Many times the simple things have a way of sticking with us and helping change our patterns of behavior better than a list of 25 items we need to remember to do on a regular basis. 

If you’re struggling with stopping the use of your credit cards - you could set fire to them, but I hate the smell of  buring plastic don’t you? 

Instead, try to focus on changing just one or two things.  Once you master those then you can move on to the next steps. 

I recently read an article from TheStreet.Com called 5 Ways to Dig Yourself Out of Credit Card Debt.  This post is adapted from that article. 

It will be especially important with Black Friday approaching that you have a plan in place to help with your credit cards.  Here are three simple things you can do to help curb your credit card usage:

1. Delete your cookies

Wait! What? Yes you read that right.  But how does that help? 

Cookies are simply a way your computer remembers information about you to make your internet browsing easier and quicker. 

One thing that your computer stores is your credit card account numbers and information. 

Think how easy is it to jump on a site like Amazon.com, shop for that new book, video game or software you’ve been dying to buy and with a couple clicks of a mouse have the item shipped to your house.

Most people aren’t big dorks like me and have their credit card number memorized  - so by deleting your cookies you at least have to take a few minutes to go dig your credit card out of your wallet and type in the information.

Doing this will probably get old after a while and hopefully will be enough to at least make you pause and think, “Do I really need this?” 

2. Apply the $25 rule

This rule simply says you CANNOT add more than $25 (or $50 or $15 or whatever you amount you decide) to a purchase you were originally going to make.

In other words, say you go to the mall for a new pair of pants, but you notice that sweater you’ve been eyeing for a while is on sale for $29.99.  You need to say, “Sorry sweater, you’re not coming home with me!”  Don’t act like you don’t talk to your clothes!

You should set your target spending amounts BEFORE you go to the store.

Another version of this would be to say you cannot add X amount to your card at any one time – where X is whatever amount you decide ($25, $50, $75 etc.)  This helps avoid those big ticket items that are easy to say to yourself, “Oh, I’ll just pay it off later!”

3. Play the Three Reasons game

This can be one of those games that annoy you to the point of not purchasing the item. 

Basically you need to name three reasons why you should buy that particular item with a credit card.    (Don’t cheat: ”Because I don’t have cash on me” is not an answer!).

If you have trouble with cards don’t fool yourself into thinking that getting your cards rewards points is an answer either.

If you can come up with three solid reasons why you should buy with your credit card then go for it.  What you’ll find is that many times it just doesn’t make sense. 

Try these simple rules this holiday season and see what happens with your credit card usage.  What other simple tricks do you use to help curb your credit card use?

Other posts on credit cards you might like:

• How to Save (Potentially) Thousands by Spending $3.99
• 9 Habits of the Debt-Free Credit Card User
• 5 Mistakes People Make with Their Credit Cards

It’s one of life’s great conundrums: how exactly does the average credit card user stay debt free? Surely the two are mutually exclusive, and therefore the stuff of fairy tales. Yet, while most credit card users find it nigh on impossible to clear their debts, there are a handful of very organized spenders who should be lauded.

They don’t necessarily clear their cards every month; they just use them wisely and manage their money well: think frugal and sensible, as boring as it sounds. And while it is a good thing to be able to clear your credit card debt, it’s actually healthy for your credit history to have some record of debt, so potential creditors can see if you’d be a worthy client.

The debt-free credit card user’s secrets are within your grasp – and all without a pair of scissors in sight. Here’s how they do it:

1. Show Restraint
Don’t throw your money around. The average DFCCU (debt-free credit card user) has had to learn to be strict with themselves and their wallet, and it doesn’t mean they only refrain from extravagance, it means they start with saving on the small things. So, eat out less, buy more home brand items at the store and shop around for cheap gas or better still, ditch the car – it’s often a huge drain on finances. Once you’ve cut costs you’ll find you’ll have more money to pay off debts.

2. Get a Steady Job

Before the bottom fell out of the financial market, the world and his wife were inundated with pre-approved credit card offers, and were often granted immediate credit without ever having to prove they had the means to pay it off.  Now that the financial bubble’s burst those offers aren’t flooding letter boxes in the same way, but the people who were granted the credit are drowning in debt. So, the one and only way to get out of the mess is to have a job that pays well. And if you have a good job but you’re still finding it hard to pay off chunks of your debts, get a better one, or ask for a raise. Of course, changing spending habits would be the best route, but for some that’s harder than changing jobs!

