I used to practice debtor-side bankruptcy law and would counsel people on a daily basis on the pros and cons of cash versus credit.
Most people who came in my office thought that bankruptcy would hurt their credit, and that they needed a high credit score in order to buy a house and so forth.
I would respond that it was the credit that usually got them into trouble in the first place.
My advice was to focus on building your cash reserves first and the credit matters will take care of themselves.
