My attitude to personal debt

[EternalOptimist]

well ?

[SandyDown]

$hit happens - hopefully not too often hopefully.

[Old Greg]

well ?

Send round some Turkish gentlemen to rip his legs off if he doesn't pay.

[BrilloPad]

Which is the andyw option?

[d000hg]

You can save money by judicious use of credit. Taking out a mortgage when you can afford to pay 100% in cash means you can invest the money and potentially make a profit off it. Credit cards give you free purchase insurance and also can give you 1% or more cash-back.
The rich can use credit to get richer. The poor feel they have to use credit to survive, and get poorer.

[Spacecadet]

some purchases can only be made with a credit card.... and some services need a credit card for a guaruntee

Credit cards are also handy when you open your wallet and realise that your debit card is still in the ******* house

[HairyArsedBloke]

some purchases can only be made with a credit card.... and some services need a credit card for a guaruntee

I've gone off debt big time, don't have any left and I won't have any again (not that anyone will allow me any).

However, as you say, not having some sort of plastic makes transactions very difficult. For example, try buying a plane ticket with cash these days!! It's a good job I know what it's like up the

[TykeMerc]

There's no option for used to have lots of debt, now behave very differently.

I now have several credit cards with sizable limits and zero balances. Cards are critical for some transactions to be done with minimal fuss and maximum protection.

[TimberWolf]

I'm not tempted by credit cards as I can't be arsed keeping tabs on when to pay off the credit and I think you'd tend to spend more. Debit card work everywhere credit cards work in my experience. You don't get much protection on purchases but I've not needed that so far. For you big spenders, I expect they are useful though.

[Cyberman]

I almost always use a credit-card, but pay it off every month and pay no interest. It's very useful because it is easy to see what outgoings actually are each month.

Remember also, that if you pay by credit-card you get a guarantee(if over 100 pounds spent) that if goods are shoddy or services not forthcoming, you are allowed to claim a refund off of the card issuer. This has proved very useful for me in the past, and is far less hassle than chasing the seller.

If you are abroad, credit cards are also very convenient for withdrawing foreign cash, and of course it is not a good idea to carry too much cash around with you. Exchange rates on credit-cards are also often superior. I specifically have a Nationwide credit-card because this has very low charges and no exchange rate loading.