Author Topic: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?  (Read 20198 times)

Gone Fishing

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Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« on: March 17, 2015, 01:43:22 PM »
If so, how did you do it?

PeachFuzzInVA

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2015, 01:53:52 PM »
Nope. In fact, I'll admit that I've had to file for bankruptcy in the past as a result off trying to spend my way into making my daughter's mom happy. It took several years to dig myself out of that hole.

Kris

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2015, 02:11:32 PM »
The only debt I've ever had was 10k of student loan debt, and a mortgage.  Oh, and one car payment because my ex-husband wanted a brand-new car.  I don't reallyncount that because said brand new car was crashed and totaled in less than a year and I put my foot down and made us replace it with one we could pay cash for.

lostamonkey

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2015, 02:14:20 PM »
I have never been in debt. Parents paid for school and I rent. It's pretty easy to be debt free given these circumstances.

Zikoris

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2015, 02:15:15 PM »
Not me. I had a small student loan once. Also, once I was in a bad work situation and used credit cards to stay afloat for a few months between jumping ship and finding new work. Both times were in my late teens/very early 20s when I had no money.

I won't be in debt again though.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2015, 02:16:27 PM »
The only debt I've ever had was a mortgage. And I've always had enough that I could just pay off the mortgage if I wanted to. 

For me, a mortgage is A LOT more desirable than to say I've never been in debt at all.  Renting makes zero sense to me if you can afford a house. And there seems to be no reason to pay in full for a house when rates are so low.

I was very advantaged by my upper middle class upbringing, and I recognize that. I did NOT do this on my own. I got lots of savings bonds or other money for Christmas and birthday gifts, which were saved for the first 22 years of my life and ended up being most of the down payment on my home. The importance of saving was instilled early. I did my Bachelor's on scholarship and parental funds (those savings bonds were supposed to be for this- but the stock market was good at the time, so my parents used that instead). They paid my expenses, and I had a job for fun money.  I got a car passed down when my grandmother died.  Even when it wasn't my money, I lived frugally, and continued to do so once it was mine.  We avoided lifestyle inflation so I could pay my master's degree in cash.

I was taught to use credit cards responsibly starting at age 15. I have never paid a cent of interest because of this. Consumer debt is a completely foreign concept to me. Don't buy things you can't pay for.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 08:03:58 AM by iowajes »

FoundPeace

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2015, 02:32:10 PM »
I've never had any debt, but I plan on getting a mortgage when I buy a house next year. I worked through college, chose an inexpensive college, and have bought my cars with cash. Buying a house really makes sense now though.

So although I'm not excited to go into debt for the first time, (first time for my wife too) the numbers tell me that it would be a bad decision to not buy a house.

Reepekg

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2015, 02:33:28 PM »
I have never been a single dollar in debt, although I got my debit card balance down under $200 a couple of times in college. My parents hated debt and passed that idea on as a value.

In high school, I had odd jobs and low 'want only' expenses because of parental help for all needs. In college, I was responsible for half of the cost. I covered about 80% of my half through a scholarship and the rest by graduating in 3 years instead of 4. For graduate school, I went to Denmark (tuition free, props to their education system) and paid living expenses through a student laboratory job. I got a real job right out of school through my thesis work. I bought a used car cash when moving back to the states, and I haven't bought a house to date.

This may be completely foreign to people who struggle with debt and accept it as "part of life." It may not even be the optimal strategy. I recognize that sometimes it is to an investor's advantage to use debt to finance control over a large appreciating asset early in life (like buying rental property in some situations)... but my savings rate is high enough that the impact on the number of years to FI is probably minimal.

