Credit cards are a addiction!

[She]

<div style="text-align: left;">I knew it all along. Im in rehab. A non profit credit card&nbsp;counseling&nbsp;org. They really are great and helpful people. I have about 800 bucks to go. So Im reading this blog and I think this<a href="http://livingstingy.blogspot.com/2012/04/credit-cards-and-drug-addiction.html" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://livingstingy.blogspot.com/2012/04/credit-cards-and-drug-addiction.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">guy</a> says it right on the button,</div>

 

[akrvbob]

I absolutely agree. In every way they are as addictive as behaviors can be. I know many people who finally admited they were addicted to gambling, sex, or food. And&nbsp; yet many, many more are addicted to debt and spending and never figure it out. <br><br>I wrote an article on breaking the addiction here;<br>http://cheapgreenrvliving.com/365_December.html<br><br>I included the 15 questions from Debtors Anonymous (a 12 step group for complusive debtors) to help you determine if you are addicted. I took the test and I know I am addicted. I no longer have any credit cards!! Bob<br><br>

 

[akrvbob]

I absolutely agree. In every way they are as addictive as behaviors can be. I know many people who finally admited they were addicted to gambling, sex, or food. And&nbsp; yet many, many more are addicted to debt and spending and never figure it out. <br><br>I wrote an article on breaking the addiction here;<br>http://cheapgreenrvliving.com/365_December.html<br><br>I included the 15 questions from Debtors Anonymous (a 12 step group for complusive debtors) to help you determine if you are addicted. I took the test and I know I am addicted. I no longer have any credit cards!! Bob<br><br>

 

[She]

I just read the 15 questions and then the bottom you wrote&nbsp;<div>" If you answered yes to eight&nbsp;<div>or more of these questions, the chances are that&nbsp;</div><div>you have a problem with compulsive debt, or are&nbsp;</div><div>well on your way to having one. "</div></div><div>Well I have at least 11. I don't have credit cards now. Thats the way it will stay. Very scary esp. now with the inflation as it is. If you need help try the non profit places. They charge 5 bucks a month and will help you in other ways too.<a href="http://www.safeguardcredit.org/new/" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" target="_blank"> This</a>&nbsp;is the one I go to. Just so you know,1 is you don't have to go to their office. They will set it up over the phone. 2 is you won't be able to your CC's <img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> .</div>

 

[yesican]

<p>I lived like a pauper most of my life until I started a businessin 2002&nbsp;and gave myself permission to use credit cards for things such as business trips and other items.&nbsp; Then it was easier to use the credit cards&nbsp;for toys and trips for pleasure; for food stuffs and things for my girls I thought they deserved.&nbsp; Two and a half years ago, I found myself $79 Thousand in debt with credit cards, loans to cover credit cards, and land loan for the cabin I am building and living in and a new job position that paid half the salary I had been making.&nbsp; Owie...I&nbsp;sold toys, struggled, and then got my former job back.&nbsp; I'm down to about $26 thou and if I sell my car I will&nbsp;be debt free by fall.&nbsp; This debt is what holds me back from being a vandweller so I am cutting up and cancelling my credit cards as they get paid off.&nbsp;&nbsp;I start working on the&nbsp;95 Dodge 2500 Diesel truck which I will use for work while building a camper for it.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thanks to Bob and this site, I have access to the information that I need to make this a reality.&nbsp; It's been hard work, but nothing good comes easy.&nbsp;</p>

 

[mockturtle]

A few years ago my daughter found herself $70K in debt with credit cards.&nbsp; I was shocked and terribly sad as she had been raised to know better.&nbsp; She kept trying valiantly to keep paying but, with the rising interest rates, she kept getting further behind and had to file bankruptcy.&nbsp; <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br><br>

 

[She]

It is sad when you think how are you going to pay it off. But I think it teaches you something too. For me is did I really need all that stuff? The 2nd thing was what to I have to show for it? Now when I buy something its because I need it and even then I 2nd and 3rd question the need. &nbsp;I still get caught sometimes. Im looking for a camera but it will wait I dont really don't NEED a camera. A camera is not a need but a want.

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>Madison avenue and our greedy culture teaches us to be in debt.&nbsp; It starts with the idea of money.&nbsp; What is money?&nbsp; Who controls it?&nbsp; What is the history of money?&nbsp; Our country since 1913 has been taken over by the Central Banking System of DEBT.&nbsp; We are tax slaves.&nbsp; Is this taught in our school systems?&nbsp; No, because the people who CONTROL the money CONTROL us.&nbsp; Americans are deceived by the media.&nbsp; We watch commercials telling us to buy, buy, buy.&nbsp; Advertising is everywhere you look.&nbsp; Every time you turn on the radio, TV and now even the Internet you are bombarded with advertising.&nbsp; It is a sinister plan to use us, control us and put us in debt.&nbsp;&nbsp;It really isn't money that is evil.&nbsp; It is the LOVE of money that is evil.&nbsp; We are taught to love money by our Controllers.&nbsp; Who are our controllers you may ask?&nbsp; Read David Icke, Robert Morning Sky, Red Elk and others that are trying to WAKE UP AMERICA.</p>

 

[sl1966]

