How are your CC bills?

With the slumping economy are you having to pay less to your CC so you can pay "important " bills like utilities and mortgage? I have been working 3 days a week (and less during the holidays) and haven't been paying my balance off for the last 4+ months. Well, now it's creeping up. 0% is over and I don't want to open up 20 0% cards because it's bad for your credit. Today I transferred one card to an existing card who gave me a 0% for a year deal. The other card (my main card) is at 7.25% (thank you low prime!). I still hate the idea of carrying a balance, but there's nothing I can do This sucks. I hope construction picks up soon.

The balances aren't too bad @ 8K (used for down payment on a second rental home) and close to 7K on my primary. Just had to drop 400 bucks for a stupid eye doctor visit cause my glasses broke and I was out of contacts . I am praying nothing else happens like a furnace goes out or hot water heater. I used most of my extra fund to buy the second house and remodel it before construction slowed down. I was happy to carry no balances for the last several years after racking up quite a bit.

How's everyone else fairing out? The corvette is paid for, so worst case I can sell that and have quite a bit in the bank....but there's like 15" of snow on the ground here which doesn't help.

Well, time to go spend another 80 bucks in pet food. Yay me.

 

things are ok right now but if this shitty weather keeps up i may be in some trouble. been too cold for us to work and we had to take two days off this week, here's hoping we have work on monday!

 

im finally doing good. last time i checked my chase card was at like 27.24% apr that bitch is about $500 from being paid off.

i got another card from Cabelas, and that bitch has zero intrest right now, with $0.04 on it.

IN about a month my one card will get paid off, and cut the FAWK up

 

No CC's here.........

Marc M

 

I don't have one. The wife does but that is paid off at the end of each month so we don't carry a balance on it.

 

Mine are all paid off except one, and I tried to work out a deal with them, they had no intention of listening, so they gave it to some lawyer group who sued me in court and won. But, you can't get blood out of a stone, so they can kiss my ass for a while.

My neighbor got laid off last October, got a job tending a golf course, got laid off from that last month. He is 65,000 dollars in credit card dept. Hiked over to me yesterday and said he paid a lawyer 1400 bucks to file bankruptcy, the lawyer said that 65,000 will go bye bye. Judges know how things are right now and aren't giving people the hard time they were a year ago.

 

I'm sorry, times are tough I know for many and not trying to be rude, BUT.... how the heck do you get 65 THOUSAND dollars in debt?

I have one card @ 6% no balance, used only in emergency or make travel reservations. I work for myself now & manage my $$ much differently. Cash or I don't buy. Understand some folks must use them differently, but to walk away without any recourse, someone pays that bill..................

 

I asked him the same thing. It's not like you can buy an entire car on them. He said "it just happened". He's a buddy so I resisted the urge to say "fool".

 

Understand he is your buddy, not trying to judge for I have never walked a day in his shoes or anybody elses' for that matter & I am sure with that hanging over his head its not easy!

 

Oops could have phrased that better...I meant I resisted calling HIM a fool...not you xedge!

 

Sometimes I AM fool!
Its all good Lucy, I knew what you meant, but thanks for clarifying, I didn't want to come off like @ss because I know what its like, I came from very, very humble beginnings & not a lot of $$ and have empathy for those struggling now. Its tough & no so much I lost so much of my 401k tough, but how the heck am I going to heat my house? tough!

 

I live within my means and don't carry credit card debt. If I get in to trouble financially, or lose my job, I have enough in savings to cover my ass for 6 months or so.

 

We don't carry any CC balances but had a big Xmas this year...it was $2000 in December but we owe $600 on it now.

 

Ouch... I would say that irritates the hell out of me to read things like this. IMO people should have their feet held to the fire and must be accountable for their actions.. At the same time I don't know his situation so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.


As for my situation, things could definitely be better. The developer I worked with for years went under in July and I have been unemployed ever since. I took a 360% reduction in pay and am now making a splendid $378 a week from unemployment insurance. I have played hell finding a job in my field with competitive pay. My savings allocated for this sort of a situation are starting to dwindle, and I just cross my fingers that something happens quick. I have also considered selling off some investments and going into business for my self. Although this would be a do or die situation, and fairly risky.

There are some hard times right now, and its only to get worst with many more foreclosures to come..

EDIT: To answer the question on CC, it gets paid of in full each month as always. I am seriously considering ditching it all togeather, being they serve little to no purpose for me when I can use a check card for any & all purchases I would ever place onto the credit card.

 

We paid all ours off about 10 years ago. Now we have only 2 and havent used one in prolly 5 years and we have our debit card, we decided if we cant pay for it we dont need it..

 

I have two cards and zero balance! It is a great feeling not to be tied down by those payments. Means I can pay a lot more on my truck and motorcycle loans, or in this case save more for my honeymoon in 8 months!

 

Not trying to cause an argument or anything, but it sounds like your priorites are askew. You have 2 houses and 3 cars - and you haven't got enough put aside to pay for the basics like heat ('if the furnace goes out')?

 

My personal CC is barely used, and both that and my business card balance (used for tidy documentation at years end) never exceed what i can PIF when payment is due.

If i can't afford it, i don't buy it. Using cash is a good way to monitor it. It hurts more to hand it over to someone.