Simon Says wrote on Apr 27, 2017, 14:39:
"Honest Ads - Why Credit Cards Are A Scam"

That Cracked Honest Ad = PRICELESS xD xD xD xD

Amusing, and mostly on point. However, I would say credit cards are not a scam. They are a financial tool, just like a steak knife is a tool. And just like a steak knife, if you use it incorrectly you are going to get hurt.

I speak from a position of "having been there". When I was in the USAF, I knowingly ran up some credit card debt. That's to say, I knew I was purchasing more than I could pay off and was entering a potential financial death spiral. But I decided at the time to say, "fuck it" -- and if I ended up declaring bankruptcy, so be it. Ah, the arrogance of youth...

I got out of the USAF and found a good job. But by then my debt was equal to about 75% of my annual salary. Most people would have been "caught" without many options at that point. Fortunately, the job was in my home town, so I swallowed my pride and moved in with my parents. I then proceeded to pay off the debt semi-aggressively. It took three years.

These days I never charge anything to a credit card that I won't be able to pay off when the bill comes. Since paying off that debt about 19 years ago, the credit card companies haven't gotten a single penny in interest from me.