One of my New Year’s resolutions when 2009 arrived was to be able to better manage my finances. I may not be one to spend all her money on impulsive shopping, but it doesn’t mean either that I’m good at growing my money. Actually, I just try to save a portion of my salary for emergency and that’s it. I have never invested and that’s what I want to explore on next year. But before that, I think I’ll have to finish paying off my credit card debts first.

I guess I have failed myself big time when I got a few credit cards before and maxed them all out. I was young then and far from being wise. I didn’t know getting credit cards required educating yourself on how to use them properly. But things have changed, and so have I. I have learned my lesson. I am now gradually but religiously paying off my credit card debts . I now also know how to identify the best credit cards out there and how I could minimize my spending through them.

Let me give you some tips which I have found very useful the past months. First, keep your credit card use to a minimum, or a little below 30% of your credit limit. Experts recommend that. Second, compare credit cards to know which one suits your lifestyle and spending habits. This means if you’re more into shopping, choose one that gives tons of discounts on shops instead of one that offers travel mileage. And the best tip of all, do not use your credit card for cash advances if you couldn’t see yourself capable of paying it back on time. You know you don’t want the interests to soar high and your payables to reach the ceiling.


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