Albert

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2015, 02:36:15 PM »
I'm sure many people have never had debt. I rent my apartment and my college education, while living with parents, was for free. I'd be open for a mortgage under appropriate circumstances but otherwise I don't expect to have any during the rest of my lie.

lizzzi

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2015, 02:52:20 PM »
Other than mortgages in the past, which I carried for one to three years before just buying the houses outright, I've made car payments very short term before I just paid off the loan, and a couple times I've carried a credit card balance for two months when I needed a big item (i.e. refrigerator) and didn't want to take money out of the savings account like I probably should have. I was careful not to incur student loans while getting a practical degree. (Nursing.) So I've carried some very short term debt while having a plan to pay it off quickly. Even as a newbie, I was known as the one in the family who always had a dollar in her pocket.

anon-e-mouse

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2015, 03:02:39 PM »
I've lived in some sort of debt for my entire adult life.
It started with checking account overdraft fees, then small credit cards, then a car loan, etc.
It's worse than an addiction since it's "normal" to society.

Sometimes I think that the homeless guy on the corner has it made!
He's the only one I know NOT in debt....

Travis

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2015, 03:18:37 PM »
I spent a year paying for a car in order to generate credit history, and spent 6 months paying for a later vehicle due to temporary cash flow restrictions.  The first vehicle was used and the second vehicle was at the tail end of that model year.  I could have paid cash for both at the time of purchase.  I had a mortgage a few years ago, but since selling that house I haven't had a dime of debt due to being a renter. (all of that was pre-MMM)

How: Uncle Sam paid for college and I've been working for him ever since.  Roughly every two years I go overseas for a year and live tax-free with bonuses.
« Last Edit: March 17, 2015, 03:32:53 PM by Travis »

Paul der Krake

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2015, 03:24:06 PM »
How I did it:

- went to school in a country with moderate tuition and a supportive family, without taking any loans
- bought my first and only car with a (small) stack of $50 bills
- still renting for now
- always paid my credit cards bills in full

Is it really that unusual?

Livewell

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2015, 03:34:00 PM »
Nothing wrong with debt when used correctly

i used student debt, mortgage debt, car debt -  all paid off in time.

Now working on FI and no debt

DragonSlayer

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2015, 03:34:39 PM »
Only a mortgage. How we did it: Paid cash for school and worked our way through, with a small amt. of help from parents. Otherwise lived below our means and paid cash for everything, or went without. (Lived with only one car for a while (and that was a beater), lived in tiny, crappy apartments, didn't have anything other than folding chairs for the first year of our marriage, etc.) Any "found" money like birthday gifts, tax refunds, etc. was banked immediately.

goodlife

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #15 on: March 17, 2015, 03:34:57 PM »
Yes, I have never had any debt. I don't see how that is so unusual. I have just never borrowed money for anything, that's it.

Pooperman

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #16 on: March 17, 2015, 04:40:30 PM »
Never had debt. Parents paid for college, given a car. Saved most of what I got for years and had a healthy emergency fund.  Not sure if I'll get a mortgage or buy in cash. Depends what the situation is like when the time comes.

Davids

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #17 on: March 17, 2015, 05:02:04 PM »
I am pretty sure my 10 month old son has never had debt.

lizzzi

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #18 on: March 17, 2015, 07:23:02 PM »
Forgot to answer the OP's question about how I stayed out of debt. Paid my way through nursing school by part-time jobs…no loans. Paid cash for everything…furniture for first apartment, used cars, etc. I've always lived below my means by pretending I did not have as much money as I did, and living accordingly.  I don't remember when I first got a credit card but I always paid it in full monthly in the early years. I pretty much followed Mustachian principles before MMM put a name on it.

Mistakes? In my early twenties I left a position where I had $3,000 in the Public Employees Retirement System. You guessed it--I took that money and bought a fancy sports car. I joined a gym that I didn't go to. And I was a pretty good saver, but did not invest anything--just a savings account and a checking account. I did start an IRA but contributed very little. And in my late thirties/early forties I had a Deferred Compensation Plan but did not contribute nearly enough. I always did OK financially, but could have done much, much better. I let my husband and my mother talk me out of continuing my Air Force career in the Reserves. ("But who will take care of the children???!!" Anguished howls from them, which I gave in to, cost me a fortune in what would have been a great side gig. And I could have paid a babysitter, just like everybody else.)

The Beacon

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #19 on: March 17, 2015, 08:07:54 PM »
I have never been in debt. My parents paid for my college. I could pay off my mortgage easily now. I live in a pretty low living cost part of the country. So my mortgage is really not a big deal. Nevertheless,I'd rather see my money grow in the stock market.

