Buying HiFi at credit, anyone?

I haven't paid interest to a credit card company in eight years. I pay off my personal card monthly and use new card balance transfer options which offer no interest for 12+ months. I have a PT job as an adjunct professor at a local college that commits to me two terms at a time. If you can figure out a way to use credit to your advantage, it IS a smart idea. The concept of leverage is not new and corporations do it all the time. It's wise to use other peoples money if the benefits outweight the costs. Each situation needs to be analyzed based on their own merits. It's not fair to paint the use of credit with a broad brush. Also, I disagree that most people seriously have a plan to pay off their cards. I think most people spend with reckless abandon with the no fear of consequences or the future.

Dave Ramsey has a radio show that talks about becoming debt free. He believes that credit cards should be outlawed. Dave is different than some in that he has a serious spending problem (similar to an alcoholic). He can't trust himself to use a credit card. I trust myself. I don't pay interest cause the balance gets paid. People that say that "life can get in the way" aren't acting responsibly. When the bill comes, it gets paid. That's life and that's what happen.

As already has been touched on, credit cards CAN be a good idea to use. What if you take someone like me who is responsible with credit cards and give them one that gives you savings for buying gas at the pump. 3% to be exact. Now, it's costing them LESS than if they paid with cash. All it takes is a little responsiblity and not abusing the card.

There sure are some fiscally responsible members here at Audiogon. Methinks the ones who are in debt over gear will not be so eager to disclose this fact.
I for one have financed gear with no interest, put it on credit cards, and paid cash.

It would be nice to come back to the thread - Audio at credit- and not continue with some DOs-DONTs of how to manage personal finance as this is...hum..personal and frankly, discretionary.
I just wanted to see if some folks who buy $20,000 speakers always pay cash or if they consider this purchase to be as worthy as a $20,000 car that is financed over 60-month.

"I just wanted to see if some folks who buy ....."

Why wouldn't they? If they have the cash there should be no difference, an intelligent manager of personal finances would always pay cash.

If they don't have the cash and chose to finance either cars and/or audios, its still a matter of personal discretion and their individual value systems.

IMHO your question elicited exactly the range of responses you got. It is, first, last, and always, about management of personal finances and establishing priorities in purchases of anything you and your family require.

And, you are right, "....it is VERY personal and discretionary".