Credit Cards and Friends...

[Littlebirdlolita]

This is a bit of an odd one, but I need some advise, I think? Haha

Okay, so, i'm seeing my SO for a week sometime in June, not booked yet, and I will be paying for it with the money i've been earning recently from my temp job. It's fine, i've got that covered. Which is awesome.

BUT, I'm planning on going over there for a little longer in July, to do an Arabic speaking course at a language school there, I can't get the money together for it so i'm planning on getting a credit card with o%apr for 13months to pay back gradually. I need to start getting a credit rating so that when I move out i've got something there for them to see, AND it means I can be with my SO for 5 weeks AND get a qualification in Arabic speaking, which might help me in the future when I look into teaching English in Arabic countries a bit more seriously. I haven't told my SO that i'm going to get a credit card but it's something I will discuss with him when I see him in June.

Now, firstly, that is my decision. I've discussed it with my parents, and they also think it's a pretty good idea. Plus, paying off my credit card monthly, because i'm not putting a huge amount on there shouldn't be too difficult and i'm lucky that my family would always be able to help me if I REALLY needed them too.

Now, my two best friends, one of them thinks it's risky but she's very supportive, which is awesome! The other one, just keeps nagging at me about how everything is going to go wrong, and she can't believe how much i'm risking "just for a boy".

I'm gutted. Because to me he really isn't "just a boy"... You know? It's actually made me quite angry that she isn't happy that i'm trying to do something with my life. But then, she's not very supportive of my relationship with him anyway... I think she thinks i'm an idiot sometimes. Which really pisses me off because her relationship is such a mess... But I won't go into that.

Am I being stupid? Does everything think me getting a credit card is a stupid idea? I dunno, I just want some general feedback and opinions?

Thanks in advance.

[Moon]

If you can get the credit card, and you use it responsibly, it's not a stupid idea at all. You'll need the credit building, but keep in mind that the banks aren't quite giving them away as easily as they used to (at least in the US), so try to have a Plan B, just in case. You aren't risking this for a boy, you'd end up doing it eventually anyway, and your parents know you best, and they recommend it, so it's likely a good plan. Your friend just sounds a bit bitter and doesn't get it, you might be better off backing away from talking with her about your relationship, she's not going to be very helpful or supportive. Good luck, I hope it works out!

[Dauntedpoet]

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your parents know you best, and they recommend it, so it's likely a good plan. Your friend just sounds a bit bitter and doesn't get it, you might be better off backing away from talking with her about your relationship, she's not going to be very helpful or supportive. Good luck, I hope it works out!

This is exactly what I would say. Your parents would be the first one's to worry and tell you if they thought it was going to be a problem for you.

[lucybelle]

Get a credit card while you can! I'm no longer a student and can't get approved for a credit card to save my life because I have no credit (vicious circle). I'm talking not even a Macy's credit card. I finally got a Victoria's Secret one but so rarely buy stuff there that I can't imagine it's helping my credit score at all. I think it sucks that me paying my rent, bills, student loans, and everything else on time doesn't count as credit.

anyways...............

APR rate doesn't matter much unless you plan on not paying it off every month. What you want to be careful of is making sure there's no yearly fee, that's BS. Establishing a good credit is really important. My sister recently bought a car and couldn't get approved for a loan since she had no credit. So she paid in cash. Stupid system.

[Littlebirdlolita]

Ah, thanks everyone. =)

I've already got one credit card that I don't use at all, I opened it as a store card and payed it off, and have just left it since, open in my name in case. So, I should get approved for a better card easily. Hopefully! You're right though, my parents wouldn't let me do it if they thought it was a bad idea. Thanks =)

I'm annoyed at my friend for being so unsupportive though... I am shocked at her to be honest. But yea, perhaps I should just stop talking to her about the relationship... Which is so difficult because it's such a huge part of my life. Haha

Thank you =) x

[Dziubka]

At the risk of being the debbie downer, I don't think it's all that great an idea.

It's got nothing to do with him being "just a boy" or not. Getting in debt for a trip doesn't seem very smart to me. Ok, you're going to be taking Arabic classes there, but five weeks isn't really a lot to learn a language (have you taken Arabic before?). Education is one of the few things I would (and did *sigh*) get in debt over, but I don't know how much a five week course is really worth. Are you planning on continuing Arabic classes afterwards?

You had a temp job, right? Do you have a job lined up for the time when you're going to be paying off the credit? Do you have experience of qualifications that make it easy for you to get a job when you get back?

It might be a cultural issue. In Germany we have a completely different attitude to debt and cosumer credits than say Americans. My general rule is: If I don't have the money for it, I don't buy it. I'd rather wait a bit linger and save up for something than pay off a credit afterwards.

[Haley53]

At the risk of being the debbie downer, I don't think it's all that great an idea.

It's got nothing to do with him being "just a boy" or not. Getting in debt for a trip doesn't seem very smart to me. Ok, you're going to be taking Arabic classes there, but five weeks isn't really a lot to learn a language (have you taken Arabic before?). Education is one of the few things I would (and did *sigh*) get in debt over, but I don't know how much a five week course is really worth. Are you planning on continuing Arabic classes afterwards?

