Credit Card Debt - You Need A Budget
Credit cards—shiny, but sometimes slimy. In the best of times they mean free airline tickets. The worst of times? Hello, pain and turmoil.
You can avoid credit card pitfalls.
Let’s face it—despite the many advantages of credit cards (convenience! building credit! points and perks!), actually using them can be tricky. It’s so much easier to overspend when you’re reaching for plasic instead of cash—or worse, to spend money you just don’t have.
So how to protect yourself? Or if you’re already struggling with credit card debt, how do you go about paying that debt down?
We’ve compiled some of our best info on the topic. Read on to discover some powerful tips and tricks for handling credit cards.
Powerful Tips and Tricks for Handling Credit Cards:
Every time I explain the credit card float to people, I feel like the bearer of bad news. There they are, happily paying their bills (for the time being) when I roll up and point out the flaw in their plan, like some self-appointed Safety Patrol of Budgeting. It’s not a fun role for me …
4 Lessons From My Zero Percent Nightmare
I woke up on January 1, 2018, and took a deep breath. I’d been preparing as much as one can—this was going to be a big year. You see, two months earlier I’d filed for divorce. And although I’d been living on my own with two kids for more than a year, it seemed like …
Should I Pay Off My Credit Cards or Max Out My 401k?
In the unending “pay off debt first or start investing” debate, I’ve learned about a small wrinkle: If your employer matches your 401k contributions, you earn an instant 100% bonus on every one of those dollars. In the worst of scenarios, your credit card company is charging you interest in the high 20s. The Big …
Why I'm Thankful For My Credit Card Debt
Sometimes the best lessons in life come to you the hardest way. That’s how it was for me with budgeting, and in particular—budgeting with YNAB. I found YNAB in the summer of 2006, back when it was an elaborate version of a spreadsheet. Yep. I’m old school YNAB. I’ve been around for a long time. …
There is no shortage of blogs, and lists, and quick tips from every corner of the Internet shouting about how to improve your credit score. This isn’t one of those articles. Yes, of course, there are things you can do to raise your score like make all your payments on time and avoid maxing out …
3 Ways to Curb Your Spending Problem
Nobody likes to talk about it, but a lot of people struggle with a spending problem. Excess spending can happen almost on accident: a few purchases here, a late-night online shopping session there, and all of a sudden your bank account is a source of anxiety. These spending habits can put us further and further …