MrMoneyPinch

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2015, 08:56:00 PM »
I have not been a stranger to borrowing from friends for small treats and coffee since high school.  Small amounts, but that is still debt ;)

Anyway, I couldn't dream of buying my first multi-unit for cash.  That levered me into sweet, sweet cashflow and cap gains.  Best debt ever.

Mistah Cash Lion

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2015, 09:21:24 PM »
One $3500 loan from a family member that I had the assets to cover.  Something I will never do again.  Didn't end bad, just don't believe in debt, especially when owed to friends or family.

Cathy

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2015, 10:59:23 PM »
I've never understood why people are fixated on not being "in debt", as if it were some mark of fiscal responsibility, when in reality it's the opposite because debt is merely a tool. I kind of feel like many of the people who rally against "debt" have had problems with rampant consumer spending in the past, and so now, they equate "debt" with frivolous spending.

I make liberal use of debt, as most rational people do. However, I have never had a negative net worth.

johnny847

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2015, 11:27:59 PM »
Never had any debt. But I'm only 23, and I'll probably have a mortgage at some point in my life.
I only started using credit cards a year and a half ago and have never paid any interest on that. My parents paid for my very expensive college education, so no student loans, and handed me down their old car when they got a new one, so no car loan either.

Yes, I have never had any debt. I don't see how that is so unusual. I have just never borrowed money for anything, that's it.
Might be an age thing too. The older you are, the more likely you are to get a mortgage at some point and incur that debt. I never had any debt until I bought a house when I was in my late 30's. If I had kept renting (or living on my sailboat as I was) I would have remained debt free.

That's probably how I'll end up.

iris lily

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #24 on: March 17, 2015, 11:50:34 PM »
nope, can't say it.

When I was 20 I bought a car on time. I was out of that by age 25, and haven't had a car loan since.

When I was 30 I bought a house on time. When I was 35 I was out of that and haven't had a house loan since. We bought our next house for cash.

but otherwise, no debt.

libertarian4321

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #25 on: March 18, 2015, 12:15:02 AM »
I"ve never had "real" debt.

I've only had debt that 1) I could have paid off at any time and 2) it was financially a better decision to "hold" the debt.

Examples:  0% 3 year car loan, 2.9% car loan when CD's were making ~10% (yeah, it was a long time ago), I also had a home loan which I paid off in 3 years.

How do I do it?  I follow the "old school" rule of simply not buying anything that I can't afford to buy for cash.  I use credit all the time (whoops, I guess that's "debt," too, but I never pay interest on it), but only if I can pay off 100% at any time.

If you can't afford to pay for it in full, don't buy it.

former player

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #26 on: March 18, 2015, 02:25:48 AM »
I had a colleague who maintained that he wasn't in debt, he just practised deficit financing.

Scandium

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #27 on: March 18, 2015, 04:15:05 AM »
Hah, I'm constantly in debt. Every month before I pay off my credit card I'm borrowing money. I don't understand the big deal. This fear of debt I think is mainly for people with low self-control.

I'd also argue that the government can take all your money at any time, or draft you, or the police can kick down your door on some bogus charge, so it's not like your any more free or safe just because you don't owe a bank some money. Debt you can at least get away from..

aetherie

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #28 on: March 18, 2015, 06:04:40 AM »
Never had any debt. But I'm only 23, and I'll probably have a mortgage at some point in my life.

Same here (well, 22). I went to my state university on a scholarship which covered my tuition, and my parents paid for room/board. I bought my car in cash. I use credit cards but have never carried a balance. I feel very, very lucky to be debt-free at this point, unlike many of my friends who are dealing with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.

MrsPete

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #29 on: March 18, 2015, 06:19:55 AM »
I've had only minimal debt:

- I financed a portion of my first couple cars 
- I had a mortgage on my first house

I'm not overly impressed with the idea of NEVER having had any debt.  Student loans are pretty much avoidable, but beyond that "never had debt" typically means that you were fortunate enough to be born into a family that could help you with an easy start in life, OR it means you don't own any property yet. 

