old I can see the benefits and great if you've been able to reap them without debt but not everyone can. Yeah sure that is partly there own fault. But also a valid reason not to have it!

Should add my partner has no credit history and we got a mortgage perfectly fine. Clear score are still telling me I need a card to improve my fictional score ....

CigarsofthePharoahs · 25/10/2019 07:57

Online purchases I always use a credit rather than debit card - you're insured if anything goes wrong.
My online grocery shop I use a Sainsbury's MasterCard - double nectar points! Also we took out that card to pay for some replacement windows as it was cheaper than a loan.
Both are set to be fully paid off at the end of each month.