I Don't Want Any Credit Cards!

[mountanddo]

I got hit by the same snowstorm but we have a generator since this happens where I live every year.
Certainly cost alot of people money. The guy who snowplows my driveway actually showed up--I was pissed because it cost me $25 for a plow I didn't need. He was just out taking advantage of all of his customers.

I'm not understanding this. Why would you not need your driveway plowed after a huge snowstorm? How was he taking advantage?

[Logan]

5% off for using your Target card is not worth it. They charge huge interest rates. I'd rather build my credit with a secured card with better interest rates. Of course the interest rate doesn't matter as long as you pay if off in full each month, which we all should be doing.

Really mountanddo? Where did I say I would be paying a dime of interest? Who doesn't think it's not smart to save 5%?

Logan

[Logan]

I'm not understanding this. Why would you not need your driveway plowed after a huge snowstorm? How was he taking advantage?

Besides the fact that I got home at 1 am and left tracks showing the pavement and that the forecast was back into the high 50's the next day. I pay for snowplowing to keep my driveway manageable over the winter not for 1 freak snowstorm in October that melts the snow in 24 hours.
On top of that noone had their snow markers out so the guy went off the driveway and damaged the lawn which doesn't happen in the winter when the ground is frozen.

[BankruptinNJ]

I'm concerned that you are a year out of BK and it sounds like you still don't have a handle on your finances. Is it really because you are a shopaholic or is the income just not there to support you?

My income is very, very low. Fortunately my rent is also very low, and I don't anybody any money. Life is so much simpler now. I only have to pay my share of the rent and electric bill, and my boyfriend pays his share of the rent and the internet/cable bill. I don't have a car. Life is much easier without worrying about bills. As a matter of fact, the state just helped me pay for three months of the electric bill! I don't shop like a crazy woman anymore -- because I don't have a credit card I CAN'T.

When I think of where I was just four years ago, loaded with debt, living in an apartment that I couldn't afford, and that apartment had rodents and no hot water, my mother living with me who had Alzheimer's, and a backbreaking soul-destroying job -- I am much better off even though I make less money. My mother is in a beautiful nursing home with 24/7 care which would cost $100,000/year but she is on Medicaid and only pays her social security for it. The last few years have been difficult but I'm learning what is really important in life.

[BankruptinNJ]

Logan:

This storm was very bad in New Jersey. Our building has a backup generator but only to keep the lights on in the hallways. We were without electricity from Saturday to Thursday. Everybody in our building lost the food in their refrigerators.

[Logan]

Logan:

This storm was very bad in New Jersey. Our building has a backup generator but only to keep the lights on in the hallways. We were without electricity from Saturday to Thursday. Everybody in our building lost the food in their refrigerators.

That sucks. We lose power a couple of times a year. I bought a generator after we lost power for 5 days in Febuary.

[JackBondLove]

Good job! Two years post discharge here and no card wanted or obtained. My credit score (approaching 700 now) is doing just fine without one. Don't let people tell you that you need one, cause you don't.

CapitalOne says that I need about 6 different credit accounts before they would approve me for a HELOC.

[JackBondLove]

I got hit by the same snowstorm but we have a generator since this happens where I live every year.
Certainly cost alot of people money. The guy who snowplows my driveway actually showed up--I was pissed because it cost me $25 for a plow I didn't need. He was just out taking advantage of all of his customers.

I was living in Denver during the great Christmas snowstorm of 2006 in which my car was buried in 2-1/2' of snow. The apartment complex plowed the main parking area, but I still had to dig out a few feet around the car. I can understand why so many folks have heart attacks shoveling snow! I've never been so out of breath (being a mile up sure didn't help!)

[mountanddo]

Really mountanddo? Where did I say I would be paying a dime of interest? Who doesn't think it's not smart to save 5%?

Logan

Really Logan? Did you not read the last part of my post where I said as long as you pay off the card monthly interest doesn't matter? The problem is that "life happens" and if you have one of these cards with a ridiculous interest rate it would be easy to let it go. 5% is not enough of a savings for me to have one of these cards. I'd just rather build my credit with a secured card or wait until I can get a card with a reasonable interest rate. But then I'm not you and you aren't me so to each their own. I was stating my opinion about the card not directly towards you.

[ValleYum]

Really Logan? Did you not read the last part of my post where I said as long as you pay off the card monthly interest doesn't matter? The problem is that "life happens" and if you have one of these cards with a ridiculous interest rate it would be easy to let it go. 5% is not enough of a savings for me to have one of these cards. I'd just rather build my credit with a secured card or wait until I can get a card with a reasonable interest rate. But then I'm not you and you aren't me so to each their own. I was stating my opinion about the card not directly towards you.

Okay you two....

[Logan]

Really Logan? Did you not read the last part of my post where I said as long as you pay off the card monthly interest doesn't matter? The problem is that "life happens" and if you have one of these cards with a ridiculous interest rate it would be easy to let it go. 5% is not enough of a savings for me to have one of these cards. I'd just rather build my credit with a secured card or wait until I can get a card with a reasonable interest rate. But then I'm not you and you aren't me so to each their own. I was stating my opinion about the card not directly towards you.

OK, fair enough. But if you go to Target and use their credit card and get 5% off you can pay it off that day when you get home. I only spend a couple hundred a month at Target and it automatically pays in full on the due date. I never even look at the bill.
I don't look at it as building credit---it's saving money.
Logan

[mountanddo]

I agree that saving 5% any day is a good deal but I guess I was posting for the people that are not as disciplined to go straight home and pay the card off. In fact, the OP here stated she had a severe spending problem. Getting a card like this would not be a good idea for the OP. Hey, if you get a job at Target you can save 10%, LOL...just had to add a little humor to lighten the mood so Valleyum doesn't post anymore silly pictures.

[Logan]

I agree that saving 5% any day is a good deal but I guess I was posting for the people that are not as disciplined to go straight home and pay the card off. In fact, the OP here stated she had a severe spending problem. Getting a card like this would not be a good idea for the OP. Hey, if you get a job at Target you can save 10%, LOL...just had to add a little humor to lighten the mood so Valleyum doesn't post anymore silly pictures.

I just found out yesterday that my job is in jeopardy so maybe I'll have to get an application from Target.

[mountanddo]

Actually someone I work with someone who just quit working PT at Target. He said the culture sucks so maybe you don't want to start there, 10% savings or not.

[TBA]

As a quick aside - innovis is another CBA but not your typical - they carry nontradtional information, and last time i heard, they were still quite a ways off from having anything close to a complete database - as for nontraditional credit - think utility bills, rent, etc.

I dont think they are carrying banks and CUs and other lending institution data (again, that was last i heard, which was some time ago...)