This article will compare saving for these expenses, compared to paying later for them.

The downsides

First and foremost, the bad is to be considered, as we are discussing going into debt for something that can be planned and saved for, which is rather risky:

• You will owe someone money after the fact. Meaning you first do something fun and are than stuck with the bill. This is something which will occupy mental capacity and financial means long after you have enjoyed yourself on holiday.
• If you had saved, you would have received some interest. Given that some things can be saved for a year in advance, and are rather expensive, such as holidays, that interest would have amounted to a bit of spending money.
• Should you for whatever reason have difficulty paying, there will be trouble:  It is perfectly feasible for your financial situation to change in the time between deciding to pay later and having to pay.
• Sometimes prepayment plans or early worms discounts occur; but you missed them because you did not think to save ahead. Provided that these schemes do not allow credit.
• It can be used for something that can keep you occupied, as a very expensive hobby. In which case you are just entertaining yourself by going into debt.
• It is only safe to do so with money you know you are going to have: Shit happens and money you might receive, might not arrive in time or at all.

The upsides

• Paying later allows you to take advantage of opportunities for which you lack the cash, just when your cashflow is a bit dry.
• More spending means a bigger economy: Besides simply transferring your resources to the seller, who then buys more stuff to sell. A small percentage also goes to the credit enabler (the chosen payment method) in excess, or as part of, of the fee charged for any regular payment transaction. Your are thereby growing more then the single company from which you buy.

Meditations

• In all fairness, humans cannot always be expected to make the right decision, so we do understand the desire to purchase something without immediately having to pay for it: It is just important to not buy more than you can afford or stuff that you have no need for.
• Buying on credit to take advantage of an opportunity would be a legit way of accounting for it to yourself, though excuses should never be used to fool oneself.
• In the old days, less than a decade ago, there were fewer options to pay later, a lot less. Right now it is possible to do so for virtually anything; from concert tickets to holidays. Granted, this was possible to some degree, payments plans and downpayments have existed for a very long time, but the current version of buy whatever you want and pay a minimum of 14 days later, is far more extreme.