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Original poster

Anyone live without a credit card?

96 replies

Snowman123 · 12/01/2018 20:47

Does anyone only have a debit card? Do you have any problems living without a credit card?
(thinking about giving mine up for good.....remove all temptation)

OP posts:

TooManyUserNames · 13/01/2018 19:49

I get credit cards with the longest interest free period. Then I put the annual flights/ holiday on it and pay it off in chunks for the next year. Free loan. Just need to be disciplined which I am.

Also did this with rather expensive flooring for the house. If I'd had to save then I would have had disgusting carpet for ages. It all depends on priorities and being disciplined. I've never got into trouble yet.

I've never had more debt than I could easily afford to pay off in the interest free period.

LightastheBreeze · 13/01/2018 20:03

I don’t like using my debit card online in case of fraud as it would be really inconvenient. I have one credit card which I use for Amazon, EBay and PayPal, one which I use for holidays abroad as there are no charges on it, a John Lewis one and a Marks and Spencer one for general use as I collect points with them and I get vouchers. I do pay them all off each month though, just use them as they benefit me more than my debit card.

So yes it would be inconvenient not having credit cards

tinygirlsmum · 13/01/2018 20:07

I have a prepaid MasterCard so no debt, it's already my money loaded onto it but all the protection of a MasterCard

ReinettePompadour · 13/01/2018 20:12

No, never had a credit card or overdraft.

I have an account with a debit card I use specifically for buying online or abroad that the bank have placed a £0 overdraft on to prevent anyone withdrawing more than whats in there. I can only spend what I have actually put in there and not a penny more. I transfer money into the account for whatever I want to buy and I only buy that item. The account is kept empty if I'm not buying anything.

Its easier never having a credit card I think than stopping using one you've had. I do have to plan my purchases but that means I actually have to consider if its worth the hassle of transferring money to the account to buy something shoes and lots of them usually It helps keep my spending in check. If I hadn't started doing this years ago my house would be full of 'stuff' and lots of it I reckon.

Equimum · 14/01/2018 10:22

We only use a credit card for large purchases, to get the added protection, and when abroad. Apart from these times, cc lives in the safe. Again, like others, we pay off immediately.

HRTpatch · 14/01/2018 10:26

I put every purchase on my John Lewis credit card and pay it off in full at the end of the month.
Yes I could pay by debit card as I have the money in my account, but this way I earn JL points and get about £300 of vouchers a year.
I've never paid interest on a credit card in 30 years.

dementedma · 14/01/2018 10:27

we got into trouble with one when we were younger and so couldnt get one, and didn't want one for the last 15 years or so. However my new job requires me to pay for travel and accommodation up front and then claim it back so I needed one. Have set the limit at £750 though and just use it for work expenses and pay back every month. We also don't have an overdraft.

ginorwine · 16/01/2018 23:09

I hate credits cards as im the past I got into trouble with them . It was a long time ago after uni when I had my first job and shops offered in store credit cards . I was new to big cities too and that combo was not a good one .
I don't like the idea of credit anymore unless I cannot avoid it . Have managed to only get what we can afford after an impulsive birthday present for dh which had to be paid for on credit card which took three years to clear and was a burden to dh not a delight !
We have a mortgage which is obviously credit but I have no credit card at all . Dh has one as emergency or if we are planning to go abroad but the lattter is unlikely at the mo .
I didn't realise it was seen to be dangerous to pay on line by debit card tho ! That's a worry .

Shimmershimmerandshine · 17/01/2018 20:23

I got one about 10 years ago but only because I didn't have any credit rating and I was told having one and paying it off in full every month would boost my credit rating
So that's what I did.
Was really pissed off that they gave me a limit HIGHER than what I earned in a year

If you were trying to boost your credit rating that is ideal, low percentage utilisation is positive.

OP I lived for many, many years without a CC. I have one now because DH/I have joint finances and it is an easier way of keeping an eye on my spending. Plus I get cash back. But it's not compulsory before DC I just had a debit card. CC also don't lead everyone to debt, I pay it off each month.

unlimiteddilutingjuice · 17/01/2018 20:26

I don't have a credit card. I don't know if I could be trusted with one or not- I don't want to risk finding out!
I have a £200 overdraft facility and some savings as a "float".
I manage OK.
It is recommended that you make large purchases (white goods, holidays etc) on cc though as the cc company will cover you if the firm goes bust.

