Isa sa mga financial milestones natin ang paggamit ng credit cards. Although not all are a fan of using credit cards because of the different worries na mag-overspend, and baka hindi ma-track ang ating expenses and maging messed-up ang budget planning natin. Newbie kaba sa credit cards? Don’t worry, here are 5 useful tips that you can apply as a first-time credit card user.
- Avoid Swiping Spree!
Ang pagkakaroon ng credit card ay talaga namang overwhelming at first, lalo na kung wala kang proper knowledge and awareness on how we should use our credit card wisely. ‘Wag magspend ng money na alam natin na we cannot pay right away, baka imbis na makatulong sa atin ang credit card to make our expenses lighter, baka other way around ang mangyari! We cannot deny the fact that credit cards are convenient sa atin but that convenience can also come along with temptations to spend more on the things that we don’t really need.
- Pay your payments on time!
To be a responsible credit card-user, we must make sure na hindi tayo nale-late sa mga payments natin to avoid paying interest. Aside from that, paying late sa ating monthly credit card payments may reflect negatively sa ating credit score. If may history ka ng pagiging forgetful when it comes to your monthly payments it is advisable to set up automatic payments every month for at least the minimum payment. Dahil even if you’re busy or forgetful, masisigurado nito na you will not miss a payment.
- Avoid making cash advances
Credit card cash advances are a costly kind of credit and a quick method to accumulate debt. Cash advances allow us to use credit cards for short-term expenses and bank loans. Naku, huwag magpapawili when it comes to cash advances dahil napaka-risky nito, this can cause us to overspend and prohibit us from planning our budget wisely dahil we are not completely on-track with our expenses using credit cards kaya prone tayo to overspend.
- Don’t spend what you cannot pay!
Before using credit cards, we should make sure na we are responsible spender muna
and can budget and track our expenses properly. And of course, we should also consider ang mga unexpected/emergency fees na labas sa budget natin kaya naman we got no other choice but to use our credit cards to pay for it. The best thing that we could do under this circumstance is to pay the minimum amount due to avoid accruing debt.
- Never be afraid to ask for financial advice when it comes to credit cards!
Many first-time credit card users make the mistake of not speaking up when they’re in difficulties. Sabi nga nila “huwag mahihiyang magtanong..”, never hesitate to ask for professional advices especially when it comes to using credit card. Mas mainam na sigurado tayo and guided tayo pagdating sa ating decisions sa paggamit ng ating credit cards. In case that fall behind on your payments, huwag matakot na mag reach-out sa iyong issuer to see if they may provide you an extension or a payment plan to prevent late penalties and interest. Working with your issuer can also help you avoid ruining your credit.
