There’s something seriously wrong with America these days. The average household now carries thousands of dollars in credit card debt month after month. But it just doesn’t have to be that way, you don’t have to live in debt. There are examples everyday, probably even your neighbor, of people who simply live without credit entirely. Why they got there or how they got there could be from a whole host of reasons. Whether it’s due to a bankruptcy or simply a fear of owing money to companies or people, they are there for a reason. But most of the times, and this is gonna sound a little harsh, it’s simply because they are responsible with their finances. Nobody ever said it was gonna be a walk in the park to do it, sometimes you have to tell yourself or your spouse those words they don’t want to hear like “No”, but it is a challenge you can face head on and come out smelling like roses.
If your credit is already in the crapper, it can be a little rough evaluating the whole idea and trying to figure out what your next move will be. But don’t get discouraged if you didn’t handle it all like your parents did the first time (yeah, a lot of that generation simply lived without credit cards, hard to believe I know), it is possible to start over. But my challenge is this, why? Why would you want to start over? What would you want that extra burden laying over you once you’ve taken all the necessary steps to straighten it all out? You really don’t have to live with credit. Credit is nothing more than being able to get the things you want NOW that you just don’t have the money to pay for right NOW. Nobody says you can’t have it, but you could have it the right way if you took your time and saved and did it all without credit in the first place.
Can’t Pay With Cash Online – Yes You Can
Don’t think you can pay for something online with cash? Well a lot of bigger businesses are starting to offer this. Check out what Lynette did. AWESOME!
Can’t find it in your local Walmart? Buy it online from their online store and have it shipped to home AND pay for it in store with cash.
There are “difficulties” so to speak in certain circumstances like when a deposit is required. But just because you don’t have the plastic to put it on doesn’t mean you can’t make that deposit. Most all of them will take bank/debit cards and if you got the money it’ll come right out of your account, interest free. But you don’t buy things that require deposits everyday so it shouldn’t be that big of a problem if you are frugal and take your time and save it up. Don’t spend it.
If you are a renter or looking to rent a place of your own, you may even get a hard time from the association you are trying to rent from with no credit history. Some organizations think that if you don’t have one then you aren’t trustworthy. I call deuces on that as it’s simply not true. It means you are responsible. If you run into that situation, keep looking. There are many great places to live that will take you as you are. Just make sure when you get your place, stay alert and pay your bills on time.
It all starts with getting some money in the bank. Get yourself a nice healthy stash of cash for emergencies. Call it your emergency fund or payday savings or whatever you want to call it, but just remember it’s for those situations where you have to “act like you have credit” as they will likely want a deposit or something. Make a goal to get 500 or 1000 dollars in there to start. But don’t stop when you hit it. You never know what tomorrow may bring and a good rule of thumb is to have at least 6 months of living expenses saved.
Your debit card will pay for virtually anything that a normal credit card would, so use that instead. But just use it wisely and have a plan. There’s nothing wrong with living on a budget and below your means. Figure out what is a need and what is a want. There is a difference. And when you can get to the bottom of that, you’ll start to see a lot of your credit woes going to the wayside. You just simply can’t go around buying everything on credit. You will eventually get burned.
You may even run across a business every now and then that will simply not take cash. I say kudos for them, they just lost a sale and you should look at it the same way. I guarantee you, if you really need it, there is another way to get it from somebody that will take cash. You do have options, you just got to look. Don’t settle and don’t use your credit card. Simply just don’t do it.
I know this sounds a little harsh but it’s something that really bothers me as I think the majority of people these days simply abuse their credit. It’s not a good situation for you or to put your family in. It can take years to rebuild and get out of debt. The simplest way to not have that happen is simply stop using your credit cards today. Make a plan to pay them off, get them closed and get that fund up in order for you to survive should something happen. Nobody said it would be easy, but it’s something that’s totally worth it and fulfilling once you do. Not having to be a slave to the lender for the rest of your life is a freedom that just can’t be felt in words or writing and it’s something that everyone should experience.
