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Oh really, Paul. If you can’t afford it don’t buy it. Brilliant.

There are many valid reasons (medical expenses, auto repair, unforseen emergencies) that people have to put on credit cards.

Save your sanctimonious crap dude. Credit card companies suck. The average credit card holder does not.

I am a professional freelance photographer. I have about $35,000 worth of cameras, lenses, computers, printers, lighting set ups, etc. It’s an expensive business to be in. Most of it was purchased using a credit card. It costs me an arm and a leg. But I knew going into it that I was taking a huge risk. I had worked for several companies who used venture capital and their experiences were terrible. Not only did they have to justify every penny they got, they had to try to explain a out-of-the ordinary business idea or plan to someone whose only skill was saying “no” to new ideas. And, if they managed to pick the right niche and the right time with the right market and the right product the venture capitalists took half or more of what the earned. I even went that route once myself. Never again.

I am up to my eyeballs in credit card debt. It takes everything I can do to make the payments and have enough left over to feel like I’m getting ahead. But at least I have the knowledge that it’s my effort that will make it go or not go.

Some days I wake up and wish I had never gotten into the rat race. But most days I wake up and thank God, literally, that I live in America and that I can risk everything I own in return for the opportunity to do what I love to do and maybe even make a living doing it.

I know this plan will get a ton of heat from those who believe in pay as you go. But that’s not my nature.

I won’t bore everyone with the stories of how missing a single payment to one company can cause the others to lower my limit and raise my interest rates. Suffice it to say I might well live to regret my risk-taking nature, but for now I’m reasonably happy with my life.

PS I’m over 65 and I a ‘retired’. You can get a feel for my work at my website: http://www.jwparker.com No nasty comments about all the kid's birthday parties, etc. If it pays I'll shoot it.

“The average credit card holder does not.”

Anyone that borrows for anything but a home will wind up with nothing.

Out of the hundreds of employees, making good wages theree haven’t been more than 6 that had any assets to speak of because they boought what they wanted or needed on time payments.

There are many valid reasons (medical expenses, auto repair, unforseen emergencies) that people have to put on credit cards. Save your sanctimonious crap dude. Credit card companies suck. The average credit card holder does not.

OK, so let's say that many of the folks here get their wish and all the credit card companies are shut down. Now where do you get your emergency money? Why don't you get it there now?

There are many valid reasons (medical expenses, auto repair, unforseen emergencies) that people have to put on credit cards. Save your sanctimonious crap dude. Credit card companies suck.

Without the credit card companies, where are you going to get the money for your "many valid reasons"?

Perhaps they should just give money away, so long as there are "many valid reasons.

And this is supposed to be a conservative site?