OrganicAnn Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 (edited) Just a poll so don't post a message unless you really feel like doing so. I heard that the average American has $10,000 in credit card debt. We have $0 CC. ETA: If you pay if off each month, I would consider that $0 debt. Edited October 11, 2009 by OrganicAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauranc Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 We have none. ..Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I feel like it's $0, but couldn't put that without lying...lol. We have a card. We use it for various things, but it's paid off almost immediately. I think I have a couple $100 on it at the moment from our trip to VA last week. But it will be paid off next payday. We've never had more than a few $1000 at a time on it though. And we have no other debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I was raised in a family where having cc debt was like committing adultery. Gasp. Unheard of. Of course, who really knows. But I know our family has none. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 DH and I are Dave Ramsey fans so we have zero credit card debt and zero credit cards. We're going to be completely debt free (student loans are all that is left) by January 1st. Pretty exciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 We use our card (Chase - form Amazon) for everything we can BUT pay it off in full each month - no fees at all this way, but we still earn points and get up to $1,000 of credit at Amazon each year. Our last two I-Pods came from Amazon - free :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 We use our card (Chase - form Amazon) for everything we can BUT pay it off in full each month - no fees at all this way, but we still earn points and get up to $1,000 of credit at Amazon each year. Our last two I-Pods came from Amazon - free :-) We do the same thing, but our points are Disney. This way I can buy my dd all the princess stuff she loves, and she gets a costume for Halloween every year, but I have no guilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 We do the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Use cc for everything and pay it off every month. We are not impulse shoppers and plan for big purchases. So far, so good.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Absolutely zero. Over my dead body will that ever change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 None. Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2kidsmom Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 we use one for everything we can, but pay it off every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I mostly use our CC responsibly and there is usually something under $1000 on there, although I did just pay it off completely. I know many peopel wil large CC debts though. I keep our CC limit under $3000 because I use it online, and also because, even though they keep offering to throw money at me, I just dont want the temptation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrtmama Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I have very little CC debt, a few hundred from where we had to pay for gas on my CC when the gas prices were so high! I have student loan debt, but otherwise came into the marriage debt-free. My husband, on the other hand, had quite a bit coming in, but has paid it almost all down. I'm so proud of how fiscally responsible he is now that he is married and has kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Zero...Zip...Nada :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 I feel like it's $0, but couldn't put that without lying...lol. We have a card. We use it for various things, but it's paid off almost immediately. I think I have a couple $100 on it at the moment from our trip to VA last week. But it will be paid off next payday. We've never had more than a few $1000 at a time on it though. And we have no other debt. Paying it off every month doesn't count! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Of course paying it of every month counts. You don't prepay your electricity or natural gas bill, but they're not a debt before they're due. If a bank is willing to pay you to use their card and you are disciplined enough not to fall in the interest and fees trap, you should do it. If you lack the discipline to use your cards wisely, then the DR cash envelopes are for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourOaks Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 Exactly! Paying it off in full every month does count. I don't understand why you would say it wouldn't? We do the same as many others on here have said -- use it for everything so the company pays us for what we buy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted October 11, 2009 Share Posted October 11, 2009 It looks like we're an unusually responsible group of people. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We use it constantly to keep track of purchases easily, but pay it without fail every single month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted October 12, 2009 Author Share Posted October 12, 2009 I think she meant paying it off doesn't count as debt. I think you guys were agreeing. And Hey Hey, Dave Ramsey would be proud of the WTMers. Over 70% with no CC debt. I expected something like this response, but wasn't sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have no credit card debt. My student loans? That's another story.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicmommy Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We don't have any cc debt now, but we had to work to get that paid off. After being unemployed for a year several years ago, our cc debt was quite high. We hated it, but it was one of the only ways to keep going. It feels good to be out of it. I think we are even more wary of using the cards after that. We still use them, but pay them off each month. Sometimes it's hard since dh is only paid on commission, but we make it work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma2Many66 Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have no debt at all, except for our farm, which we hope to have paid off in the next 5 to 7 years God Willing. We owe it all to Dave Ramsey, he got us and keeps us on track every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 None here, either. That'll be the control freak in me. I'll be darned if someone is getting my money when there was a way they didn't have to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have none now, but at our worst point, we had AHEMdjhblcf$35,000ajsfhbhj :scared::blushing: We were young and stupid and it just didn't seem to matter that much at the time. We spent the next 7 years paying it off; however, we also bought our house and bought and paid off two cars in that time frame because we kept our debt on 0% credit cards. It was less than a year ago that I made the last payment on the last card. It was heavenly! So it's idiots like us who drive that average up, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Exactly! Paying it off in full every month does count. I don't understand why you would say it wouldn't? We do the same as many others on here have said -- use it for everything so the company pays us for what we buy! We use it constantly to keep track of purchases easily, but pay it without fail every single month. Here too. We're grandfathered into an amazing rewards program with Citibank that no one else can get now. The rewards pay for most of my clothing budget, usually some home improvement projects, and most of our holiday spending each year. I tried to switch to cash when we were working hard at paying off our debt last year, and I was soooo confused all the time. I couldn't keep track of anything, I hated carrying the envelopes with me, and I found myself spending more because I would spend a dollar or two here or there all month long because I had the cash on hand, whereas I wouldn't put those tiny purchases on a card--I'd just skip them. The card works better for us, in spite of what Dave Ramsey says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We use our card (Chase - form Amazon) for everything we can BUT pay it off in full each month - no fees at all this way, but we still earn points and get up to $1,000 of credit at Amazon each year. Our last two I-Pods came from Amazon - free :-) You can get cash back with Amazon Chase, too, but you probably knew that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have none now, but at our worst point, we had AHEMdjhblcf$35,000ajsfhbhj :scared::blushing: We were young and stupid and it just didn't seem to matter that much at the time. We spent the next 7 years paying it off; however, we also bought our house and bought and paid off two cars in that time frame because we kept our debt on 0% credit cards. It was less than a year ago that I made the last payment on the last card. It was heavenly! So it's idiots like us who drive that average up, sadly. I'm sorry, but you are not idiots! Idiots never learn, and you sound quite different from that. