Sunday, September 13, 2009

Credit Cards

Credit cards are useful tools that were created for better money management. But, the initial purpose of the creation of credit cards is being rarely implemented. People are simply abusing the usage of these cards. If one is wise enough to learn how to use credit cards there can be nothing heavenly like it for any emergency help.

Living within means! Credit cards were designed to help people make their ends meet. In fact, they were meant to bridge money gaps that occur to meet up expenses for their basic food, clothing and shelter and for some emergency needs. However, people tend to use it for the reverse. Lavishing out to purchase two when they need just one, it is simply not possible to live without credit cards these days. Indeed it has become a second behavior.

When you are out shopping in the mal, you come across something catchy, you just go about scratching your credit cards with a buy now and pay sometime attitude. It is really not wrong to use credit cards for any purchase, but the mistake is with not repaying it on time.

When to use credit cards for a purchase?
When the need is definite and indispensable you can use credit cards but you need to make sure that you are spending on what you can afford to repay.
Watch for the current APR on your credit cards. If you have a 40% it is definitely a scary number and you need to see some other way to sort out your money problem.
If you are expecting some money coming quickly within a week or two, you can vouch on the sum you are expecting and you can spend it on your credit cards making sure to repay it when the money comes.

As long as one repays the money before the purchase starts to accumulate interest credit cards are a great way to any purchase. There may be stances when we might slip on repaying the total due. At such times, you need to concentrate to finish off the total due as quickly as possible, making sure to make the minimum payment due to avoid late payment fee.

Credit cards can be used reasonably and wisely. Once we master the way to use them wisely there are lot of other benefits like reward points, cash back offers and discounts that we can make the most use of.