3. Stay Strong

When the assistant behind the counter is trying to persuade you to get yet another store card that you don’t need, just say “No”. Sure you get $10 off the total cost of your bill today, but you’ll end up paying 10 times that over the next few months in exorbitant interest fees, which will probably keep building up because you only pay the minimum amount every month.

4. Have a Healthy Panic

Ignore all the advice you’ve heard to date about not panicking when you find you’re getting deeper into debt. Are they mad? A good controlled panic attack will scare even the most hardened debt junky into realizing that they can’t possibly go on spending as they are – and not on their wage. And don’t worry; even the DFCCU had to go through this stage, too. It’s like one of the five stages of grieving, but for cards.

5. Devise a Plan

Once the panic waves have subsided, take a deep breath, pull yourself together and start planning what to do next. Write down exactly how much you owe – it always looks much worse on paper, so will reiterate just how bad, or good, things are – then start calculating.  How much you allocate to each card should depend on the interest rate of each. Start paying those with the highest interest rate first. If you can, consolidate all your debt onto one low-interest card, or one with a good introductory offer near 0% for certain period. Be warned though, always check the fine print on these offers so you’re not stung with a highly-inflated interest rate once the introductory offer finishes.

6. Make Direct Debit Your Friend

Without a doubt, everyone who has ever had a credit card will have missed a payment at some point, and while this is enough to push most people into setting up a monthly direct debit, others remain serial non-payers. True, it can be a pain getting it organized and usually involves lengthy calls to your bank, but once it’s sorted it is absolutely worth it. All you have to do is make sure there is enough money in the bank every month to cover the outgoing payments. See step 2.

7. Get the Devil Behind You

Do not use your credit card in place of a debit card. It’s a sure-fire way to ensure your fragile financial stability goes into a downward spiral. Many cash-strapped people start to use their credit card once their checking account has gone over the overdraft limit because it’s the only way they can get their hands on some cash. But don’t be tempted. Unless you are very good at managing your payments by paying them off every single month, keep your credit card locked away until desperate measures are needed. And that means not using it to go out with your buddies for a few drinks because you’re too embarrassed to tell them you’re broke! Peer pressure can be shockingly persuasive.

8. Make Small Sacrifices

Not the voodoo type; some of your own.  List what you can do without and write down what you really need for the week/month, depending on how you calculate your budget. If you think you really need something and are tempted to buy it but know you shouldn’t, give yourself a 30-day cooling off period. If after then it’s still as precious to you, budget around it. It’s also a good idea to have days when you vow to spend nothing at all. Pick one day a week, stick to it, and you’d be surprised how much you can save.

9. Give it Some Time

Understanding that you’re not going to be able to become debt-free overnight is important. These things take time. As long you realize that it’s about how you use your credit card, and a budget is in place, things will get easier. And once you’ve mastered the art of debt-free credit card use you can start building those precious points that will lead to well-earned treats, without having to worry about how you’re going to pay for them.

Useful Links: 1, 2, 3, 4

Financial difficulties like recessions, job layoffs or reduced salaries have a way of revealing how important it is to build a financial safety net. 

Having funds available for emergencies helps weather the inevitable storms of life and can get you through some difficult circumstances without incurring credit card debt.  

Here are some things to consider when establishing your emergency fund.

How much is enough?

Generally speaking, most financial advisors will recommend you have at least three to six months worth of expenses in a cash reserve. 

Depending on your situation you may want more.  For example, if you have a commission-only job and your income fluctuates or you have a seasonal job where your income is low for a few months out of the year it might be wise for you to establish a larger net.

How do I begin establishing a cash reserve? 

If you find your reserves are a little anemic, consider these steps to start the process:

1. Take inventory of your monthly expenses.  Multiply this number by your desired reserve (i.e. 3 months, 6 months etc)
2. Make a budget so you can begin to “trim the fat”.  Cutting back on unnecessary expenses will free up extra cash that can be saved into your reserve.
3. Get creative on making additional money.  Sell your old “junk” on ebay, or have a garage sale.  Use these proceeds to start building your emergency fund.  My wife and I have made some extra money these last few years by selling our old cell phones, clothes and more on ebay.
4. Save aggressively into a savings account.  There are many great accounts out there.  Bob at ChristianPF has a post on the 10 reasons why he loves ING.  If you like using local banks, I suggest calling around to find out who is offering the highest interest.  Otherwise if you are comfortable with online banking then check out bankrate.com.  They allow you to search the highest yields at banks both locally and nationally.
5. Don’t dip into your reserve unless absolutely necessary.  One of the biggest mistakes people make in setting up cash reserves is a false sense of now “having money to spend”.  Stay focused on the task at hand.  After you’ve built up your cash reserve feel free to reward yourself.  Just remember this money is for a safety net.

