Who is to Blame for Your Credit Problems?
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Finance > Credit
Apr 24, 2007
Who is to Blame for Your Credit Problems?
It's hard when your credit cards go from being a convenience to a curse. Excessive debt is a problem for many people, and getting out of debt can seem impossible. But it's much too easy to blame the credit cards, when the blame really goes to the cardholder. Just think about it. No one forced you to apply for the card or to use it. Most especially no one forced you to use it to excess. Having at least one credit card is just about a necessity, as a way to ensure that you have a credit score for those times when you need one. You will have a hard time getting a home or car loan without a credit history, after all. But for some, credit cards get out of hand. Maybe it's poor spending habits, maybe it was circumstances beyond your control. But it is still your problem to deal with. You need to start finding ways to pay that credit card off. It may be tough, but it's the best way to go. Start out by figuring out ways to pay more than the minimum every month. The faster you pay off your debts the less they will cost you. If you have multiple cards, pick one and pay it off first, making minimum payments on the others. Then work your way through each of the cards until all are paid off. If you don't have the money to do more than the minimum payments, however, you need to look at your lifestyle. You are living beyond your means and it needs to stop. Take a good hard look at the little extras you allow yourself. Where do you get your coffee? How often do you eat out. These expenses seem tiny but they add up really fast. Try eating at home and making your own coffee. Depending on your habits, this could save you some significant money every month. If you're renting, this can mean moving into a cheaper place. This move alone may save you hundreds every month; however there will be the initial costs of moving, not to mention the sheer inconvenience. Go over your other monthly bills. Think about going to just a cell phone or just landline service. Cutting out one of these can save you a nice bit of money every month. If you aren't stuck in a contract, you can also shop around and make sure you're getting the best deal possible for the way you use your cell phone. How many channels does your television get? Do you really need all of them or can you cut back? Depending on how much you have and what you decide, this can add up significantly. Every bill you decrease means money is freed up to save you from your credit problems. It's not a painless solution, but it is the smartest thing you can do.
Understanding what you're getting into with credit cards is important, which is why Stephanie Foster started http://www.knowyourcreditcards.com/ to talk about it. You can learn about cash rebate credit cards as well as other credit cards at her site.
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