Credit Cards.. Eek!!

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I'm thinking about getting one. I'm kinda nervous to.. I don't really have great spending habits.. buuut I think it could come in handy! Does anybody have one? Any stories? My friend got hers and maxed it out in 2 days!!

I would strongly caution you against it, especially if you have poor spending habits. I am paying dearly for mine. They can put you in quite the bind. I almost feel like a slave to mine now.

only my debt/credit that goes directly into my bank account.

It's good to at least establish credit so you have a FICO score and some credit history. Use it responsibly. Don't charge more than you can afford.

I got one credit card this past year and as soon as I opened the mail my mom stopped chopping the chicken and tore that credit card to pieces rebuking it in French. My sister has maxed out her credit so many times and she's caused most of the storms in the house. I will never forget the time she went to Bloomingdale and spent almost over a thousand dollars... WW3 She brought me back a nice jacket though. Only kept it for a week.

Who co-signed for your credit card?

What do you mean? I got a letter that had my full name on it and a credit card inside that's about it.

you have to apply (and have a co-signer that is over 18 if you are under 18) to get a real credit card.

Yeah that's a fake credit card. It would say that on the letter that came with it as well.

ah I gotcha, that's weird. It must have been a fake card then. It didn't say fake though.

I would reccomend it. When it comes time to buy a car, house, etc. creditors will want to see an established credit history. I got my first card at 18, with a $500 limit. Just make sure you read the terms and conditions very carefully before deciding what to do. And try to stay away from department store cards.

be careful kiddo... you can get your self in hot water fasr. But, yes, you'll need to establish credit sooner than later.As for me, I messed up in the past and it took me a long time to get straightened out. Now, I can practically buy a car with my M/C.

who needs a credit card? if u need money 2 spend , what the hell r parents for!!1 , i use my dad's credit card , he's now old 4 spending money

Just be careful. I got myself into come serious debt because of them. I though "Oh I'll use it for school" well I did just use to for school and it got incredible! Also had to use it once to get my car fixed when I didn’t have the cash for it. I JUST got my debt paid off after 3-4 years of being a slave to them. After they were paid off I tore them all up and cancelled the accounts. It'll be awhile before I get another card, just because the sight of them makes me sick LOL.Some good advise... don't carry the card with you. Keep it at home and use it for emergencies only, especially if you have bad spending habits because it can be a BIG temptation. They can be really good for building credit if used responsibly. So if that is your intention, than try and only put on the card what you know you can pay off completely by your next statement.

If you only buy things you have the cash to pay for, it'll be great. It will improve you credit and make things like buying a house easier and give you better interest rates. But, if you start floating a balance, cancel the card. And don't put emergency things on them. If you need money like that, borrow from family or friends with little or not interest and, just make sure you pay it back.

Aren't there credit cards where you have to deposit an amount of money into them and thats your limit? If you are bad at spending money, you'll get into trouble quick. The temptation to use it is just too easy.

They don't help your credit though.

If you're not responsible with your money, you shouldn't have one then.

I think I might get one in the next month or so.. just to establish some credit.. It's not so much that I have really bad spending habits.. I'm just nervous that If i see something i really want.. I'll be like "VISA!!" My FP teacher also told me its a good way to track your expenses.. I dont know.. !

I mailed in a credit card payment and it got there one day late because I did not realize it was Labor Day. Well, even though I had always been on time with payments etc. They jacked my APR up to something like 23%. And it never came back down. Just be very careful.