<div></div>

<div><br><div>1. Are your debts making your home life unhappy?</div><div><br></div><div>Yes, but only when unable to pay due to a lack of income.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>2. Does the pressure of your debts distract you from your daily work?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>3. Are your debts affecting your reputation?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>4. Do your debts cause you to think less of yourself?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>5. Have you ever given false information in order to obtain credit?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>6. Have you ever made unrealistic promises to your creditors?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>7. Does the pressure of your debts make you careless of the welfare of your family?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>8. Do you ever fear that your employer, family or friends will learn the extent of your total indebtedness?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>9. When faced with a difficult financial situation, does the prospect of borrowing give you an inordinate feeling of relief?</div><div><br></div><div>Only when what's borrowed comes from a credit union at a low interest rate.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>10. Does the pressure of your debts cause you to have difficulty sleeping?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>11. Has the pressure of your debts ever caused you to consider getting drunk?</div><div><br></div><div>Yes, but I made a drinking game out of Animal Planet's, Meerkat Manor tv show.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>12. Have you ever borrowed money without giving adequate consideration to the rate of interest you are required to pay?</div><div><br></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>13. Do you usually expect a negative response when you are subject to a credit investigation?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>14. Have you ever developed a strict regimen for paying off your debts, only to break it under pressure?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>15. Do you justify your debts by telling yourself that you are superior to the "other" people, and when you get your "break" you'll be out of debt overnight?</div><div><br></div><div>No.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>How did you score? If you answered yes to eight or more of these questions, the chances are that you have a problem with compulsive debt, or are well on your way to having one. If this is the case, today can be a turning point in your life.</div><div><br></div><div>Whew, dodged that bullet!</div>

<div></div></div>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;There's that old saying "Cash is King." and that's how I look at it.&nbsp; I look at credit cards the same as I look at casinos; if everyone wins, how do they make so much money? The smell of fish is near overpowering.<br>

 

[mockturtle]

&nbsp;There's that old saying "Cash is King." and that's how I look at it.&nbsp; I look at credit cards the same as I look at casinos; if everyone wins, how do they make so much money? The smell of fish is near overpowering.<br>

<br><br>It's the same way I look at extended warranties.&nbsp; If they were good for the consumer, would they try so hard to sell them to you? <br>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;It's for 'peace of mind', but often leads to the opposite. I made the mistake years ago of buying an extended (Best Buy) warranty on my laptop. A few months later, my DVD burner bit the biscuit. About 5 months after sending it in for repair I got it back, but only after phoning head-office a few times and givin' them a ration of sh!t.<br>&nbsp;Now, on the other hand, I picked up a Dell E6320 business laptop. Out of the box it comes with a 3 yr NBD warranty. Well, a pixel, 1 measly little pixel, on the very top far left stuck on green. Well, I get hold of support (who was in Alberta, not Pakistan) and we tried a number of things to try and get it unstuck. No dice. So, I then gave my particulars and.. the next day a tech drove up to my door, I got out the laptop and he proceeded to take apart the lid, swapped out the screen for a brand new one, put it all together and tested it, then left. Now whudya think of that?!? ..Willy.&nbsp; <br><br>

 

[Phantom Blooper]

The best way for me to double my money over the years is to fold it in half....put my my money clip on it and stick it in my pocket.<br><br>Sharpen my scissors and cut the credit cards into little pieces.....pay cash....or do without.<br>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;Ya know what the funny thing is? For years I've been living UNDER the poverty line, making less than people do on welfare, and have some nice toys but.. I LEND money to friends who make MUCH more than I do. Credit kills 'em, as does rent and all the other overhead that goes along with living in a house or apartment.. ..Willy.<br>

 

[mockturtle]

Cards are convenient for paying for fuel, groceries, etc. if you pay it off every month.&nbsp; If you can't, you probably shouldn't have any. <br>

 

[She]

Cards are convenient for paying for fuel, groceries, etc. if you pay it off every month.&nbsp; If you can't, you probably shouldn't have any. <br>

<div><br></div><div>Oh so true!!</div>

 

[rattlesnake joe]

<p>Credit cards are a way of getting you to buy what you don't need usually.&nbsp; I cut mine up and now I sleep much better.&nbsp;&nbsp; Instead of counting sheep, I count plastic credit cards as they go into the shredder machine.&nbsp; </p>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;I count the money I've saved as it goes back into my pocket. <br>

 

[sl1966]

Cards are convenient for paying for fuel, groceries, etc. if you pay it off every month.&nbsp; If you can't, you probably shouldn't have any.

<div><br></div><div>Not to mention how less devastating a loss it is to have one stolen when compared to cash. I was once robbed of $300 cash at knife point. The police took my statement, but I never got it back. I never keep more than $20 cash on hand because of that. I've also had my credit card # stolen and used to the tune of $1500. A quick phone call to the bank and I was reimbursed my loss. Now I'm not advocating for CC's here. Just pointing out that there is a good side to them too. I mean outside of the funny math banks use with them.</div><div><br></div><div>I grew up in a kind of jekyll/hyde CC household. My dad had absolutely no control while mom has the discipline of a monk with CCs. I took after my dad in my 20s and spent like crazy. After digging the biggest financial pit possible, I learned my lesson and then learned to take after mom from my 30s on. It wasn't until I started preparing for this life that I enacted a new level of discipline that even made mom blink. I recently even cut up a bunch of CCs. Mostly because I hadn't used them in over 2 years and the accounts were auto-closed.</div><div><br></div><div>I guess what I'm saying is yes CC's are like narcotics, but even the worst of narcotics have great medicinal benefits (under specific conditions) when used very very sparingly. If you have this kind of control then they'll work for you, if you don't then I agree that you should stay clear of them.</div>

 

[yesican]

<p>Debit cards can also be trouble if you have no control.&nbsp; You are right about the ability to get back what is stolen.&nbsp; That part I will miss!</p>