So what does this mean? Unfortunately (since you seem very adamant against them), getting a credit card or department store card would be a really good option. If you’ve been doing well so far with your own money, balancing your financial life with a credit card shouldn’t be an issue. Use the credit card and pay on time. That’s all it is. So instead of using your money right away, use your credit card to pay for it. Then pay your credit card bill with the money you would’ve used to buy [insert item here] anyway. It’s not that bad and you won’t have to worry about late fees if you paid on time. At the very least, you can pay the minimum amount your credit card asks you for. It will put interest on your balance, yes, but when lenders look at your FICO score, your score and history will reflect that you are financially responsible and pay your bills on time. That’s all it is.

OR. If you still don’t want to set up your own credit, you can always get a co-signer to sign the loan with you. However this can mean that you’d need to get a co-signer every time you needed to make a big investment (ie car, home, another loan).

They look at other things outside of your credit history such as employment history, etc. Check this site out for more info: http://financialplan.about.com/od/creditdebtmanagement/a/nocredit.htm