Ask yourself: does the credit card work for you or do you work for your credit card? Most people’s response to that question will depend on how they treat 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 too 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, think about this situation:
You get an offer in the mail that sounds great, perhaps 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!
Sounds scary? 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. Moreover, you would do good to remember the following too:
Dos.
1] Always plan for the purchases that you need and those that you only want. You need the essentials, but you only want everything else. The ability to make a distinction might assist you plan more sensibly.
2] If you are caught up in financial difficulties, it’s always a good idea to talk to the credit card issuer who might adjust your repayments. If you simply default, that only builds up a bad credit history for you and you could find yourself being refused credit in the future.
3] Unless it is an emergency, staying within your credit limits will help you a lot. If you must spend over the limit, ensure you are within manageable levels, say within 30 percent.
4] If your mailbox is full of information on credit cards with more favourable deals than you currently are enjoying, you may approach your issuer for a better deal. They want to keep you as their customer, so they will listen.
Dont’s
1] Do not use your credit card to purchase household goods. It is too expensive in the long run.
2] Do not only pay the minimum amount necessary. You will end up paying exorbitant amounts of interest. The quicker you can clear the debt the better.
3] Never use the credit card to purchase products you can’t afford.