I was able to get a car loan a few years after the bankruptcy. It was dumb, I hadn't fully figured out my money situation yet. Bankruptcy didn't fix that spending habit. But that was the tipping point. When my minimum expenses between the car, student loans, and living expenses exactly equaled my salary, I started trying to beat my way out of the mess. The car I currently own, I paid for up front. By the time I bought a house, the bankruptcy had disappeared off my report. Now the plan is pay off the mortgage and never have a credit score again.