Buying Green: Bad for Your Credit?

Image by flickr user studiosmith.

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Till today, I couldn’t find too many reasons not to shop at the Salvation Army: Thrift-stores are cheaper, better for the planet, and usually more interesting than the mall. But turns out my fondness for weird old mugs could land me in financial hot water. Treehugger has a great little post today about green consumer habits that some credit companies consider “red flags:”

Credit companies take note, for instance, if you charge services like tire retreading and shoe repair to your card. Or if you’re shopping at thrift stores like the Salvation Army.

The message: Buying used things and repairing broken ones instead of buying new means you’re struggling financially, and can’t be trusted to pay back a loan. That’s awfully backwards. Little do the credit companies know how much poorer I’d be if I didn’t shop at the Salvation Army.

For other credit company red flags, check out this Concord Monitor piece.