Important note: If you don't buy anything with credit, you could find yourself unable to sign up for internet service at a new apartment because you're an "unkn

Important note: If you don't buy anything with credit, you could find yourself unable to sign up for internet service at a new apartment because you're an "unknown credit risk." This happened to me, and I would have been completely screwed if I hadn't had a roommate who did have credit. The ISP was the only service available at the apartment, and they absolutely refused to let me sign up. It wasn't because I had bad credit; I had never used credit. From my point of view, it was absolutely crazy. I tried everything in order to persuade them to let me open an account, such as offering to pay for several months of service in advance, but their policy prohibited anyone with "unknown credit risk" from creating a new account under any circumstances. All you have to do is get a credit card, buy all your groceries with it, then pay it off every month. Paying it off every month is the most important part. If you suddenly find yourself in a position where you have much less income, resist the temptation to use your credit card as a supplementary income.