@Anonymous ... "Debtors Prison" for you 
Well let’s see....I spent 20 years without credit cards because I had terrible credit. All my cards in college went to collections, and although I paid everything off eventually, the damage was done. The result was that all of my options in life became limited, and even though it became a way of life and taught me the value of money, I look back now and see how much of a prison it was. I was stuck in a sh*tty apartment for 9 years, with a 60-mile commute (each way). I had roommates because I couldn’t afford it on my own and wanted to save money. Any money I saved always went to repairing my car that had 325k miles before it finally died. Then trying to buy a used car to replace it with no credit brought its own limiting challenges. I also stayed in the same crappy job for the past 15+ years for fear that other companies would check my credit. Also, anytime I went on a vacation that required renting a car brought all sorts of anxiety and embarrassment from the lack of a credit card too. It wasn’t until I started dating someone who was very open about money and credit did I finally decide to take my head out of the sand and take action. Now I live in a beautiful apartment with a short commute and a brand new car that I financed all on my own. I have cards that reward every day purchases, and a nice, fat savings account for emergencies. Life with credit is good, and while I know that can change at anytime, I am much more well prepared for any curve balls that might come my way.
