It depends. I work in finance and met a guy who took Dave Ramsey to heart, at least the biblical parts. He sold his house and car, then bought a cash car and rents a home now. Said he didn't want to be in debt to anyone, but failed to see how being a renter was much worse. I agree with you about credit cards though, they are a nice feature if you are responsible. However, most americans use it as a slush fund to cover bills they can't normally do.