It’s a frustrating world for those of us who have intentionally opted out. When it comes to buying or leasing homes and other big-ticket items, we’re penalized for a history of living within our means and buying only what we can afford. Financial asceticism is supposed to be virtuous in America, especially in the midst of a political clime that denounces debt like it’s some kind of domestic terrorism. But when it comes to credit cards, we’re unwilling to put our Amex where our mouth is.

I haven't had a credit card for years, because I actually live like a fiscal conservative. I have one debit card and one Amex. And because of this, I was unable to get a mortgage on a second home in Provincetown! That's the kind of perverse logic of the last decade. People with massive credit card debt who regularly made payments were given mortgages they couldn't afford. People who'd saved and only bought when they had the actual means were punished. That's why I'm somewhat ambivalent about protecting people from credit card sheisters. No one has to get a credit card or get into debt. They can live more frugally.

David Wolman explains how "even when credit cards only exist at the periphery of our experience, they can boost our willingness to pay or borrow":