How can I buy things with monthly payments in the US?
This is possible in some situations, but it's also difficult and risky. I personally have purchased computers, a bicycle, and many musical instruments and accessories using "interest-free" or "0%" financing. Here's how it works:  First, you have to get a "store card". This is a credit card that you apply for with the retailer that you want to buy from. The card is actually issued by a third-party bank, and there are banks that make it their main business to issue cards for stores. Synchrony is an example of one such bank. Note that most store cards do not allow interest-free financing . . If you qualify (which generally requires a good credit score and history), you will be issued the store card with a spending limit. Note that even though the card is issued by a third-party bank, you can only use a store card to purchase from the retailer it is for. After you are issued the card (which can happen in minutes - even though you haven't gotten the physical card in the mail, the retailer can use the details to charge your purchases right away), you choose a product or products sold by that retailer for which the retailer is offering the interest-free financing. You agree to purchase the product, and the total is applied to your balance on the store card, and you receive the item. So, in order to do this, the retailer has to offer the interest free financing and you have to qualify for and obtain their special credit card. Retailers and banks only benefit from this arrangement when purchases are fairly expensive, so you normally can only find these offers at retailers that specialize in expensive products that are hobby or luxury goods. You may also find such deals at furniture or mattress stores and high-end electronics stores. Once you've purchased an item like this, you want to make very sure you pay according to the terms. On the store cards I have used, the interest rate for purchases that are not paid off during the promotional period has generally been 22.50% (APR). That is a brutally high interest rate. Compounding the risk is that the terms I have purchased under are such that if you don't pay off the balance in time, then all of the interest that would have accrued over the finance term is immediately applied to the balance, retroactively. So it's a big risk to take unless you are certain you can pay off the balance. Generally the only way to be that certain is to actually have that money in savings, in which case there isn't as much benefit to buying with no interest. Also you'd want to pay careful attention to the difference between "24 months, no interest" and "24 equal payments, no interest". In the first case you can carry the full balance for 23 months and then pay off the total at the very end and be charged no interest. In the second case you must pay at least 1/24 of the total every month. If you miss a single month, you will be charged the full back interest and interest will start accruing going forward. Some examples of retailers with interest-free financing:  Apple: https://www.apple.com/apple-card/monthly-installments/  Sweetwater: https://www.sweetwater.com/financing/  1-800 Mattress: https://www.1800mattress.com/convenient-financing-options.html  Bikes Online (and any place that allows PayPal Credit Buy Now, Pay Later): https://www.bikesonline.com/buy-now-pay-later-paypal/  And there are many others.