By now you've probably heard the warnings about credit-card debt a bazillion times that is, if you're lucky enough not to be already drowning in it.
A recent spike in financial and identity thefts has prompted new caveats about plunking down the credit card. With all the hype, who wouldn't be worried about opening next month's credit card statement to find a charge for a stuffed tiger in Tunisia?
Some consumers are trying to move toward a credit-free existence. Many have canceled all but one credit card to minimize the risk. Others say they keep one on hand only for identification or booking cruises and hotels.
But can you take it a step further? In an era of online commerce and a potentially cashless society where you can buy even a Big Mac with plastic, can you simply live without a credit card?
"It's possible, but it's difficult," says Terri Rimmer of Fort Worth, Texas, who has lived without a credit card since running into credit woes 16 years ago. Rimmer says, "People look at you funny. Now it's like an oddity if you don't have one."
Despite that, some people have declared themselves credit-card rebels in a plastic world (though a few admit they've had to use a friend's in a pinch).
But it's definitely a challenge. Some say they've encountered "cash discrimination" lack of change in doctor's offices or restaurants, companies requiring a credit card to guarantee a service, or the inability to take last-minute trips or buy large items on a whim.
It takes more driving, planning and perhaps more headaches, but here are things that you can do without reaching for the plastic.
RENT A MINIVAN
Yes, at many companies you can, with varying amounts of ease. It's fairly painless at Enterprise Rent-A-Car: Just bring a utility bill that proves your residence, answer a few questions, pay a deposit, and you're off, says company representative Lee Broughton.
At Avis Rent A Car System Inc., it's a bit more complicated. You must complete an application with a $15 processing fee, allow four to six weeks to get approved, and then put down at least a $300 rental charge, says Avis spokeswoman Alice Pereira.
Many Alamo Rent A Car locations do not allow it at all, luxury cars are out of the question, and even when you can rent a car with cash, get ready for some red tape. You must come armed with a driver's license, a passport and a round-trip airline, cruise or train ticket. Then you must put down a $300 cash deposit and pay the rental charge in advance. And don't even think about a check, says spokesman Charles Pulley says.
Plus, Pulley advises letting the destination know in advance that you're coming because the company will check with your employers to pre-qualify you.
Why so strict?
"Our $25,000 to $30,000 vehicle is a movable asset," Mr. Pulley says. "In this day and age, not to have a credit card? Who are you? And you want us to give you a $25,000 vehicle? It's about establishing credibility."
BOOK A TRIP
If you don't use plastic, consider travel agents your new best friends. Actually, says Robert Sessions, manager of STA Travel in Dallas, about 30 percent of the location's largely college student clientele pay with cash, since many debit cards have a withdrawal limit and people are wary of putting large purchases on a credit card.
The agency also accepts money orders and cashier's checks, and welcomes personal checks if written more than a week before departure for nonrefundable charges, because otherwise "by the time I find out that the check has bounced, the person is already in another country," he says.
In addition, many tours and packages allow you to pay in installments after an initial deposit.
A couple of caveats: To reserve a hotel room, you must pre-pay as much as the entire stay, depending on the hotel. Also, some discount European airlines only accept credit cards, Sessions says.
CHARGE A MARGARITA
So you've booked the cruise, but once you're on board, most major cruise lines don't accept cash for on-board purchases instead cruise lines typically keep a running tab for drinks, spa treatments, gift shop buys and other on-board expenses charged to your credit card at the end of the voyage.
But you can pay cash even in this "cashless" system, says Vance Gulliksen, spokesman for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines. Those cruising may make a $100 cash deposit the amount may vary among cruise lines instead of providing a credit-card number once on board, and the cruise will refund any unspent dollars at the cruise's end.
