Credit cards represent the best and worst in life. On the one hand, pulling them out of your wallet and sliding them at the store register means you get your hands on what you wanted to buy. On the other hand, you get to curse and swear at the bill that shows up in your mailbox a few weeks later. Read on the find out how to maximize the good while minimizing the bad.

Do not cut up all your cards thinking that will end your debt woes. It is true that stopping the bleeding is the first step, you still have to pay down the bills. It is better to get in the habit of just paying off your full balance every month. Having active revolving debt will boost your credit score, and give you lower interest rates, which really helps paying down your debt.

If you are a college student, you may find that you are getting offers for student credit cards. If you are looking to get a credit card, you may want to take one of these companies up on the offer. This will help you to avoid having to apply to multiple companies for a credit card.

Try to avoid letting anyone else become an authorized user of your card if you can avoid it. Sometimes people are tempted to let others have access to their cards in this way and the other person runs up the card and they are not the ones that will be legally responsible if the debt does not get paid.

Choose one bill to put on your credit card and use your credit card for that bill every month, then pay off the card at the end of the month. That way, you make sure you're using the card regularly and responsibly and your credit score will continually go up.

Never make the mistake of not paying credit card payments, because you can't afford them. Any payment is better than nothing, that shows you truly want to make good on your debt. Not to mention that delinquent debt can end up in collections, where you will incur extra finance charges. This can also ruin your credit for years to come!

If you have multiple cards that have a balance on them, you should avoid getting new cards. Even if you are paying everything back on time, there is no reason for you to take the chance of getting another card and making your financial situation any more strained than it already is.

A sensible way to use credit cards is to use one for all your monthly spending, then pay it off each month. Using a credit card can help you to keep track of your spending and your statement serves as a monthly reminder of where your money is going. Of course, the key to this type of money management is to be sure to pay your balance each month, in order to avoid finance charges.

Keep track of what you are purchasing with your card, much like you would keep a checkbook register of the checks that you write. It is far too easy to spend spend spend, and not realize just how much you have racked up over a short period of time.

The credit cards in your life can swing both ways. While they can mean the instant gratification of that new item you wanted at the mall, they can also mean a headache in the mail a month later. This article has provided you with ideas on how to reap your rewards without sweating the downside much. Apply what you have learned to excel at both.