Can you live in North America without a credit card?

[Date_a_Snob]

Im 32 and terrible with money. I've had several credit cards and am currently working to dig myself out of debt. My question is can you live in North America without a credit card?

[madhatters4]

yes. while cash and checks are being accepted less and less you can always use debit cards which don't require require and credit checks or good credit scores.

frankly if you are bad with credit cards you should get rid of them. clear your debt and then consider getting a credit card and being more diligent with your money

[abc3643]

Sure you can, but it can be difficult because of emergencies. If I wasn't married, all my credit cards (and there would be maybe 1 or 2) would have $0 balance because I'd treat them like emergency, self-approved loans to get out of a jam.

However, it's also easier to put all your auto-renewed subscriptions on credit cards or Google Pay backed by a credit card, so that does make life easier, but you need to be diligent about paying it off.
For instance, my wife and I have a credit card which has all her subscriptions on it and our car insurance, so I have to pay it off pretty much every month.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Yes, it is definitely possible.

My husband & I make it a point to manage our personal spendings simply by using our debit cards or just cash alone.

Everything we buy or pay for that are solely personal expenses are fully paid without using credit cards.

Only our businesses utilize credit cards, lines or credit, etc.

The location is irrelevant.

[Dinklex3]

I lived for 24 years without one. I only got one because people started talking about benefits. I only use it to get points for travel, groceries, and restaurants. They definitely aren’t needed and shouldn’t be used if you aren’t financially stable.

[lightbulb27]

Yes, but some things are hard.

Get disciplined. It's not the card thats the problem, it's the emotions. I use them all the time, rack up 2% extra from the card, which is the money the card issue stole from the merchant so we have this privilege.

Cash is plentiful... most places accept... for now.

until the Fed crashes the system.

[Date_a_Snob]

my biggest issue is that my chequing account and credit card are not with the same bank and whenver I make a payment is takes all 5 business days to post

also my credit limit is really low so one trip to costco and Im out of credit

[lightbulb27]

stay away from costco unless you have a big family. Stop eating so much... skip breakfast like I do, conserve resources. Listen to Dave Ramsey day and night until you get a better plan.
I don't understand that issue. So pay it early? Or switch cards? shop for a better card deal to get a lower rate, etc..
dig out from the hole... you can do it!

[Date_a_Snob]

Im working to dig myself out of this hole I've created

[Date_a_Snob]

by the way I appreciate the encouragement

[NamerOfStars]

Yes- if you're willing to live humbly, at least. I'm coming up on your age, and have never had one.

[Date_a_Snob]

quit making me seem old Im only 1 year older than you

[NamerOfStars]

... that would be how time works, yes.

[ManOnFire]

You can, but it's a trap. Which the credit system is designed to be so that it benefits banks and all systems that rely on credit. Having no credit card would not hurt you financially in any way, but the trick of the game is that you'll have no credit history/record which hurts when you try to do other things like get a car or house.

[RavVid]

Don't know about NA but Australia is set to be mostly cashless by 2030. Covid has probably set a lot of countries down that path I guess. So much for offering tradies cash for a discount. So cards or payment services are going to be more and more used

If credit cards are a problem why not debit cards? I transfer money into mine as I need to, so I keep a bit more of a rein on my spending. After a few beers I can be more liberal in my spending than I ought to be.

[JacobJordan]

absolutely. though I do not recommend living in USA to begin with. I am in the process of leaving because every country in Europe I have visited is infinitely better than living in the USA. the food, health, people, literally every thing is better.

[Anonymous]

When I worked in America for ten years I had no credit cards with my being a foreign national card companies would not issue one. My American bank account was set up by my UK employer, so I usually went to the bank on a Monday lunch time to pick up cash for the week and I'd have a fixed budget, and set up direct payments for rent, utilities, etc. from my account.

If I were you I'd sit down and work out a budget you can stick to, and figure out a way to get shot of the credit cards asap, and if you shop locally in small stores and pay cash the stores will love you because they will not be paying fees to the card companies for your use of a credit card.

[Opinion Owner]

As for sorting out your cards you could try https://www.PDSDebt.com/bh to consolidate all of your card payments into one.

[exitseven]

Yes, but it is hard. I refuse to put small everyday expenses on a credit card. Things like parking I have had to make a big deal because I wanted to pay cash. There is a new restaurant in town that only lets you pay for takeout with a credit card. I refused to do it and left my order on the counter and walked out. I went to my usual place afterwards.

[ProbablyClueless]

Yes, you absolutely can. There are plenty of ways to build up credit without a credit card. It's a lot harder, but it can be done. The thing you absolutely don't want to go without is a DEBIT card. Going cashless in modern America would probably be impractical.

[Guido]

In this day and age the answer really is no. You need a credit card for many things like renting a car or booking a hotel room. On line shopping as well. I'm sure there are many other things but those are some very basics that require a credit card. That said, you can choose to have a very low credit limit.

[MikeTheBartender]

Of course. Or use a debit card.

You should read the Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. Based on some of your other posts I think this book would help you. Audio or read ❤️

[Friendlybro79]

You can but without credit history it's near impossible to get a loan for the big purchases in life like a house or a car. Even renting requires proof of employment and credit check nowadays too.

[Likes2drive]

Yeah, I did it a long time with just a debit card as long as you have the funds in your account is good to go or use cash for other things

[Date_a_Snob]

I do have a debit card. I dont use cash since it is so easy to lose.

[Likes2drive]

Yeah, I use my debit card mostly for everything but the only thing is you can’t rent a car with a bank card and some motels. It might be an issue also but as long as you don’t need to borrow money by charging and have the amount in your checking account then you should be fine.

[Dargil]

I rarely use a credit card. Debit, yes. But I could do fine by reverting to cash and checks.

[Anonymous]

you can buy fake credit cards in the store which are good for most things but you'll need a real credit card in your name to rent a car or stay in a hotel

[Mansearching]

Yes you can. Very hard sometimes. But it can be done.

[Blueeyes81]

I did for years and then couldn't get approved for a loan because I had no credit history.

[LunarEclipse433]

Since checks are getting harder to use, I would think no

[Date_a_Snob]

I haven't written a check in 15 years. I do have a debit card.

[LunarEclipse433]

Same concept as a credit card

[boobliker]

the real question is can you live anywhere with out one

[krin_m]

Yes you can. You just have to plan it well and also have a good financial cushion for emergencies.

[shortster]

5 years ago you could easily. But it seems like more places are going cashless.