Ritz camera - "Bill me later"

[plastii]

Hi.

Did any of you ever used this option? I'm thinking about buying a lens from them and they have a deal - "No Payments for 12 Months" but I'm sceptical about this. What you think?

Thanks
Marek.

 

[nicfargo]

I've used Bill me Later for many things in the past. As long as you get it payed off in time you're fine. If you go over the alloted time you'll be charged back interest at something like 18% or so. I think Bill Me Later is great...no interest for whatever time can be a good thing.

 

[jstuedle]

I have used it through B&H and Calumet. Great option as long as your not late with payments.

 

[Sideburns]

Depends.

Are you good with credit?
If you can't guarantee you'll make payments on time...you'll regret it later.

 

[jstuedle]

Depends.

Are you good with credit?
If you can't guarantee you'll make payments on time...you'll regret it later.

Very True. Credit has value, value your credit.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

sounds like a quick way to bust up credit to me, unless you know you can pay it off early, i wouldn't do it.

 

[plastii]

I'm pretty good with making payments and I think I'll pay it off within few months. I'm going to go for it.

Thanks for the advice guys

 

[JIP]

I agree with the others you just need to remember to pay it off before the no interest time is up because if not you will pay interest from day one and it is usually high.

 

[jwkwd]

It is income tax time, if you are going to get something back, use that for the payment.

 

[sabbath999]

I don't normally talk about this stuff here, but since you specifically asked I will reply/

I have a different take than most people, so keep that in mind when you read this.

I don't "use debt" on any consumer items... that includes everything from cameras to cars. IMHO if you can't pay for it, you can't afford it.
I personally would only EVER consider borrowing money for a house, which is simply beyond the means of most everybody to pay cash for.

I don't owe a cent to anybody and haven't for many years, and for me, it is the ONLY way to live. Since I have no payments of any kind (other than utilities), it is quite easy to save money quickly for purchases... and I never, ever have to worry about "being late" on a payment because there ARE no payments. I paid my house off years ago as well.

Living this way means that I don't get the instant gratification of just being able to go out and impulse buy anything I want and pay for it over the next 12 or 24 months... but by concentrating on what I want, I can generally pay for it, with cash, within a month or two.

This has the added advantage of giving me a "cooling off" period to decide what I really want.

I bought 10K worth of camera gear in the last 12 months, 5K worth of cycling gear, and took two major vacations last year (including 2 weeks in Hawaii at a resort) on a combined salary that is right about the national average... AND put 30 percent of my take home into retirement funds by living this way... simply because I have no payments.

I have a lot of friends who laugh at me for the way I live. They are broke, living paycheck to paycheck, making more than I do, but still they think I am an idiot for only paying for things upfront.

Perhaps they are right, and being deeply in debt owing money on stuff that is already used up and worn out is a better idea than paying for it up front.

Personally, I don't think so... but then again, I only am saying what works for me.

 

[eddiesimages]

Excellent advice. I wish I were disciplined enough to live like that. Once you get into debt it is very hard to become debt free. I think that most people realize that you are correct, but actually doing it is another thing.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I don't normally talk about this stuff here, but since you specifically asked I will reply/

I have a different take than most people, so keep that in mind when you read this.

I don't "use debt" on any consumer items... that includes everything from cameras to cars. IMHO if you can't pay for it, you can't afford it.
I personally would only EVER consider borrowing money for a house, which is simply beyond the means of most everybody to pay cash for.

I don't owe a cent to anybody and haven't for many years, and for me, it is the ONLY way to live. Since I have no payments of any kind (other than utilities), it is quite easy to save money quickly for purchases... and I never, ever have to worry about "being late" on a payment because there ARE no payments. I paid my house off years ago as well.

Living this way means that I don't get the instant gratification of just being able to go out and impulse buy anything I want and pay for it over the next 12 or 24 months... but by concentrating on what I want, I can generally pay for it, with cash, within a month or two.

This has the added advantage of giving me a "cooling off" period to decide what I really want.

I bought 10K worth of camera gear in the last 12 months, 5K worth of cycling gear, and took two major vacations last year (including 2 weeks in Hawaii at a resort) on a combined salary that is right about the national average... AND put 30 percent of my take home into retirement funds by living this way... simply because I have no payments.

I have a lot of friends who laugh at me for the way I live. They are broke, living paycheck to paycheck, making more than I do, but still they think I am an idiot for only paying for things upfront.

Perhaps they are right, and being deeply in debt owing money on stuff that is already used up and worn out is a better idea than paying for it up front.

Personally, I don't think so... but then again, I only am saying what works for me.

Exactly. That's how you have to do things to get the material things you want in life.

I try to think of everything as an investment. When i eventually buy a house I'm hopefully going to sell it for about the same for what I buy it for. I buy the camera gear that will pay for itself with its usefulness, I don't spend $600/month renting an apartment, I spend $275 renting a room instead. I can pay my rent with a single paycheck! I'm the only person I know who can do that (besides the people I live with of course).

Being a cheapskate is how to git-r-done!

 

[ShePaintsOrange]

I don't mean to derail the thread off topic, but sabbath999-THANK YOU!
I started out two years ago to become debt free and pay cash for everything, and I now have only two more years before the only payments I have is my house and utilities. I can't think of much that feels better than that. I even found creative ways to reduce my produce bills this summer by bartering with local farmers for canned goods for their extra produce. Did well enough to stockpile enough vegetables and fruit for the year by keeping a third of what I made, bartering/selling the rest. All in all, spent around $40.00 for all of the produce for the year, and made a ton of money. Hence, the new camera in my life!