conversation: User (orangenarwhals): "1) Is there any way to extricate myself from Visa, MasterCard, etc. completely? \n2) Is there a keyword to find people who have done so or haven't done so (basically, is there precedent)? \n3) What are the pros/cons/practical concerns of doing so? Note: I would still like to contribute to the economy and improving the world, so becoming a hobo in the woods is not the solution I'm looking for.\n\nThis is more of an exploratory post than something I think I will actually try to do. I treat my credit card as an easy transaction method for my checking account, so I do not have credit card debt (as far as I know) and presumably my credit card score is in decent shape. My primary bank is a credit union (and I think they're great), but I still have a Visa credit card. Lately I've been feeling pretty fed up with the whole credit system, after reflecting on how weird it is that Bank of America reps receive more training in empathy and conflict resolution than any of my friends do in the public school system, and I've been wondering, if I have enough cash-flow in my pool of friends and family to buffer removing myself from the credit system, can I do so?\n\nIt seems like I can buy plane tickets with paypal and buying groceries with google wallet may soon be at thing. It seems like it might suck if I find myself in a foreign country and run out of money, so I'll have to be a little careful. I guess I can't spend lots of money on a fancy house, but if I don't make enough money or am not able to borrow enough from friends, I can settle for building my own tiny house (and it'd be adorable!). I'm not super sure what else credit is used for. Maybe it'd be nice if I wanted to open my own business or startup -- do VCs look at your credit score? \n\nThere's no way to contribute into a better health insurance system or a better tax system, but at least it seems plausible with credit systems that I can "vote with my feet" so to speak. Please let me know if I'm missing something obvious."
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