Most of the time people are blissfully unaware that their spending habits that rely on credit cards are leading them straight into debt, until it is too late. Many people just don't understand where their money goes. They have a reasonably good income, but they find that their expenditure is always more than their income. You may feel lucky that you own a few credit cards that can help you to fill the gap between your income and your expenditure. If this is your practice, you are risking yourself to be trapped into a credit card debt.
Most of debtors that caught into serious finance issue are related to credit card. Statistic shows that American households are holding an average of $10,000 credit card debts. Credit cards are no longer a status symbol as it was a few years back. Everyone, and we mean everyone, can flash one around these days. Credit card provides easy and convenient payment in any of your purchases and you do not need to carry too much cash around while bringing your girl friend or family to dinner at a nice restaurant. Until, you forgot that credit card may be the evil that can lead you to serious debt trap. Here is one of examples on how you walk right into credit card debt.
Charge It To My Credit Card
Today, almost everything can be purchased with credit card. Most merchants understand that you won't feel the pinch when you do not have to pay in cash and you can make your buying decision faster and easier if it do not involve "Cash" money. Hence, many merchants are working with the credit card companies to come out with various "0% interest Payment Schema" to purchase their products with credit card and payment can be made with 12 to 24 months with zero interest.
Now, a $4000 home theatre set can be purchased easily with only $166.70 per month pay in 24 months. What you need to do is charge it to your credit card. It's easy right? So, you do it again and again to buy anything you liked, nothing could stop you from buying it. You don't feel the pinch because you do not have to pay for it in cash. And the easy payment schema offer by merchant that charge your purchases on to your credit card and spread your payments across 12 to 24 months let you feel that the items you buy are within your affordability.
The situation goes even worse when you just pay the minimum payment on your credit card balances. The frequency of late payment increase because your find it hard to meet the payment schedule and minimum payment requirement. Debts are snowballing with the compound interest and late payment charges. You are walking your way into debt trap. Situation will getting worse if you do not know how to manage it and work the way out of it.
In Summary
In many cases, unmanaged and uncontrolled uses of credit cards are the root cause that leads you to a credit card debt. Hence, before you signup any of the easy payment schemas to buy the items that you like, take a moment to reconsider them and take the purchase prices not the credit card monthly payments in counting your affordability to buy these items. If you do not have discipline to use and clear your credit card balance, the best thing is not to use it.
