by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: November 04, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2011

Just about everyone has credit cards. This is great for emergencies but not so great if you use them to buy everything. Credit cards can take your entire paycheck if you aren't careful about how you use them. I have been living with zero credit cards for many years and there have been few issues with not having one.

Living with zero credit cards has actually made life much easier. For instance, I don't have to worry about paying more for a product than the price at the store. There are no finance charges when you pay cash for something and that is always a good thing. It is very easy to live with zero credit cards when you think of it in this manner.

Delayed gratification is a fine art to me now. I get very excited when I finally have enough money to purchase the things that I want. I know that when I buy them, they are paid for and I will never have to worry about how to get enough money to pay for those items. Credit cards are not necessary. That is a myth that the banks want you to believe.

In emergencies, I will have saved the money from the finance charges and will be able to pay for the emergency without worry. I don' t have to add to my debt and neither do you. Most people don't save their credit cards for emergencies anyway. As soon as the card is received, they think of ways to charge it up to its max. That is the one thing you should never do, but people do it every single day.

As for purchases online and other shopping that requires a card, you can always use your bankcard. That is what I do. I use my debit card. It can be used just like a credit card and I still won't owe a thing after the card is swiped. It comes right out of my account and therefore I still won't be waiting for a bill the following month.

Living with zero credit cards has been a major relief to me. I no longer have the worries that I once had. How much are the finance charges? How am I going to come up with the money to pay the bill since I over spent? What is this charge for? What is that charge for? The credit card industry has really taken people for a ride. They make you believe that having credit cards is the only way to survive in the world. That simply isn't the case. You can survive just fine without them. You just have to learn about delayed gratification and how to make your cash work for you.

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