I built up my cash reserves – now what?

Once you’ve reached your goal for your cash reserve it’s time to get strategic about earning the most interest. 

I usually recommend a Three Tier Cash Reserve System to help keep the funds liquid and yet earn a higher rate of return. 

A three tier cash reserve basically utilizes a checking account, a money market and a short term CD Ladder. 

Tier 1

Tier 1 consists of your checking account.  It acts as your revolving door, meaning  funds come in and go out on a regular basis.  

Since most checking accounts pay nothing, you want to keep no more than one months worth of expenses here. 

Tier 2

A money market fund is designed to provide a safe place to invest short term liquid assets.  They typically generate a higher interest rate than a savings account. 

If you are using a three month reserve you’ll want to keep about a months worth of expenses here and about two to three months worth if using a six month reserve.

Tier 3

A short term CD Ladder is essentially a 12-month CD bought each quarter or four total.  Divide the remaining amount of your reserve by four and buy a 12-month CD.  In three months do the same thing and so on. 

If you fast forward one year from now, you will have a CD coming due every three months in case of a major emergency and need to access the funds.

Theses ladders can be structured in various ways.  For example, you could buy a 3, 6, 9, & 12-month CD all at once if your bank offers those terms.  You could also buy 12, 24, & 36-month CDs to ladder your funds.  I am a big fan of the 12-month CDs for two reasons:

1. They typically offer higher interest than the shorter term CDs
2. You don’t have to lock up your money for a longer time period.  Since this is a saftey net, you don’t want to be in a position where you are cashing out a longer-term CD early and incurring a penalty or forgoing interest.

Set Targets and Avoid Discouragment

Don’t be discouraged if you are not able to get your cash reserve set up like this yet.  The key is to stay focused on saving your money so that you can get your emergency fund where it needs to be. 

Set a target for yourself of when you’d like to achieve this goal and also set little goals along the way (i.e. saving your first $1,000, getting Tier 2 set up etc.). 

Be sure to reward yourself along the way when your goals are met so that you can stay motivated and positive. 

Saving for Emergencies or Paying Down Debt

Inevitably a question will come up from time to time about whether it is smarter to save into an emergency fund or pay down credit card debt? 

I like Dave Ramsey’s “Baby Steps” idea when faced with a question like this.  What he usually recommends is that you save $1,000 into an emergency fund first and then start paying down your debt. 

You can worry about building up your Three-Tier Cash Reserve once you have your debt wiped out.

Resources To Help

• Bankrate.com - compare interest rates on savings, money markets and CDs from banks across the nation.
• Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps

 

Your debt may be costing you more than you realize especially if you are making these 5 mistakes.  Paying off your debt is a battle you can win by bypassing these blunders:

1. Not paying the bill in full each month

This is where it all begins.  You buy something you can’t afford and think to yourself, “I get paid in two weeks, I’ll just put it on the credit card and as soon as I get the bill I will pay it off” and then something else comes up.  Your brakes go out, your washer quits working  or you find some other trinket you want to buy and you put that on your credit card too.  At the end of the of the month you receive a hefty bill and only pay what you can and wind up leaving a balance on the card that accrues interest at insane amounts. Creating a budget will go a long way in helping to avoid this problem.

2. Only paying the minimum payment

If you are paying only minimum payments on your debt, your credit card companies love you and you should be getting Christmas cards from them each year.  Paying the minimum payment will basically ensure that it will take a lifetime to pay off your debt.  You must pay more than the minimum if you want to get anywhere with your bills.

3. Not paying attention to due dates

This is easy to do because we are busy people, but making a late payment even if it is only by a few days can rack up ridiculous charges that only compound your debt.  Those annoying charges can also have an impact on your credit report.  Being vigilant about paying your debt and paying it on time is key.

4. Not paying attention to the interest paid

If more people understood how much interest they are paying to their card companies each month in interest alone, perhaps they would make a greater effort in getting these debts paid off.  Matt Jabs at DebtFreeAdventure.com takes a revealing look at his own interest payments for the month and shows how interest destroys your ability to build wealth.

5. Not negotiating with the card companies

It puzzles me that more people don’t call their card companies to negotiate with them.  You can negotiate things like interest rates, late payment fees or even payment plans.  If nothing else, it doesn’t hurt to give them a call and find out what they can do for you.  Bob Lotich at ChristianPF.com tells about his experience in  negotiating with credit card companies. 

Getting out of debt isn’t easy, but don’t make it harder on yourself by making simple mistakes that can easily be avoided.