Is one superior to the other? Let’s take a closer look…
Interest free financing
One of the first purchases I made after joining the ranks of working professionals was a killer sectional sofa. Why a couch first? Several reasons:- My dad always kept our house furnished with the most terribly uncomfortable couches in the history of mankind, and I vowed to be different.
- I had a brand new apartment furnished with little more than a few comfy pillows and a TV.
- Chicks dig cool couches… right?
Although I avoided paying interest I could have better leveraged the deal by following a few simple rules before rushing into the purchase.
Here are some considerations before borrowing interest free:
- Don’t borrow more than you could pay cash for. Using the interest free financing as a free ticket to spend will get you into trouble fast, so make sure you only spend what you could afford to pay in cash. If you have no cash saved consider saving before you buy. Having the cash saved acts as a hedge against job/income loss.
- Be organized and knowledgeable. Become intimately familiar with the terms of your purchase and pay careful attention to the details of the “interest free” period. Know how long you have before interest kicks in, and whether or not you will be charged interest on the entire purchase amount after the promotional period ends – regardless of amounts owed. Deferred billing programs can be tricky, and knowledge is your friend.
The Amish of Lancaster County PA are families, farmers and craftsmen who grace our small towns and farmlands by following a deeply religious, family-centered lifestyle through a simple way of life that foregos "outside world" luxuries. Yet the Amish have adapted in many necessary ways throughout the last 300 years, while remaining separated from the world. On the surface, the Amish lifestyle might appear to be staid and inflexible. However, it reflects a way of life that is based on a literal interpretation of the Bible, as well as unwritten rules from the Amish Ordnung that prescribes behavior, appearance and other aspects of the Amish culture.