# How much credit card debt do you have? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138 "2014-12-02T17:24:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/21 "2014-12-02T19:35:28Z")
When I was in school I racked up some credit debt that I paid off as soon as I started making a positive income. I so hated the idea of paying those bastards one penny more than I had to that I vowed never to go another month without paying them off in full. So currently (and for the last 20 years or so) my credit card debt is 0% of my annual (or monthly) income. I have a fairly high balance each month, but it never carries over to the next month. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/22 "2014-12-02T19:47:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Zero, though we run up about $3-$5K per month. And it’s going to stay that way. Credit card debt seems to be a necessary evil, but it’s the worst sort of debt to have, of course. I think it’s unhealthy to have more carry over than can be paid within a couple of months. This is me, too. I put EVERYTHING I possibly can on my credit card and pay it off every month. I pay my cleaning lady and yard guy with checks. Everything else is plastic. And I only use one credit card. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/23 "2014-12-02T20:27:12Z")
0%. I have never had one penny of credit card debt. No annual fees either. Ever since my first card I got in college I have always paid it off in full every month. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Dracula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/54ee81/32.png) [@Count\_Dracula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Dracula)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/24 "2014-12-02T21:03:22Z")
I use a credit card for over 90% of everything I buy but I ensure it gets paid off every month in full. To carry credit card debt forward is a very bad move. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/25 "2014-12-02T21:05:44Z")
0%, and I think a healthy level of credit card debt is 0%. That doesn’t meant that people can’t use their credit cards in bad economic situations, or for emergencies, but it does mean that those circumstances are not healthy. The goal should always be to pay the cards off every month. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/26 "2014-12-02T21:48:15Z")
Zero. I don’t think there is an acceptable level of credit card debt, really. Unless you’re paying off some sort of catastrophic and unexpected bill. I have one “emergency” credit card with a $5,000 limit and the last time I took a while to pay down the debt was in 2009 and I had some humungous vet bills due to a dog with cancer. When I was much younger and stupider and had a ton of credit and store cards, I got myself in a heap of debt and it hurt my credit score and took years to dig out from. That was miserable and I don’t ever want to get in that situation again. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/27 "2014-12-02T22:00:13Z")
I don’t carry any credit card debt, but if I don’t find a job soon, that may change. And that makes me extremely nervous. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/28 "2014-12-02T23:23:58Z")
Generally I carry zero balances. But a few years ago I bought a whole houseful of furniture on a card with a 1.5% APR rate. So I pay the minimum on it every month and leave the capital otherwise invested at a much higher average ROI. I might get it paid off around 2030 or so. If they ever raise my rate I can write a check for the balance w/o pain. Said another way, I’m not really making a killing on them subsidizing my investment income since there’s not that much money involved as a percentage of my investable assets. But if \*feels \*so good to stick it to the bankers. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/29 "2014-12-02T23:45:24Z")
My credit card debt (we’re only talking what we don’t pay off at the end of the month, right?) just about always averages between 1 and 3 days take-home pay. So…look, I’m not good at math, but I know it’s a tiny tiny percentage of my income. I don’t think I’ve ever had more than $1,500 in credit card debt at once in my entire life. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/30 "2014-12-02T23:54:26Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I’ll have to check with my bank, but I’m pretty sure I’m protected against this. Regardless, worst-case-scenario is I’m out a few hundred bucks. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had more than $2k in the bank, lol. You probably are. In the meantime, your account balance is zero. With a credit card, you can stop payment before it ever hits your account. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/31 "2014-12-03T00:31:02Z")
Zero. I stopped using credit cards altogether almost 10 years ago. Glad I did. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/32 "2014-12-03T01:16:19Z")
Yeesh. I’ll buck the trend. 90%. Paris was fucking awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/33 "2014-12-03T01:56:20Z")
Vet bills are godawful. Planning to be back to 0 before the summer. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/34 "2014-12-03T02:02:12Z")
Damn, I hit the wrong one. Subtract one “\> 0 \< 25%” and add one “zero, nilch, nada, 0%”. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/35 "2014-12-03T02:22:03Z")
I currently have about a month and a half of income as credit card debt. (Pretty good i think since I had no income since August.) It is getting paid off quickly though, and rough and dirty one card will be paid off by march. The other one will then probably be paid off by July at the latest. At that point, I may cancel the first card, as it hs annual fees and no rewards. The other one gives me points I actually turn into gift cards, or merchandise. ---
**Author:** ![sara20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sara20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sara20)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/36 "2014-12-03T02:23:53Z")
none, luckily ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/37 "2014-12-03T02:25:52Z")
Zero, for a credit card that I have full control of, I have had to pay interest about twice in my life (about one month’s worth each time). When I had a joint card with my (ex) wife it was a very different story. She always carried a balance close to the limit (to the extent that, on a couple of the rather rare occasions when I needed to use it, for quite small purchases, I was unable to do so). It was originally in her name, and she put me on it when we were married. (I was new in America at that time, so I had no credit history and probably could not have got a card in my own name - not on decent terms, anyway.) I queried her about the large balance on it and she made a fairly plausible excuse about vet bills (her dog really had been sick), so, as I had some spare cash at the time, I paid it off. Within a couple of months, with virtually no use of it from me, she had near maxed it out again, and kept it near maxed out ever after. It is not like she was trying to screw me for the money - after that first time, she would pay off the interest every month herself,\* plus enough, usually, to avoid actual penalties and to keep the card just enough below the limit to be useable - but she always carried a huge balance. It just seemed weird to me, but I soon gave up arguing with her about it. In most other respects she was pretty good with money, she was not a spendthrift or anything, but over the years she must have paid out thousands in pointless credit card interest. ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ \*We had separate bank accounts, only the one card was joint, and I only very rarely used it, and then only for small purchases. I mostly used cash. By the time buying stuff on the internet became a thing, and I had had a couple of experiences of being unable to use the card to buy books from Amazon, I got a card in my own name (by that time, being on the joint card for a few years had built me up a credit history - and probably quite a good one, as she must be just the sort of customer the card companies loooove, almost never defaulting but paying tons of interest). Since having my own card, as already noted, I have (almost) always paid it off in full every month, and I stopped using the joint one at all, and left it to her to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/38 "2014-12-03T02:27:32Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I don’t even have a credit card. I do have a Visa-branded debit card which, as far as I know, does all the same things a credit card would do (although I’m to understand that some rental car companies don’t like to take debit cards). You can’t borrow money on a debit card. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/39 "2014-12-03T02:39:37Z")
I pay them off every month, so zero. In 2013 I had a small balance…I paid $1.16 in interest that year. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138/40 "2014-12-03T03:02:13Z")
As has been mentioned, credit cards are one of the worst sources of loans. I’ve known to use them without immediate payment on occasion (the one time I took longest to pay them off it took four months), but I consider that any balance greater than zero is too much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-credit-card-debt-do-you-have/706138.md?page=3)