Why YOU are what’s wrong with your credit card.
I heard a radio ad today that was talking about people suffering with credit card debt and how they shouldn’t blame themselves because it wasn’t their fault. Instead it said that it’s the economy’s fault, and it’s the bank and credit card companies fault. Well I disagree. If you’re suffering through one of those experiences, I want you to know that taking responsibility for your actions will set you free. If you admit to yourself that it is your fault and that you were the one who whipped out the plastic and bought things you didn’t need or couldn’t afford, then you are also setting yourself free to solve the problem.
I too once got myself into a credit card mess. And while I at first didn’t want to fess up to the fact that I was the one who got greedy and misused my cards, once I did I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me. Since I recognized that I got myself into that mess I knew that I could get myself out of it.
Credit is a tool, and if properly used can help you to leverage the bank’s money and appreciate the return. There’s good debt and bad debt. It would be ideal if we could all exist in a world without any debt, unfortunately things that are valuable such as housing and transportation are expensive. They usually must be financed. We should all avoid financing things that we can buy with cash. Things like food, gas, clothing, flashy electronics, such as iphones and the like. If you’re in debt and rewarding yourself with such a self indulgent gift as an iphone, I think you need to take a better look at who you are and what you’re doing. Where are your goals? How close are you to your goals?
Too many times people justify buying something with the words, “Oh well, you only live once.” Putting a 500 dollar Coach bag on your card when you are so worried about making your rent or your house or car payment is retarded. Sometimes we get ourselves into situations, but once we realize we’re in one we need to turn around from those actions. People tell me, “Hey, what’s the big deal if I buy myself something nice once in a while?” And I think, Nothing, I love people like you, because it’s people like you who make the wealthy, wealthier. Charge more! I’m going to put 500 dollars into my trading account, and buy shares of Visa so I can get my cut of your stupid purchases and all of the millions of people who shop the same way you do.
If you want to escape you have to think like the 20% of people who are going against what the 80% of people are doing.
There are things you can do though. For one start paying off your smallest balances first. If your credit is in decent shape, go down to Bank of America and apply for their Visa Signature card. It gives you 1 year at 0% APR on balance transfers. Put as much of your debt onto it as you can. That money is now costing you nothing. Make the minimum payments on it and on every other card you have. Starting with the smallest card, put as much extra as you can on it and work your way up the line of credit cards in the order from smallest to largest increasing the amount of payments you’re making to each card by combining the total of payments you were making to cards that are now paid off. Once you finish paying off all balances costing you money, depending on how much time is left, go back to Bank of America and apply for the World Points Visa, this card gives you 0% for 6 months. Do a balance transfer into your checking as Bank of America won’t let you transfer balances between cards, but will let you transfer funds into your personal checking account, at any bank you use. Once you do that, take the funds out of your checking and pay off your balance on the Bank of America Signature Visa that the 0% has expired on and start paying it off as you go. Once you finish paying off your debt, take the amount you were putting to your debt into your savings account.
If your credit stinks and you’re in collections just make payment arrangements and pay the cards off from smallest to largest and keep increasing those payments.
Credit is a tool that you can use, but it’s a tool you can misuse as well. Just like a rifle can be used to provide for your family or kill your family. In the end, it’s you who is responsible for how it is used, not the bank, not the card company.









