Are you still using credit cards?

What exactly is it about credit cards that you like or find useful? Is it that credit cards allow you the ability to purchase an item that you might not have the money to buy at the time? Do you use it as a convenient purchasing tool so that you aren't required to carry around cash? Is it because of the security features that credit cards offer? Maybe you do most of your shopping online? Credit cards can be the ultimate nemesis of an impulse buyer. I think that all too many people may be learning or about to learn that lesson.

I really love to buy things online,almost nearly half or more things i`ve bought from the net.hahah,i`m a lazy girl,don`t want to go shopping on foot.so the credit cards seems good for me.though at first i could buy issues out of control,cos at time i`ve never thought about the crisis.but now,time changes,so the shopping list almost in my plan.if you are a rational people,cards would be a good helper.

That is a very smart move silverglint. Inflation in the United States is coming and interest rates will be going up. It's not a matter of if, but when. First the George W. Bush administration's unchecked printing of money and now the Obama administration's continued printing of money with reckless abandon has insured that inflation will happen. Better to pay your debt off now while you are still able to.

How true. A good credit rating can open up doors and a bad credit rating can be debilitating. I think that this is a point that too often gets overlooked. Your credit rating is an indication of your reliability and trustworthiness. Even prospective employers can check your rating out. A good credit rating may mean that you have access to purchase things not available to others. A bad credit rating could mean that everything costs more. You can always ask your bank or Credit Card company for a lower rate on your credit card. You can ask to have certain features removed in order to lower the rate too. If you aren't interest in the ability to make purchases in foreign currencies, why pay for that feature with a higher rate?

I am glad to hear that you were able to overcome you financial difficulties. Most people end up spending more for the items that they purchased by credit because they aren't disciplined enough to use a credit card only when you can already cover purchases and be disciplined enough to pay the credit card bill completely at the end end of every month. If you use credit cards to make purchases that you cannot afford, then you invite big trouble and will inevitably pay more for your purchases. Credit Card companies and banks love to issue credit cards because most people change their shopping habits when using credit cards. When consumers use cash for their purchases, they can see immediately how the money that can be so hard to earn is being used. Money is hard to earn and easy to spend. A credit card can facilitate the belief that one doesn't have to worry about the cost of purchases. It can feel like "free money" when the costs/consequences are pushed into the future.

As significant as your debt is, believe it or not, it's no where near as much as the average American's debt load. If you are using your credit card to get by, then that isn't a good sign. If this is a recent occurrence due to current economic difficulties, then I would suggest trying as best as you can to avoid using a credit card as a solution to problems. If this is how you normally use your CC, then perhaps it's time to examine your budget and take a realistic view towards your lifestyle. Carrying a balance and using a credit card to by things that you can't entirely pay for at the moment means that you are paying much more for those purchases. Thanks for sharing.

I have never used a prepaid credit card before, but they certainly are a great idea. You are right that they can help people control their spending as you can't spend more than is on the card, you have to fill it up again. I think that prepaid credit cards are a great tool for teenagers or young adults to get exposed to credit with. If hard lessons need to be learned, they needn't destroy futures. Prepaid credit cards are also good for online shopping. Provide the protection of credit cards while limiting any losses by fraud. I'd add there great for people who have a difficult time meeting deadlines and paying their credit card bills on time. No huge interest fees to contend with. Thanks for sharing.

Well you are certainly doing the right thing then. If you have run into difficulty with credit then the best thing to do is stop, pay it off and avoid making the same mistake again. You'll be better off in the long run and you'll feel better too. Good luck.

While I commend you for tackling your debt and for your attempts to avoid further debt, some credit cards are okay if you avoid having a balance and pay the bill off completely at the end of every month. I would never use a credit card that had annual fees or other types of membership fees. When it comes to traveling, booking things in advance or some forms of online shopping, a credit card can be useful. You won't be able to get a hotel room without one or be able to rent a car. Credit Cards provide protection against fraud and may be required if you want to shop online.