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There is no shortage of offers for credit cards in the mail, on line and more or less everywhere you look. However, quite often the task of maintaining your credit card can be more difficult than getting the right credit card for your needs.

High Street stores are all too willing to give you a discount on the day if you sign up for one of their cards, and lets face it, that extra 10% is usually tempting whoever you are. Nonetheless before you know it you will be facing yet another monthly credit card bill.

One of the biggest problems with credit cards is that they can cover up that you are actually spending money. By not actually spending cash, you can feel that your purchases are not really costing you at all. Ultimately, this is an expensive illusion and your reality can become very painful indeed if you build up too much credit card debt.

Credit cards were not designed with budgeting in mind because each month when the day of reckoning comes round there is a payment to be made and even though meeting the minimum payment does not incur late payment fees, just take a look at that balance - it is more or less standing still!

Ask yourself how long it would take you to completely get rid of the debt if you did not charge another cent to the account. Never consider getting another card to transfer the balance to unless it is one offering interest free credit for the amount of time it will take you to pay off the debt.

To avoid the worst problems of credit card usage, don’t have too many of them. One, or at the most two, of them is enough to meet most needs, and the major credit cards are accepted globally so you don’t need to apply for new credit cards when you travel overseas. Having too many credit cards can become an organizational nightmare; too many due dates can leave bills forgotten, late and receiving costly late payment penalties.

Another credit card temptation that can get you in a lot of trouble is the ability to borrow cash on your card. This is known as a cash advance and it enables you to withdraw cash from your card via an ATM. However, this form of borrowing is usually charged at high interest, calculated daily, and is ultimately a very expensive way to borrow. It can be too easy to create a level of debt that is too high for you to service. If you are going through a difficult time, withdrawing money from your credit card can seem a godsend. Unfortunately, your debt can climb dramatically over the course of a few months and with exorbitant interest rates you can find yourself in real trouble. It is also a good idea to stick to a low cost, no frills credit card that offers low interest and no annual fee.

If you make regular visits to the ATM it soon mounts up and your debt will soar over just a few months. The interest can be as high as 24% so this really should be avoided. It clearly makes sense to avoid the temptations of rewards and bonuses and opt for a no frills card with low interest and no annual fee.

When trying to establish a good credit history, you can do so by using a credit card correctly. Your payments have to be on time. It is important that your credit rating stays healthy, especially in the case that you need to buy something big, like a car. During these times, you will be rewarded for having good credit history. As much as some of us love them, shopping sprees aren’t needed. Neither are cash advances and late payments. These all go into your credit rating, so if you are looking to use your credit card to build up good credit, only spend what you know you can afford to pay back each month.