LightastheBreeze · 17/01/2018 21:06

ginorwine it’s not more dangerous to pay by debit card than credit card online, it’s just that if there is fraud on a card, the bank will often suspend your account and stop your debit card and send you a new one which could be not very convenient as you wouldn’t be able to pay by card or use your bank account easily. When DHs credit card had fraudulent activity he was without it for a few days while it was sorted out but as it was just his credit card it wasn’t so inconvenient as had it been his bank card

NotReadyToMove · 17/01/2018 21:11

You are forgetting the slight issue of all the money having disappeared form your bank account because the frauster has used a Debit Card details, which will not happened with a CC

Having had our CC details stolen twice (once stopped by the bank immediately, the other, more than £2k were spent on it as the bank hadn’t noticed), I would not take that risk. Because it was from the CC and we spotted it as soon as we get the bank statement, we were able to stop payments and claim that moneybstarigut away. Id rather nitbthink at wouod have happened if they had taken that money straight out of our rent account at the start of the month. We wouod have had nothing left to live on for the rest of the month....

newyearnewname18 · 17/01/2018 21:29

No credit card in UK, although we do have one attached to our accounts in our home country which is used for things for our house there and paid off monthly.

Haven't had an outstanding credit card debt in more than five years which feels great. No debt other than our mortgage.

ShiftyMcGifty · 17/01/2018 21:39

Me. I had one and stupid HSBC decided to cancel it because they felt it was inactive for too long

OneMoreOne · 17/01/2018 21:57

Have always had one.

DH never has! One bank card, not even a mortgage

Mijkl · 19/01/2018 22:27

No credit card in the family, neither of us ever had one or wanted one.

Kannet · 20/01/2018 06:46

It's well worth getting one and just leaving it away in a cupboard somewhere, then If you use it way it off immediately. It's much safer to book some things on there. It also a fairly cheap way to borrow short term in an emergency.

Parker231 · 20/01/2018 07:08

I have two credit cards. One I use for work - booking flights, hotels, trains etc. I claim my work expenses each month and pay the full amount from the credit card. This credit card gives me air miles and DH and I use it for flights for an annual long haul holiday.

I have a personal credit card which I use for everything - petrol, food, clothes, home items etc. This card gives John Lewis vouchers depending on how much I’ve spent. The balance is paid in full each month and I’ve never paid any interest.

If you’re careful you can make credit cards work for you.

earlylifecrisis · 20/01/2018 07:31

I don't have one. I used to have one that we paid the last 2k of our wedding onto and once paid off we never got another and don't plan to.

We do have a large emergency savings account though for unforeseen car/boiler/house issues. If we didn't have this we would def have credit cards

Roomba · 20/01/2018 07:55

I don;t have one. I have had them in the past but after having massive debt problems after my ex left and I lost my job, I have had to do without. I also had no debit card for several years either as I only had a basic bank account with a cash card. Was a total pain in the ass as buying stuff online became very convoluted or impossible without asking family to buy and reimbursing them.

I'd have one if I could, just so that big purchases and things like holidays were covered by the guarantee. Other than that a debit card is fine for day to day use.

caoraich · 20/01/2018 08:00

I put almost everything on mine and pay it back in full every month. In addition to the extra protections you get, it also provides better rewards than most bank accounts.

I usually make back about £50 a month in vouchers, cash back etc which I then put in a savings account. It pays for a big chunk of annual holidays!

But then I've always been a good saver and never go over my credit limit, plus monitor spending daily via the app

Lweji · 20/01/2018 09:20

One credit card.
Used rarely, mostly to keep charges at zero, or online shopping or big purchases with delivery.
Only really used it as credit when I separated and exH cleared the joint account, but still well within my salary limits.

hevonbu · 21/01/2018 03:58

Where I am it's getting increasingly difficult for people without a credit card, and immensely difficult for people without a debit card. Society has gone more or less "no cash" basically overnight, you often see signs "we don't take cash" in shops, and payments in principle must be done by online banking and a special electronic ID card on your smartphone. There! A host of new requirements: internet connection, laptop, electronic ID, debit/credit card. It all changed so quickly, maybe over ten to fifteen years with a sudden rush to go "no cash" in the last two years or so. People without cards/electronic ID/laptops write about it in letters to the editor, but to no avail... You're not there yet, but soon, soon...

AdoraBell · 28/01/2018 23:05

hevonbu do you mind if I ask where you are? My DH is convinced that we are headed towards a cashless system here.

Brahumbug · 10/02/2018 09:36

I use my cc for all purchases as it is a cash back card and I get a small bonus at the end of the year. I use it as you would a debit card and pay the balance off in full by direct debit. It means that I know to the penny how much money is coming out of my account at the end of the month as I check my statements online and reconcile them with my Jiosoft accounts, a great programme by the way.

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