However, I totally understand why you wouldn’t want to open a store card. I side with the retail clerk though. I worked retail in college and we were forced to ask every customer if they would like to open a credit card. I knew it annoyed the customer, but I would have been fired if my boss heard me not mentioning the credit card…

I thought this was true, but I cancelled both of my credit cards this year and my FICO score went up, I’m now at 804. I’m not saying the above isn’t true but I think it depends on the rest of your credit history.

“And engineers must be special and better than the rest of us normal people.”
I don’t think we are special. We are, though, for the most part logical, practical, and have strong math background so understand high interest. Additionally, most engineers don’t need to dress up for work. I imagine there are some engineers who overspend, but at least in my experience there are very few of them. For example, I work in a research lab where there are mostly scientists and engineers. Even though the average salary in the building is probably over 100K, as I walk through the parking lot I see mostly Civics and Corollas, some old, some new, some very old. Also if I wear a suit to work, I am asked “do you have an interview?”. So sometimes I am at a store and I look at a jewelry item or a fancy dress that I like (and, by the way, could afford) and think to myself “yes, it is lovely, but where would I wear it to?”

Regarding the actual credit cards, I find the comment that you are “frankly surprised that readers of personal finance blogs are unable to handle the responsibility” to be condescending, in the same manner that I find people who say “all credit card users are irresponsible and mired in debt!” to be condescending (sorry, NCN). I’ve noticed that in order to feel “okay” doing what they know is best for them, a lot of people need to believe that all other methods are faulty, and that the people who follow them are, in some way, faulty themselves. I’ve realized that credit cards don’t work for me. Even when I had them, I hated them. I hated using them, I hated paying them, I hated dealing with them. I believe the most responsible thing I’ve ever done was to realize that that was okay, and to move to a plan that worked for me. But that’s just me - I have friends who love their rewards cards, do quite well with them, and take vacations on their rewards miles. Good for them. I get my rewards from mypoints.com, my debit card, and my emergency fund, which is stashed in an online account that earns me decent interest as well as rewards points based on my monthly balance.
For my part, I liken financial well-being to physical health. Being physically healthy means you get some form of exercise on a regular (hopefully daily) basis. I love running, so for me, being physically healthy involves that. Many of my friends, on the other hand, positively hate running with a passion. But just because they prefer the stair-climber or the elliptical doesn’t make them lazy. They’re still fit–they just don’t go about it the same way I do.

I know, amazing, right? How do I survive? How do I keep from falling over dead in the street?

I’m even happy. And engineers must be special and better than the rest of us normal people.

Two months ago, I read Dave Ramsey’s book. (I don’t know why I have ignored him for so long!) He made a comment, and I cannot remember the exact number, that just the ease of spending that credit cards provide induce people to spend something like 30% (and I’m guessing at the number) more than they would have if they had to use cash.

As I thought about it, I realized that was exactly true of me. I was buying far more than I needed to get a couple of percent back. It was silly.

I am with you. I am learning to live without the “convenience” of credit. It really does cost too much.

Stephen Pollan in his book “Die Broke” instructs his readers to make spending as painful as possible. I agree. We need different hobbies than spending and collecting stuff.

Can I ask a question here? How do you go about canceling a credit card? I know you can just call, so I guess my real question is; for someone who is really “conflict adverse” is there a indirect way to cancel the cards? Will they die a natural death if when the “expiration date” is up and you never activate the new cards?

I love your blog! I’m in your camp.