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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:

Prokupatuscrakedatus · 10/02/2018 15:00

I've made it into my fifties without a credit card.
Thanks to MN I have discovered FutureLearn - if you want to upgrade a course you have to pay by credit card (at least from where I am).
So I'll probably get one next week.

greathat · 10/02/2018 15:02

I have a credit card, pay it off in full every month. It insures bigger purchases and I get cashback on what I spend. Having a credit card (and paying it off) is also good for your credit score

Doodlebug89 · 10/02/2018 15:23

Neither of us have or have ever had a credit card. I don't see the appeal, as if I can't afford it then I shouldn't be buying it. I have an interest free overdraft that I dip into, but I'm trying to get out of the habit of using it.

ZBIsabella · 10/02/2018 16:48

Yes. (I do have one but I haven't used it for years so it's there in case I were ever stranded anywhere and the debit card did not work).
I would not like to owe money.

But I have always been very careful with money and work full time. I would never want to spend what I am not having coming in. Lots of people are not like that.

GoatPavlova · 10/02/2018 16:53

I don’t have a credit card. I think the name is a misnomer; they are debt cards. Credit is something you have over and above a zero balance, debt is what you owe.
I have a debit card alone and believe if you can’t afford it, you shouldn’t buy it. I accept credit cards afford a degree of insurance and some flexibility if you are disciplined about paying the full balance each month but it’s all too easy for people who are least able to repay monies to obtain huge amounts of credit.
I think they have created a ‘must have it now’ hedonistic culture and been detrimental to society as a whole.

Brahumbug · 10/02/2018 18:07

No, credit cards are correctly named as they are extending you interest free credit, as long as you pay it off in full. They are not for buying things you can't afford, they are for normal expenditure.

MrsJoshDun · 10/02/2018 18:09

I don’t own a credit card, neither does dh.

Does remind me I need to order one for emergencies. We struggled with car hire last year on holiday and it kind of worried me a bit that what if we’d been ill while away and needed to pay stuff before claiming on insurance.

But I’d never use it for day to day stuff.

LinoleumBlownapart · 10/02/2018 18:20

Our bank cards are both credit and debit cards, when you pay in shops they ask if you want credit or debit, that's how it works in the country we live in. We don't use the credit part, sometimes I worry in case they press the wrong button. We have used it for a car rental once because they don't accept debit cards for that.

FoofFighter · 10/02/2018 18:20

Never had a credit card. Or an overdraft either.

Brahumbug · 10/02/2018 19:37

But day to day stuff is exactly what you should use it for, that way you know at the end of the month how much you owe and can take advantage of cash back offers!

italiancortado · 10/02/2018 19:39

think the name is a misnomer; they are debt cards. Credit is something you have over and above a zero balance, debt is what you owe.

Urm, credit is what the card issuer is giving you

DotCottonDotcom · 10/02/2018 19:42

I never had a credit card, all my life, until this year.
I am still discovering the reasons why its good to do so, but so far I've barely used it

DotCottonDotcom · 10/02/2018 19:42

I'll NEVER have an overdraft though. Ever.

fireflame · 10/02/2018 23:02

I have a credit card have never used it
Only debt I have is my mortgage
I come from a family who have always lived on the never never bankrupt etc
And I knew I would never ever go down that road
Being in debt would scare the life out of me 🙉

WonderLime · 10/02/2018 23:11

A credit card is by far the easiest way to travel! I have a Clarity card specifically for holidays - I get the best exchange rates, no interest when spending in other currencies and no interest for cash referrals.

When we return from our holiday, I pay it all back in full. So much easier and less hassle than taking cash/exchanging currency beforehand.

I also make use of 0% cards if I’m playing on making a big purchase. It means I can shop around for the best price and continue to accrual interest on my savings.

Credit cards are great if you can maximise the benefits. They are no use to people who are bad at budgeting.

Fintress · 10/02/2018 23:23

We always pay for flights or holidays by credit card purely for the protection it gives then pay it off straight away. Always carry a credit card abroad in case of emergency. One time we had a flight cancelled, airline couldn't get us on another flight for until 3 days later and the only alternative was to stay in a hotel overnight and fly with a different airline from a different airport that was 100 miles away. We had to pay upfront for all of that, it was quite a cost so we were bloody thankful we had a credit card. We claimed and got every penny back from the original airline.

ZBIsabella · 10/02/2018 23:26

Wonder, but my debit card is the same - use it abroad etc.
I agree though that s75 of the CCA only applies to credit card purchases (and that some cards give you "points" etc for use - although there may be changes coming since last month the extra charges for some cards were abolished at the consumer level) but for me it is just simpler to use the debit card.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 10/02/2018 23:29

Yes. I was brought up, no credit cards, no catalogues, no loans. We live so hand to mouth, I'm not sure how we'd pay a credit card bill.

Gwenhwyfar · 10/02/2018 23:31

I only have a debit card, but it's bad for my credit rating apparently so am thinking of getting a credit card just for that. Really, really don't want one though.

imdunkelnistgutmunkeln · 11/02/2018 13:22

Have one credit card that's used for online purchases. Not only do we get cover for larger purchases, but also means that if the card details are compromised by using them online, then it's the credit card company's money that is stolen, not mine (with all the hassle involved in getting it back). We pay the bill off each month.

delilahbucket · 11/02/2018 17:03

I have several. One to use abroad fee free when we go away (the only time it gets used). One for every day spending that's a cashback card. A spare old one that I never got around to closing. Two for business, an Amex and another cashback card for when somewhere won't accept Amex. Every card is cleared in full and I don't owe anything other than my mortgage. When used correctly, credit cards are very advantageous. My Amex cashback alone paid for a weeks holiday last year. Anyone who thinks having a credit card means debt and they are the devil reincarnated is living in the dark ages.

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