[speaker001:] this is a kind of ironic subject for me because this is the first year um I purchased I mean I I was actually able to uh get some credit cards because I'm twenty one and I got it through school
[speaker002:] oh uh-huh
[speaker001:] uh and I I've kind of you know you kind of make a purchase and you and you forget you know what you put on your credit card and you know within a month you know they send you your bill and uh I I'm about three thousand dollars in debt right now
[speaker002:] oh dear it can add up in a hurry
[speaker001:] yeah they do I mean it's amazing it's like a an an illness or a sickness or something
[speaker002:] uh-huh well it's it's uh it's easy to use there's no doubt about them I've had I've had one for oh probably ten years now and if you can if you pay it off every month generally generally you're okay um our experience has been um we usually pay it off each month but around Christmas time
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] we sometimes have to slide a month or a month or so to
[speaker001:] yeah Christmas time I can understand but what my after I got one I didn't just stop I got I've got about five
[speaker002:] yeah get caught up oh uh-huh they'll send you one about every time you turn around
[speaker001:] six six credit cards yeah and uh so I just charged a little on each and uh and you just get the um
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] the adding machine out and you add it up and it's it's amazing
[speaker002:] well you see these people that cut there's up say it's time to
[speaker001:] uh-huh we went to we went on vacation and uh and I charged a lot you know just well I charged um like clothes for the vacation and then on the vacation you know charged your hotel
[speaker002:] uh-huh yeah right
[speaker001:] and then you know when you got to eat you charge the rest I mean you know it's so convenient and
[speaker002:] oh and there's uh
[speaker001:] and you just don't I guess you know I'm just really stupid I just didn't realize
[speaker002:] yeah well I like them for a couple of aspects one is you don't have to carry a lot of cash with you
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] and the other is you know you got that statement and you can make one payment you don't have to write out a bunch of checks or always be paying for things it's convenient from that standpoint so it's it's nice from that standpoint from that angle but it can get out of hand in the interest rate on them is is quite high generally there are some that are lower you know you can get some that are
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] oh probably around twelve thirteen percent but most are around sixteen to eighteen or higher
[speaker001:] um-hum yeah I have a friend that um she's married and her and her husband uh she said you know they tried really hard to pay them off and it took them three years before they were able to uh pay off their credit cards
[speaker002:] okay yeah although you know they keep increasing your limit too you know I had a card that uh
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] well I think it started out with like a fifteen hundred dollar limit and I've had it for several years and I think I'm now up to uh seven thousand five hundred on it
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] I mean I'm not course I don't always spend that much but that's what they'd let me spend if I wanted to
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] I guess they they get to trusting you a little bit and I want to hold that bait out I don't know if the card companies that you have usually around Christmas time they'll they'll send you a little group of checks
[speaker001:] um-hum
[speaker002:] say instead of using your credit card if you want to just go ahead and write these checks and we'll charge it'll go right against your account they they try to induce you during the Christmas season to to wrack up a few more dollars
[speaker001:] um-hum um-hum
[speaker002:] so I think they're good but you've got to be careful
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] that'd be my overall summary
[speaker001:] I think it was hard for me because I wasn't working at the time and I was just going to school
[speaker002:] uh-huh
[speaker001:] and it was like every weekend I would just it's it was like sickness to me and I just got and just
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] spend uh but
[speaker002:] well I don't know everybody likes them at least for a couple of things they're they're handy they're nice on when you travel
[speaker001:] just yeah
[speaker002:] well what kind do you have
[speaker001:] um I have a Discover
[speaker002:] oh uh-huh
[speaker001:] and a Visa
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] a Sears and I have like most of the department stores
[speaker002:] yeah well the Discover one is supposed to pay you back a little bit
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] have you experienced that or not
[speaker001:] I have um I have maxed that one
[speaker002:] what have you well that's uh I think that one's sponsored by Sears if I
[speaker001:] yeah it is and I got the Sears through the Discover before I had um and I didn't even know I went over my limit I mean that's I just didn't even add it up I don't know I'm just
[speaker002:] oh yeah
[speaker001:] I was just going crazy
[speaker002:] well
[speaker001:] and there's about fourteen hundred dollars on that card
[speaker002:] uh-huh well it can it doesn't take long I I just ordered a video camera yesterday and that's why that always bothers me a little bit to give your credit card number over the telephone but I
[speaker001:] um-hum I wouldn't do that I would not do that I've seen on TV and and there's too many scams
[speaker002:] yeah and there there can be there's no doubt about it we've