For most of us, the best option is to borrow only what's necessary to get a start in life in our 20s ... and steadily work towards avoiding future debt. 

jwilliams0215

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #30 on: March 18, 2015, 06:31:13 AM »
Nothing material - I had a mortgage for about 5 years before I had it paid off:

Worked since I was 15 and through college. Lived at home in college and received scholarships for approximately 95% of costs, parents paid for remaining amount. That enabled me to put down a large down payment. I also utilized roommates and used those funds to pay down the mortgage.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #31 on: March 18, 2015, 07:15:30 AM »
I am pretty sure my 10 month old son has never had debt.

And he can say it?  That's a tough word for 10-months.

PencilThinStash

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #32 on: March 18, 2015, 07:38:39 AM »
I haven't... but that was pure luck in being born to parents who were generous enough (and in a financial position) to buy my first car and pay for college. I can't take any credit.

Like some of the other 20somethings have said, though, I'm sure there'll be a mortgage in the future.

2Birds1Stone

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #33 on: March 18, 2015, 07:41:47 AM »
I carried a CC balance for a few months right after college, aside from that no.

Paid for school out of pocket, paid for all vehicles cash, rent, etc.

greenleaf

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #34 on: March 18, 2015, 08:24:57 AM »
Yes.  I've never had any debt, not even a mortgage.  Neither has my husband. And at this point we almost certainly never will. 

How we did it:

We were fortunate in that both sets of parents paid for undergrad, but we were also both exceptionally motivated and hardworking and had partial scholarships (and both of us had very good options available that we could have done debt free if we had had no support).  We also come from fiscally responsible families that set a good example (my parents in particular are the millionaire next door type, though not mustachian).  We've both had credit cards since 18, but neither have ever had a balance.

I worked several jobs in college, enough to fund a year abroad on my own after graduating.  Both of us have STEM PhDs, which are generally fully funded and come with a stipend that is plenty to live on, even in the high cost of living areas where we were (Bay Area and Boston).  I started maxing my Roth and funding a taxable account in grad school, and didn't notice a difference between what I had/did and what other students had/did.  My husband worked as an engineer for several years in between MS and PhD (before we met).  He bought his first new car with cash during that time, which is our only car to this day. 

After PhD, I went to a relatively well, but not crazy well, paid industry job.  My husband became a professor, which pays a good bit less.  We bike, we cook, we've never had cable. We rented an apartment in the Boston area for a few years, then moved for his job and rented a tiny cottage.  We stayed there until a few months before baby 2 was born (location was amazing, but we were starting to go insane with three people living there and me working from home most of the time). 

Then we bought our house.  We didn't exactly plan to pay cash, but we're pretty picky and had been looking around for a few years while putting down payment money in a savings account. So we wound up with enough in the account to pay cash somewhat unintentionally (I know this is a controversial decision, numbers-wise, but we're happy with it.  And two STEM PhDs generate a firehose of money that we had to put somewhere). We never found something we loved, instead we ran out of time before baby 2 and just bought the best thing we could find, which is a fixer upper in a nice neighborhood in a relatively high cost of living area (but nowhere near as high as Boston).

At this point many people on this board would declare us FI in our 30s based just on net worth, but we don't think so just yet. Partly because we are somewhat risk averse, partly because we plan to fund at least some college as our parents did, partly because we live in a somewhat high cost of living area and like it, and partly because our spending is slightly higher that what is considered 'acceptable' around here (e.g. we have a nanny), though still low enough, especially relative to income, that everyone else probably thinks we're insane.

mrshudson

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #35 on: March 18, 2015, 09:15:32 AM »
Yes.  I've never had any debt, not even a mortgage.  Neither has my husband. And at this point we almost certainly never will. 

How we did it:

We were fortunate in that both sets of parents paid for undergrad, but we were also both exceptionally motivated and hardworking and had partial scholarships (and both of us had very good options available that we could have done debt free if we had had no support).  We also come from fiscally responsible families that set a good example (my parents in particular are the millionaire next door type, though not mustachian).  We've both had credit cards since 18, but neither have ever had a balance.