You had a temp job, right? Do you have a job lined up for the time when you're going to be paying off the credit? Do you have experience of qualifications that make it easy for you to get a job when you get back?

It might be a cultural issue. In Germany we have a completely different attitude to debt and cosumer credits than say Americans. My general rule is: If I don't have the money for it, I don't buy it. I'd rather wait a bit linger and save up for something than pay off a credit afterwards.

I agree with this. I'll be honest and say I'm not sure how credit operates beyond a basic level, but I have never missed a credit card payment and don't intend to, even on a college credit card. While there are times you can't avoid going into debt, I think you really need to determine whether or not a 5-week course is worth it and your reasons for doing so. I currently don't pay what I won't be able to afford by the time the payment will be due, and I have been advised to always pay more than the minimum, even if it's by a couple dollars. It simply seems a bit risky to me, but if you have a plan for paying it off, and when you'll be able to, and you're not simply banking on the whole "I have 13 months to pay it off, no apr," then maybe your parents are right, and it is a good idea.

[Littlebirdlolita]

Just so everyone knows, it's not like, a huge amount i'm planning on putting on the card. It works out roughly at £500. So with 13 months to pay it off I would only have to pay £40 a month. So, it's not like, a disgustingly huge amount of money. Haha

I don't have a job lined up for when I get back but my temping agency has said they should be able to find me something easily with the skills I have and will have with gaining the language qualification as well. It sounds very spoilt of me but even if I wasn't able to find a job my family would be able to help me as the minimum payment would be barely anything. Also, and, I have no intention of this what so ever, BUT, worst comes to worst, even if I had to go on the dol I would be getting enough to cover my credit card outgoings.

I do have money saved, that I don't want to touch, that could pay for the language course BUT I want to leave it there for if I get in trouble in the future. So, also, again, worst comes to worst that is there to help me out if I did have trouble paying it back.

As far as the 5 week course being worth it goes, it's not my choice that it's only 5 weeks. Haha It's an intensive course at a language academy there, they are confident that even people with no experience speaking the language will be able to speak, read and write all the basics needed in 5 weeks. Haha I've looked at other people's reviews and everything looks pretty good. Plus, as bad as it sounds, 5 weeks in another country, away from my parents, with my SO, will just give me the freedom I think I need right now. And also, will help me to prove a point to my parents. They think I have no drive, and I want to prove that if I want something I will do it and I will find a way to do it.

Also, another reason I will be putting it on the credit card, as well as building credit, is, because some of the other money I have saved I want to use whilst I am out there. I won't be relying on my credit card at all other than to pay for the course. But i'm not going on the whole "Oh, i've got 13 months, it'll be fine." Haha My aim is to pay off the main bulk of it in the first two months and then to make minimum payments for the other 11 months, although, i'd probably be able to pay it off much sooner.

I think it's something that i've made my mind up on doing. Haha You know? But I do very much appreciate opinions =) Thank you!

[Moon]

At the risk of being the debbie downer, I don't think it's all that great an idea.

It's got nothing to do with him being "just a boy" or not. Getting in debt for a trip doesn't seem very smart to me. Ok, you're going to be taking Arabic classes there, but five weeks isn't really a lot to learn a language (have you taken Arabic before?). Education is one of the few things I would (and did *sigh*) get in debt over, but I don't know how much a five week course is really worth. Are you planning on continuing Arabic classes afterwards?

You had a temp job, right? Do you have a job lined up for the time when you're going to be paying off the credit? Do you have experience of qualifications that make it easy for you to get a job when you get back?

It might be a cultural issue. In Germany we have a completely different attitude to debt and cosumer credits than say Americans. My general rule is: If I don't have the money for it, I don't buy it. I'd rather wait a bit linger and save up for something than pay off a credit afterwards.

True, but my reply to the OP actually has very little to do with her Arabic class, and more to do with her future. While I'm not totally sure about the UK, it usually runs pretty similarly to the US, and my thought was more in thinking about, say, 10 years down the road. The OP is 21, let's say she's ready to but a house somewhere between 7 - 10 years down the road. Even if she manages to save a really good amount for her down payment, in order to have any chance at a mortgage, you have to have established a very good credit history. If they pull your credit reports (Again here in the US) and you have none, or very little credit established, there's no way they'll give you the loan. Even if you're buying a car, for instance, it's the same thing, but not quite as strict.

If the OP is responsible with her card, and her parents endorsement makes me think she will, she'll begin to build a credit history that will help her later with major purchases, such as a car or a house. Also, you never know when there will be an emergency, and you don't have the funds at the moment to cover it, such as an expensive pet emergency, or a serious car repair, in that case a credit card that has little no no balance can be a life saver. I know, I've been there

As long as the OP realizes that an emergency isn't that super cute pair of shoes, or a dress for that party, and she manages it well, it can help her quite a lot later on.

[Dziubka]

Moon, I'm not against her getting a credit card as such. Credit cards are a very neat invention and if you plan on travelling, most of the time there's no way around them. They're required to book even hostels and it's the easiest way to pay for flights etc.
I'm all for credit cards.

My objection is to her going on, what is basically a vacation (+language course, but yeah) on money she doesn't actually have.

[lonelyinlove]

Sounds like a good idea to me. U have to start building credit sometime, why not now?