Commuting - Poll: Should he just use the credit card or wait?

Heh, I'm real bored here at work and just perusing different parts and such and here's my situation for all to read if you too are so bored... I've been working on a real nice commuter for ohh, about a year now, going real slow and I'm waiting for that Nexus 8 hub so its still a while away no doubt from being complete. Right now, I'm riding a single speed road frame which is right now set up cruiser style. My knee is real bad and getting worse thanks to my 2nd job as a valet so I've ordered a 3 spd hub for it. However, I also want to give it drop bars, new stem and some other upgrades... I don't really have any money and its the end of the month which means the beginning of the month is soon which means everyone wants their share again (rent, payments, bills). I do, however, have this new thing called a credit card which has some on it already.. should I throw caution to the wind and get the parts to convert this bike into a more decent machine so I can at least enjoy the warm weather coming in? The poll is - do I wait or do I use this evil tool of oppression: the credit card. ;)

I vote for wait. I'm living the credit card h-ll right now. You start off saying "Oh, it's just a few little things; it doesn't add up to much". The next thing you know you're into the evil oppression for mega bucks. Oh, wait. That's what I did! :(

I gotta find a new job.

If you can pay off your entire credit card bill at the end of the month, then use it. But if you can't, then don't. The interest that you'll pay over time will make the purchase much, much more expensive.

If you're looking to build your credit rating, then send a check to the credit card company for the amount of the item BEFORE you buy it with your card. That way it's paid for. : )

Waitwaitwaitwaitwait...

Prabbit is right - using credit to buy things before you have the money to cover it is a dangerous practice! In the grand scheme of things, will it matter if you wait another week to order the parts? At least that way you'll be able to budget it better.

I use my credit cards essentially as charge cards for personal use - I never spend more on the credit cards than I have in the bank.

wait...credit card H$LL is not a fun place to be. I have been there before and it takes along time to get out.

I know you want to ride, but waiting will benefit you in the long run.

Buy it if you can pay the bill when it comes in. that's what the CC is for. Its really the same thing. if you cant do that then save you pennies for a while and buy it the old fashioned way. Just don’t ever………………………………….this is important………………………….let it cut into the beer money.

Buy it if you can pay the bill when it comes in. that's what the CC is for. Its really the same thing. if you cant do that then save you pennies for a while and buy it the old fashioned way. Just don’t ever………………………………….this is important………………………….let it cut into the beer money.

Dang, that's all I'd been using it for! ;)

I will go against the grain and say charge the stuff you want. I did and man it set me back but oh man the joy of riding made me forget all about the bill till it was time to pay it then I made sure I did a hard ride on the day I pay my credit card.

no cards!! the evil they are! the plastic is forged in the bowels of hell by satan himself!! he laughs as he makes them! yes! yesssss!! YESSSSS!!! he laughs and makes the cards of your destruction!! ooohhh!! the horror of his laughing and card making!! oooohhhh!! THE HORROR!!! ooooh the horror that is so horrifying! he makes them out of kitten hides!! if you listen closely you can hear the meowing souls!! the cats brains are what make the black bar work! and the iron in their blood makes it magnetic!! oooohhhh!!! the horror! the horror!! ... ... ... .. :eek: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! burn the card and send it back to it's hellish womb!! and do it in a well ventilated area so the arsenic fumes don't get to you!! oooohhhh!!! the horror!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~~~~~~HHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

















(my parents went throug bankruptcy. :( )

My first inclination is to agree with 'most everyone else and tell you to try and stay out of CC hell; but if it's either saving your knees or paying a few dollars in interest, I'd say: save your knees!!

A used Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub (AW-3) is selling on ebay for less than $30.00 dollars. You must be in real sad shape if you can't afford this little bit of money. If this is the case, stay out of credit cards as you might not afford to pay it off. Seriously. People who don't have $30.00 dollars to their name should not be using credit cards. Borrow someone's bike until you can get the $30.00 dollars for the hub.

yup. see. every one agrees. they are made of evil.

Life's too short to wait. Whack it on the plastic.

CHEERS.

Mark

Treat that card like a checking account, if you don't have the funds to cover it, don't "write" it. Best advice I ever got was from Colonel Stender back in 1969 "Son, you should always try to own an old car & a new home. Whatever you do, be sure to pay your bills off every month!" Don

Whatever you do, be sure to pay your bills off every month!"

i agree that you shouldn't buy anything you can't pay for at the end of the month. UNLESS it's going to save you lots of trips to the hospital. (bad knees are hell.) buy a 30$ hub and forget about all the rest of your ideas, perhaps.

Heh, thanks for the responses, I do always maintain enough in reserve - though nowadays with the lower paying jobs - its not as much as I used to, reckon I'll just get used to that... I've decided just to go on with the upgrades and repairs... really I just need a new stem (technomic) and a used saddle I can pick up for 5 bucks... I put down the money on CC for the a hub (I still have another 2 months interest free), a rim and spokes last night... so that's that. Thanks! Heh... I see we got a few responses for the last option :p

no cards!! the evil they are! the plastic is forged in the bowels of hell by satan himself!! he laughs as he makes them! yes! yesssss!! YESSSSS!!! he laughs and makes the cards of your destruction!! ooohhh!! the horror of his laughing and card making!! oooohhhh!! THE HORROR!!! ooooh the horror that is so horrifying! he makes them out of kitten hides!! if you listen closely you can hear the meowing souls!! the cats brains are what make the black bar work! and the iron in their blood makes it magnetic!! oooohhhh!!! the horror! the horror!! ... ... ... .. :eek: AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! burn the card and send it back to it's hellish womb!! and do it in a well ventilated area so the arsenic fumes don't get to you!! oooohhhh!!! the horror!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~~~~~~~HHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!:( )

Hmmmm... don't beat around the bush, tell us how you really feel. :o