Do not spend more than what you make.
There is a huge difference between 'want' and 'need.'
Avoid impulse buying.
Use a credit card for majority of you purchases and then pay it off every month. Yes, most cards will give you a 1%, or more, kickback.
Have never had a car loan; paid off 3 mortgages before their time.
Have lived well and been retired for 20 years.
Do own a car that's very dependable and is only 18 years old and has 169,000 miles on the odometer.
Live in a nice home and we are debt-free.
Yes, managed to raise 3 kids.
'Easy credit' has been the bane of most folks; spending more than what they make has been drummed into their heads by our 'wonderful' banks.
Have never been unemployed; had various jobs from printer to mailman to interior designer and writer; always managed our funds ourselves.
Local banker wanted to know if we had a 'financial advisor' . . . told her: 'You're talking to him!'
Having been raised in WWII Europe and surviving 4 years of the Nazis has perhaps given me a different perspective on how to live my life.
Pedal on!
Rudy/zonatandem