Regardless of what you've heard all your life - Credit is not necessary.

You don't NEED to get a credit card at 18 and build credit just to get a house.
Why? Because cash speaks volumes. What do I mean?

Fred got a couple of credit cards at 18 and paid them every month religiously. He wanted a car.
His score is 750 so he got the car. His payments are about 600.00/month and his interest rate
is very low. The End.

Ted is more like everyone else in the world. He got a credit card at 18, in fact, he got four.
He ran them up to the limits and ran two past the limit (finance charges) and ended up with
bad credit by the time he was 21.
Ted wanted a car. His score was 430 so he got to drive a hooptie from a note lot run by a
greasy looking guy named Cooey. He pays 50% interest and has a $250.00 weekly payment he must
make or Cooey "aint happy". The End.

Clark is smarter than most kids at age 18. He doesn't get credit cards. He pays cash for everything.
He has a credit score of "0", or more precicely, "N/A".
He shredded all his card offers he got when he graduated High School and saved 30% of each check
when he went to work at Wal-Mart sacking groceries.
He wanted a car. When they ran his credit the smart-ass salesman said "You aint got no credit, we cain't
get you done".
Clark grinned ear to ear and said "I don't need you to 'get me done'. I'm paying cash".
The salesman understandably needs new underwear, and Clark gets his car. He has 
0% interest and no payment. The End.

Even with the worst case scenario Clark could have put a huge amount down on his car and gotten
financed at a very nice rate with extrememly small payments. Clark would of course double up
on his payments and pay the car off early because he's a smart guy.

What would you rather be? A Clark, a Ted, or a Fred?
Believe it or not most Americans are Teds. Eight out of every 10 are in debt or bankrupt or
living check to check.
You don't want to be like everyone else.

Though if you're going to be a Clark you have to be prepared to get teased. You'll be staying home
while your friends are all out partying or drinking at the bar.
You'll have homemade dinners with your sweetie and cozy TV show time instead of dinner and
dancing.
But if you can make it through that you'll be the one partying when you're 29 and your friends are all
broke, bankrupt, and scraping to feed themselves.

Don't buy it if you can't pay cash.