I worked several jobs in college, enough to fund a year abroad on my own after graduating.  Both of us have STEM PhDs, which are generally fully funded and come with a stipend that is plenty to live on, even in the high cost of living areas where we were (Bay Area and Boston).  I started maxing my Roth and funding a taxable account in grad school, and didn't notice a difference between what I had/did and what other students had/did.  My husband worked as an engineer for several years in between MS and PhD (before we met).  He bought his first new car with cash during that time, which is our only car to this day. 

After PhD, I went to a relatively well, but not crazy well, paid industry job.  My husband became a professor, which pays a good bit less.  We bike, we cook, we've never had cable. We rented an apartment in the Boston area for a few years, then moved for his job and rented a tiny cottage.  We stayed there until a few months before baby 2 was born (location was amazing, but we were starting to go insane with three people living there and me working from home most of the time). 

Then we bought our house.  We didn't exactly plan to pay cash, but we're pretty picky and had been looking around for a few years while putting down payment money in a savings account. So we wound up with enough in the account to pay cash somewhat unintentionally (I know this is a controversial decision, numbers-wise, but we're happy with it.  And two STEM PhDs generate a firehose of money that we had to put somewhere). We never found something we loved, instead we ran out of time before baby 2 and just bought the best thing we could find, which is a fixer upper in a nice neighborhood in a relatively high cost of living area (but nowhere near as high as Boston).

At this point many people on this board would declare us FI in our 30s based just on net worth, but we don't think so just yet. Partly because we are somewhat risk averse, partly because we plan to fund at least some college as our parents did, partly because we live in a somewhat high cost of living area and like it, and partly because our spending is slightly higher that what is considered 'acceptable' around here (e.g. we have a nanny), though still low enough, especially relative to income, that everyone else probably thinks we're insane.

My story is eerily similar to yours, except for your location and the fact that we are child-free by choice. Woot for another double STEM PhD household. Spouse is a professor, I work in a decently paying but not wage-slavey industry.

 We are saving 60-70% of take home pay (while scrutinizing our spending for any possible areas of improvement), still renting, and are very diligent about not buying bubble-priced housing. I have a feeling that by the time we get there, we will eventually have enough down payment to go 100% cash purchase. We do feel like we're there already in terms of FIRE occasionally, although we continue to carry on when we're still young and energetic to increase our factor of safety. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #36 on: March 18, 2015, 09:18:25 AM »
Other than mortgage I've never been in debt.

I worked summers and during school to pay my way through university.  I never bought a car.  Put down about 70% for the downpayment on the house a few years back, and we should have that paid off in another couple years.

StarswirlTheMustached

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #37 on: March 18, 2015, 01:04:32 PM »
I am pretty sure my 10 month old son has never had debt.

Except for his share of the public debt. Poor little guy.

Mrs Starswirl are in the same boat as David's 10-month-old. Undergrad was scholarships; we both lived with family, and took public transit, so living expenses were nil -- we got very lucky, in other words. Or not. I know people with the same advantages who ended up up to their eyeballs in debt (family in town, but a girl's got to have her space, ya know? and the latest iPhone/pod/pad/whatever. And a new car. And drinks every friday at the bar. And every saturday. And Thursday.) Grad school pays for itself with grants and teaching-assistantships, even though we finally have to pay rent. When I burned out after my MSc, I needed a car for a job; it's old and worn, but bought with cash. (Funny story: just about everyone's reaction was "That old? That many miles? That's when you're supposed to trade them in!" er. Yes. You are, so I can buy them cheap. Heck, I thought the one we got was an extravagance. It was only 7 years old, not 10! Under 200,000km on the odometer!)

If we get lucky and the Canadian housing market takes the nosedive analysts keep predicting, we might be able to skip the mortgage. I am not counting on it, though, so if we end up with a mortgage we'll be paying it off as fast as possible in case of said nosedive. Underwater is not a place I want to be.