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 You can get cash back with Amazon Chase, too, but you probably knew that. I'd be getting stuff from Amazon anyway (no shipping/tax) so I just do that. DVDs alone - plus books - and I have used up the $1,000 (apparently they just raised the amount you can earn yearly, up from $600). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We just can't seem to get the stupid thing paid off. It's hovered at the same amount for years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I heard that the average American has $10,000 in credit card debt. We have $0 CC. I would imagine that the average classically homeschooling parent would be nothing like the average American citizen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PollyOR Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I used to have mine paid off each month. It has gotten out of hand the past couple of years :001_huh:. Right now it is the highest it has ever been. I'm blaming it on 14yo starting high school this year. I talked myself into all kinds of things because we needed them for high school. I absolutely love our new microscope...which is sitting in a closet unused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We use American Express for almost everything. We pay it off every month. I like their membership rewards program. I save up point and then apply them to travel expenses. I also have a USAA Visa card but only use it when AmEx isn't accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam101 Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Zero on CC, but we owe a family member that helped us pay off the cards. :001_unsure: We have a car that will paid off in just under a year, hopefully sooner and then the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 (edited) We generally pay it off every month. Occasionally we carry a balance for 1-2 months. We paid for grad school on our credit cards. That was extremely expensive, but we got the credit cards paid off about one year after we graduated. My dh's student loans from just 1.5 semesters at RPI took several years to pay off. Edited October 12, 2009 by AngieW in Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radish4ever Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I used to have mine paid off each month. It has gotten out of hand the past couple of years :001_huh:. Right now it is the highest it has ever been. This is us :( I blame it, unfortunately, on having to pay out of pocket for each of our 3 births (and having to pay for midwives AND hospital bills for 2 of them).... ugh! We WILL get this under control, though. Now that we're likely done having children (due to some postpartum issues immediately following my new DC's birth), it's time to buckle down and move along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have quite a bit, though less than the average. We don't have car payments, either. We are house poor--we bought this house 8 months ago and have had to put a lot of money into fixing the house up. Our new mortgage is higher too, and it's taken time for us to adjust to that. We should be mostly (if not completely) out of debt by spring though...DH has a steady stream of extra work. It's pretty awful to have to pay all this money for stuff we already own. :P I'm sure we've learned our lesson, neither of us ever wants to be in this position again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have about $2,000 right now, but we paid our van and house off, and the CC has zero % APR. It will be paid off by the end of the year. Then, we will have no debt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We are debt free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 At the end of the month we will no longer have any credit card debt. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have a 529 credit card that we use alot and earn points for one of our kids college funds. We pay it off every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermine Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I've had over $15,000 previously, when the situation sort of led to it. But none now. I use them when there really is a need, but if I can pay it off every month I will. (And I work quite hard at saving/working to make sure I can pay it off!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We haven't had any since we have gotten married. DH was adament that we never have it. I used to carry around a $2K-$3K balance when I was single, no idea why, just did......it wasn't like I didn't make enough to live within my budget..... Anyway, we have none and wish we didn't even owe on our house right now! Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekarl2 Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Okay, here's where we are :001_huh:. We've been on the Dave Ransey plan for three months now and have paid off $5000 worth of CC debt. We still have $80,000 to go. Yup, $80k. That doesn't include mortgages or the car loan or student loans. We're doing well but have a long way to go. Sigh. I like typing it out sometimes; it's like testifying at an AA meeting. It keeps you motivated and honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I had to select the $1-$5000, but can we redo the poll in January when, if all goes according to plan, we will have none? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We pay our bill in full every month, so $0 here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We have none. We have one credit card and use it for everything, then pay it off completely at the end of the month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingM Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We've been on the Dave Ransey plan for three months now and have paid off $5000 worth of CC debt. We still have $80,000 to go. Yup, $80k. That doesn't include mortgages or the car loan or student loans. We're doing well but have a long way to go. Sigh. I like typing it out sometimes; it's like testifying at an AA meeting. It keeps you motivated and honest! That sounds like a lot, but I still think you're better off than if you had only a few thousand in debt but were getting further in the hole each month. It's the direction you are headed that is the most important thing. What's more, 5,000 paid off in a few months is one heck of an accomplishment already. At that rate, you'll get those suckers paid off in no time. :thumbup1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I think she meant paying it off doesn't count as debt. I think you guys were agreeing. Yep! It's debt when there's interest. :001_smile: I put everything I can on CC. It gets me cash back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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