We all run into those financial emergencies at one point in our life. Some people have money saved for these occasions, others use credit cards, and others again use a payday loan to fill the financial gap for the 15 to 30 days where we need the cash. This is what a payday loan is for. Be able to make it to the next paycheck. Pay for the car repair because without a car you will be out of work soon. Situations like this are where the payday loan does its duty.

However, some payday loan lenders advertise their loans to be used for normal consumer needs. Needs? Well, not really. These lenders play with your desire for having a new TV, a new iPhone or iPod, or to go on vacation. Sure, we all like to treat us to those nice things in life, but we need to be able to pay for it and not necessarily to buy these items on credit. Especially, not to buy these items on very expensive credit.

While this article is mainly written with the payday loan situation in mind, it also applies to using a credit card to pay for these items. In both cases you put a consumer purchase onto a very expensive credit account. The initial interest fee on the credit card might be lower, but statistics show that consumers easily need 18-24 months to fully pay off their purchase. That is very expensive at 18%-27% if you ask me. A payday loan is even more expensive, but it forces the customer to re-pay the loan much faster, which is a good thing. The initial interest rate for this type of loan is higher, but the time between when the loan is taken out and when it is paid back is much shorter.

So, while these are the basics the real story is that both types of loans are not designed to be used for normal consumer purchases. We all have seen what the last recession has done to consumers who were in debt way over their head. The number of foreclosures and bankruptcy filings has sky-rocketed. While some blame goes out to the banks and mortgage companies, a lot of blame has to go to those consumers who financed non-critical purchases with very expensive loan type. Everything is good while you have a job, but when the money gets tight these loans are going to destroy your financial status.

Conclusion: Payday loans are a financial product that is designed to be used in a financial emergency. It is expensive, but payday loans are granted faster than a normal bank loan + they do not affect your normal credit history. A fast payday loan is not to be used for normal consumer purchases for gadgets, TVs, iPhones, or cars. Used with the proper understanding of how these loan work is essential to your financial well being.