EDIT: Oh. Technically I DID have student loans because you have to apply for them to get the province's 30% tuition credit. I stuck the money in a savings account and paid it back before it accrued any interest, so I'm not sure if that counts. I also buy things with a CC I pay back every month.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 01:06:52 PM by StarswirlTheMustached »

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #38 on: March 18, 2015, 01:17:08 PM »
not me.
and as far as i can tell, no one i have ever known can say that they have never been in debt...

Davids

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #39 on: March 18, 2015, 01:25:24 PM »
I am pretty sure my 10 month old son has never had debt.

And he can say it?  That's a tough word for 10-months.
Touche!

HipGnosis

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #40 on: March 18, 2015, 01:26:47 PM »
I have not been a stranger to borrowing from friends for small treats and coffee since high school.  Small amounts, but that is still debt ;)

Anyway, I couldn't dream of buying my first multi-unit for cash.  That levered me into sweet, sweet cashflow and cap gains.  Best debt ever.
How did you get the loan for the multi-U w/o credit history/rating??

Allen

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #41 on: March 18, 2015, 01:40:06 PM »
Has anyone ever NOT been in debt?

I mean, I had zero debt theoretically prior to age 10 or whatever the first time I borrowed a dollar from a friend if I forgot my money at the candy store or something.  Since 18 I've always had some debt.  Today, the only debt we have is our mortgage at 2.875%, not counting the credit cards which get paid off every month but always have some sort of balance on them as we put as much spending as possible on them.


I'm a red panda

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #42 on: March 18, 2015, 02:11:08 PM »
the first time I borrowed a dollar from a friend if I forgot my money at the candy store or something.

Good point.  I forgot about these debts. So I probably took on my first debt around age 7.

Mrs. Frugalwoods

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #43 on: March 18, 2015, 03:44:38 PM »
The only debt I've ever had (or plan to have) is our current mortgage.

ender

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #44 on: March 18, 2015, 03:46:22 PM »
I had a car loan for my current vehicle for a while, I think I didn't have enough to pay cash for it.

A year later I did and realized I was paying $25/month in interest for no reason so I paid it completely off.

NorCal

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #45 on: March 18, 2015, 10:45:39 PM »
Never with two exceptions:

1. I carried a small credit card balance for ~1 month while I drove cross country between college and my first job (on the other side of the country).
2. I took out ~$18K of student debt for my MBA.  I had enough funds in my brokerage account to cover the full debt, but didn't want to run that account down before I got a job out of school.  I paid this off within a year of graduating.

retired?

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #46 on: March 20, 2015, 08:49:04 PM »
I think I was carrying about 2-3k in CC debt when I got married in 1997.  My wife had a small stash (say 20k) from an inheritance.  Paid it off and haven't had any debt since. 

She worked as a school counselor  (around 45k) and I worked as a graduate assistant (around 13k).

Same basics - spend less than you earn.

I can honestly say I have never had more than a few k in debt, which is essentially saying the same as never in debt.

MrMoneyPinch

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #47 on: June 03, 2015, 04:47:09 PM »
How did you get the loan for the multi-U w/o credit history/rating??

Excellent question!  I needed a new mattress at the time, so I went to Sears, bought a mattress on "free  2-year financing", paid the sears card in full when it came in, cut it.

Anyway, banks are not stupid: a multi-unit is considered a business loan, so they check the business more than the man.  Since I did not have a bad history and the thing made more than the total operating cost including payments, that was an easy sell.

minority_finance_mo

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #48 on: June 03, 2015, 04:51:28 PM »
I forgot to pay credit card one month, so I guess I was in debt then... I also got scholarships so didn't accrue student loans. Also live in NY, so I dont for see buying a home out car anytime soon.

Outlier

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Re: Can anyone honestly say they have NEVER been in debt?
« Reply #49 on: June 03, 2015, 08:32:22 PM »
I had no debt until I was 26 when I bought a house. I paid for my college classes in cash and never bought anything I didn't have cash for. I'm not a smart person but I know that if I run out of cash I should stop buying crap and go home.

People talk about debt like it's a social construct that can have multiple meanings. It's not, it's when you owe people money that you don't have yet.