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Have you ever thought how nice it would be to get along without credit? No bank loans, no credit cards, no mortgages! It’s not likely to happen any time soon, but it is still a goal worth striving for. Especially in times like these when jobs are scarce and money is tight.

Even those of us who still have jobs feel the impact of the economic downturn. Many of our friends and family members are affected in a real way, and that hurts close to home.

In times like this we count ourselves lucky if we have been able to hold onto our jobs. But still it is inevitable that we will not very optimistic about the immediate future. There’s just no telling how long one’s own employer will be able to hold on before they start to make cuts. That certainly makes you wonder if it might not be better to get rid of those credit cards and live more realistically.

Using credit cards and lines of credit is very easy when times are good. With a steady job and source of good income keeping ahead of the payments is not a big deal for most of us. At least that’s what we tell ourselves. Meanwhile we get deeper and deeper in debt.

Maybe we rationalize that we need credit cards in case of an emergency. What exactly is an emergency? If we get sick, we have health care, if we lose our job, we have friends and family. If the roof leaks, that doesn’t mean that the whole thing needs replacing. Patch it up and wait until you have enough real money in the roofing fund.

Once you get on the easy credit roller coaster it is pretty difficult to get off. So when a real emergency comes along – like a business downturn or loss of employment – there is not much wiggle room left.

Of course cutting up all our cards isn’t going to happen in most cases. However, just think of the savings on interest and late payments that could be saved if we used fewer cards and were more prudent with our credit buying. At least then, if hard times come knocking, we’d be on a more level playing field, rather than standing in a huge hole of debt.

If you’ve fallen behind on a variety of debts, there is no doubt that bill collectors will come calling. If things get nasty with intimidation tactics and you don’t know where to turn, remember that you have rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

You can also pay a visit to a fair debt attorney who specializes in stopping debt collection harassment. They won’t be able to erase your debt, but they can make the harassment stop and can even get you compensation from the very agencies that are trying to collect from you.