I Don't Want Any Credit Cards!

[LSUTiger32]

Good job! Two years post discharge here and no card wanted or obtained. My credit score (approaching 700 now) is doing just fine without one. Don't let people tell you that you need one, cause you don't.

[BankruptinNJ]

Yes, I agree with both of you! I don't want to pad the pockets of banks any longer. I'm not saying that I will NEVER get a credit card, but I don't want one now!

[TrainWreak]

No cards for me either! Like someone on here says "It's a snake in the pocket"
Maybe it's our own little Occupy Wall Street.

[mountanddo]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Good luck!

[BankruptinNJ]

I was starting to get "pre-selected" credit card offers and I made a decision: I don't want them! I know that I am a shopaholic and I will only get into trouble.

I thought that I wanted a secured card to rebuild my credit and did apply online for the Public Bank secured one a few months ago and am probably the only person in history not automatically approved by them. Why? They couldn't confirm my identity! I used a P.O. Box throughout my bankruptcy and none of my creditors know my current address and it's not on my credit report. They kept sending me emails begging me to confirm my identity so that I could get their card and complete my application, but at that point I wasn't even paying a utility bill so I couldn't prove anything.

I decided to ask my boyfriend to change the name on the electricity bill so that I could start paying it and start my rebuilding journey. I planned to apply to Public Bank again -- and then I read that they were taken over by the FDIC! I realized that it was a sign -- I was lucky that I wasn't approved because what would have happened then? I was delighted! Then I realized that I don't want any credit cards!

So I went to https://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t and took myself off the lists for five years! I could have chosen the "permanent" option but that was a little extreme.

I did learn one thing when I did this. There are other credit bureaus besides the Big Three (the website mentions "Innovis" and I think there is at least one more).

It works, too. I haven't received a single offer since I did this. Of course the car dealerships are still sending their offers but I made my shredder happy with those.

I just figured that it was a waste of time for the credit card companies to send me these offers since I don't want one! Why waste their time and mine?

Besides, my credit report is such a mess (accurate, but a mess). After all, all of my debts are listed at least twice (first from the original creditor plus the collection agencies). I just want to see them drop off. My credit report goes on for many pages. All because I couldn't stop shopping.

The only credit report that tells me when the bad tradelines go off my report is Trans Union. According to them, my first ones will drop off in January 2013. I will have nine tradelines dropped by the middle of 2014.

Not owing any debts besides my rent, electric bill, and gym membership is a beautiful thing. I do pay the electric bill on the same day I receive it to get a good reputation for paying my bills. My boyfriend pays the cable/internet bill.

We are also planning to go through the entire month of November without eating out at fast food restaurants and Starbucks! Believe me, we love eating out! We are trying to train ourselves to be more disciplined. (My boyfriend has had no credit cards for years). Fast food is totally unnecessary and fattening and ultimately quite expensive! We plan to put the money we don't spend in a piggy bank and use it for a new winter coat (for him -- his is ten years old), and new snow boots (for me -- mine are a wreck).

I don't have a car -- I don't want one -- cars are too expensive to maintain. I share my boyfriend's car and it works very well.

I do intend to check my credit report every year for discrepancies but right now I'm enjoying being credit free!