Just to prove to Paul that people will still [inlink]paul,3796[/inlink] to other journal posts in spite of comments being enabled....

hehe

OK, the whole credit cards on campus thing is no joke. But that's the most expensive card table you ever saw, (e:Paul). Those folks pay SO much money to get into schools. When I was at Idaho I did a unit in my comp courses on the rhetorical tactics of college -- how people sold you credit cards and phone service etc. Those "Campus Life" packs... Some schools even co-brand the card and receive a fraction of a percent on EVERY PURCHASE YOU MAKE. Now, c'mon...

I remember one day I was so hungry coming home from class that I filled out a credit card app in exchange for a free sandwich and a pack of Twizzlers. I was weak. A few years later I had like four credit cards and owed some $8K in debt. I had mean people calling me on the phone followed up by "nice" people offering to help me dig myself deeper. It was nuts.

Sarah and I worked real hard, paid off all the debt, and got rid of credit cards for like 7 years. We got a credit card after we moved to Buffalo and had issue getting hotel rooms on the move because our bank debit card wouldn't work to secure the room. We have one card, which I found by looking at www.bizrate.com and other online credit card deal evaluation sites. It's got an 8.9% APR and NO ANNUAL FEE!!!!!!11!!!11 We pay it off every month, which puts us in the category of "freeloader" according to credit card company slang (and according to Ben Stein). Oh, and I get 1% of my purchases back for my car insurance. Now that's a perk -- I run everything I can through the card, pay it off within 30 days with no interest or fees, and get about $200 per year off my $600/year insurance. Not bad.

So, kids, don't get credit cards. And when you do, find a really actual good deal.