To think most people don’t actually pay off their credit cards in full each month?

[PoliteCyanViewer]

I always hear advice about clearing your balance each month to avoid interest but how many people actually do it? With the cost of living, unexpected expenses, and temptations everywhere, is it realistic? Do you pay yours off in full or do you carry a balance?

I've had a credit card since I was 19 and paid it off in full every month. I don't buy anything unless I have the money to pay it off straight away as I hate being in debt. I just like the protection and rewards that come with a credit card.

Always. If you're organised, credit cards are your friends when it comes to cashflow to avoid dipping into savings. We use my Tesco card for any purchase over £8 (the minimum spend needed to accumulate points) for all our regular spending - food, fuel, clothing, entertainment, etc - throughout the month.

DH has a card we use to pay for large purchases/deposits, or anything where we want the protection of Section 75 in case of problems, e.g., we've just used it for a deposit on a car. We'll pay the balance from savings, but the fact we've paid over £100 of the purchase price on the card means we have that protection if the car proves to be a lemon.

I’m not sure about all the righteous “ I pay it all off because I don’t live outside my means”.
Massive difference with spunking money on holidays and lottery tickets and buying the basics to live normally.
I agree with frugal living but credit cards are also the difference between being able to work or not - car , transport costs whatever.

Impossible to save for anything on minimum wage jobs. How would you afford a washing machine if none were coming up on FreeGiving?

Also there’s a lot of “we”. Much harder to afford everything with a single income.

I don't always. I use it for a large purchase but then clear it before using it again.

What are people using Amex for? Airline tickets? High end restaurants?

Most places I would potentially use a credit card at just don't accept Amex cards.

We do, I’d never get more on the credit card than I could pay off the next month.

I barely ever use it, only for the protection if buying a bigger item. When i do use it i pay it off in full the next month.

I don't routinely use credit. If I want something too expensive to buy from my wages i save up for it.

I’ve always paid mine off.

Sometimes I tactically time a purchase with my credit card so that next month’s wage will cover it, but I’ve never not cleared the card when I’m billed.

Every single month, in full. If I didn't have the money in my account already to pay off the credit card, then I wouldn't have the credit card.

The only reason I've got one at all is for the perks.

I always have in the 40+ years I've had one. Even (or, in truth, it would have been more important) during the years we were really skint. I couldn't afford to be paying interest on top of the purchase price of anything. We'd save up.

I’m always surprised by how many people use credit cards if they don’t need them, I always had it instilled in me they’re a slippery slope to debt and have always been too scared to get one.

We do. Two months if the bill is due to something breaking down and fixing cars.

We use Amex for most of our purchases (we don’t buy airline tickets and don’t go to high end restaurants). Yesterday I used it in Boots, Holland & Barratt, Lakeland, Nero Coffee, KFC and the Co-Op. I had to switch to another card Clarks, the butchers and the bakers. M&S card for M&S as you get extra points that way.
We are high spenders and made around £2k in rewards from the 3 credit cards last year without paying a penny in interest (The Amex does have a very low annual fee).

Amex and always pay off. Very few places won’t take it. For those I use a debit card.

I always pay mine off in full every month. I didn’t when I was at Uni and the 4 years following that when I lived in my flat on a single income - lived in my overdraft then too! I no longer have debt and substantial savings so can afford to do it.

We both have Amex and use it for the Avios points. We have platinum so you also get meal vouchers and shopping vouchers for Harvey Nics.

We pay in full each month.

only ever had a 0% card and wish I never had it!
needed it while in maternity to pay for important things. Now on maternity again and trying to pay it off little by little before the 0% is over.

IMO I would in future only get a credit card if I’m getting something back and can pay it off in full.

desperate times and all that.. sigh.

My credit card bill is paid off automatically in full every month, so I don't even need to remember to do it.

yes definitely. I essentially just use it as a debit card, but one that improves my credit rating and provides extra protection on big purchases.
If I couldn't afford to pay it back every month I wouldn't put it on a credit card.

Even with 0% deals like a sofa for example, I'd only buy it if I did have the money to get it upfront anyway.

Yes always have, had credit card for over 35 years. Only time I haven't is by mistake. I have mostly used it to give me time to move money from other accounts to cover payments. Now our income generally outstrips our outgoings (only in last couple of years), I rarely use my credit card. I've never thought getting into debt was OK, other than a mortgage.

No i use credit cards because i need to to spread the cost, however I do switch to 0% interest cards

Maybe someone else has beaten me to it

answer is 62%

https://www.money.co.uk/credit-cards/credit-card-statistics

Seems an unusual AIBU when a cursory Google suggests it's around half and half. Why does anyone wonder about factual stuff nowadays when if you're posting on here you have all the information in the world available on the same device

I haven't read every single post but the demographic of posters responding to the thread doesn't seem to be statistically the same as the whole population anyway.

I used to, but currently in a not so great financial situation, my partner lost his job so we were relying fully on my income for a while, which meant paying the minimum amount on the cards for 6 months. He’s now in a new job so once we’ve built some money up we’ll pay them off again hopefully.

I do. When I was in my 20’s I didn’t as I didn’t have a clue about money, once I had cleared the huge for me balance I vowed never to buy anything that I couldn’t afford to pay for again.
Excluding mortgage.