Ask yourself: does the credit card work for you or do you work for your credit card? Most people’s answer to that question will depend on how they use their “plastic friend” as credit cards are often known. As many people with burned fingers will tell you, they didn’t realize that things had gotten so bad until very late, because most credit card offers try so much to sound like they are actually running a charity. Well, they aren’t.

However, this is not an anti credit card campaign. They have their plus points - in the USA, for example, if you want to rent a vehicle, you must have a (major) credit card. But, consider this situation:

You get an offer in the post that sounds good, maybe it’s a new television or fridge. But it costs $2,000. You have a credit card with a $5,000 limit, so you go out and buy the item right away. Often, this is how your repayment schedule will work out. Most credit cards charge a minimum percentage of the total balance (typically 2 percent) per month. Assuming the interest rate is 18 percent and you choose to repay the minimum amount of $40, $30 of that will go towards interest and only $10 will come off the $2,000!

Does it sound worrying? Well, it doesn’t have to be. The moral of the illustration is to use the credit card very, very carefully.

Credit Cards Dos and Don’ts

There is a lot of truth in the advice that credit cards are not a substitute for not having money. Every time you use a credit card this should be the theme song playing in your mind. Furthermore, you would do good to remember the following too:

Dos.

1] Always plan for the purchases that you have to have and those that you only want. You need the essentials, but you only want everything else. The ability to differentiate might assist you plan more sensibly.

2] If caught up in financial difficulties, it’s always good to talk to the credit card issuer who might adjust your payments. If you simply default, that only helps to build up a bad credit history and you might find yourself being denied credit next time.

3] Unless it is an emergency, staying within your credit limits will help you a great deal. If you must spend over the limit, ensure you are within manageable levels, say within 30 percent.

4] If your letterbox is chock-full of information on credit cards with more favourable deals than you are currently enjoying, you could always approach your issuer for a better deal. They want to retain you as a customer, so they will listen.

Don’ts

1] Do not use your credit card to make household purchases. It’s very expensive in the long run.

2] Do not just pay the minimum amount. You will end up paying exorbitant amounts of interest. The quicker you are able to clear the debt the better.

3] Never use the credit card to buy things you can’t afford without the credit card.

If you are thinking onswapping or getting a Credit Card, have a look at the free advice on our website on using Credit Cards wisely. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.