1) DO make a budget listing all your fixed expenses. Rent or mortgage, car insurance, car payments, cell phones, utilities, day care, fixed loans, etc. Then try to estimate a reasonable budget for discretionary items like food, drinks, dry cleaning, etc.

2) DO make a second list of all your outstanding balances and sort by balance, minimum payment, and interest charges if you have multiple credit card debts.

You may think the wisest thing to do is paying off the credit card with the highest interest rate. However, there are 2 preferred methods to follow.

First, you should first reduce the number of credit cards. Pay off the smallest balance first with larger payments until the number of credit cards you have in debt is down to one. Your ultimate goal is zero, or when you can pay your monthly balance in full every month.

The other strategy is to pay the balance on any card exceeding 50 percent of your credit limit because balances above this level may cause your credit score to diminish.

3) DO use cash or a debit card from your checking account. You can’t spend what you don’t have.

4) DO look for extra income. Most likely your rent or mortgage is your biggest expense, so consider a roommate. If you like your occasional privacy, consider an International student for shorter periods of time.

Consider starting a Blog. Blogger and WordPress blog platforms are free. If it becomes popular, slap on some Ads with Google Adsense. Your first payout will be issued when you reach $100.

5) DO look for the little things that add up in your expenses. Maybe change your cell phone plan if you are constantly going over the monthly minutes? How about that $2.75 Starbucks latte or cappuccino every work day? That’s almost $7,000 a year!

6) DON’T sign up with a new credit card with a 0% APR for the first 6 months.

You probably receive a lot of junk mail enticing you to sign up with a new credit card with a 0% APR for the first 6 months before it jumps to 24% or even higher. Then 6 months later you would transfer your huge balance to another piece of plastic. Unfortunately, the biggest risk is they are simply giving you more credit to spend, and the number of cards and liability increases.

Unless you are extremely disciplined, this doesn’t really work as you end up bigger and deeper in the hole! Reducing the number of credit cards is the goal.

7) DON’T get a consolidated bank loan to pay off all your debt.

Logically, a 12% bank loan APR is less than 24% APR on a credit card. It sounds like good advice, because you can’t spend what you don’t have. You will be asked to have all your cards cut up (except maybe one with a small credit limit) and you have reduced the number of credit cards.

However, your bank may not accept your loan application if they have no collateral, or if your Debt to Service ratio is too high. Often, a co-signer is often required. These types of loans are not like regular loans for a car or house where they can repossess it should you default on your payments.

But if you do choose this method and default on this loan, either your co-signer will end up footing the bill (and really getting them angry!) or losing your assets assuming you own one. The ultimate downfall is you might end up in bankruptcy. It’s better to upset one creditor than to lose your entire home.

Research, educate, get creative, and get out of credit card debt now!

Is it zero interest rates?

Only keep your eyes for a card that offer 0% interest rate on purchases. Interest rates can cost you a great deal of money if you do not pay off your credit card, so finding a card that charges no interest can save you a great deal of money. If you do choose a 0% interest credit card, take note of when that interest rate may expire because often that rate is only for 6-12 months.

Is there any hidden fees?

When choosing a credit card, you must make it sure that there will be no hidden charges that may be involved with credit cards. They will come in many forms such as annual fees, processing fees, and even maintenance fees. Even if the card looks like a great deal, these fees can go on your card and will cost you a great deal of money. It is usually best to avoid cards that have hidden fees associated with them. If you keep on the lookout for hidden fees when you are looking for a credit card, you can avoid paying more than you need.

Is there any rewards programs offered?

Check whether any rewards programs that may come with the card. Many credit cards offer rewards that are dependent on the purchases you make using your credit card. Some companies offer cash back on your purchases while others offer chances for free vacations. A rewards program that offers cash back can be a great idea when you are using a credit card often.

What about cash advance option?

This is also important. If you are getting your credit card to use in emergencies, you may want to choose a credit card that gives you a cash advance option. This option allows you to get cash from an ATM if you need it. While the interest rates on this cash can be quite high, there are times when you may need emergency cash, so this is a great option to look for when choosing a credit card.

Can I pay online?

To make if convenient and if you are constantly on the go and lead a busy life, you may not want to constantly worry about sending bills in on time. When choosing a credit card, you may want to look for one that allows you to pay your bill online each month. This is very convenient and can be helpful if you forget to pay until the last minute. This option can save you a great deal in late fees as well.

Don't hesitate to boost your credit score

Good credit score is important in personal financial management. We should consider having good credit score and it is worth doing it. Why it is important? Yes it is important for those who want to apply loans and unsecured credit card. Believe it or not, the applications and approval will be much easier.

If your credit score is at the good state, you might want to boost it so that the loan and credit card deal could be settled as soon as possible. For example, if you have a credit score of 688 and the loan company will reduce interest rate if you get a credit score of 690. The two points can mean thousands of dollars in savings from paying interest.

Even you already have a good credit score; this is why it is very important for you to improve yours. That’s mean lower interest rates for you and also more chances of getting the loans you need.

Actually there are several ways on how improve your credit score significantly. It depends, some ways will takes time and some will takes only a few weeks or even a few days to do. However, start working on it as soon as possible and you will see the result and it is worth all the effort.

So, here are some of the ways you can boost your credit score.

Check credit reports for errors.
Even minor errors can significantly hurt your credit rating. So, if you ever suspect that your low credit score is caused by an error, you should contact the credit reporting agencies and challenge them about the report. It is part of the law that the reporting agency should investigate and correct the errors within thirty days if there is any.

Pay off your balances every month.
This can keep you out of debt and save a lot of money on interest rate. Also, this will demonstrate that you can manage your debt effectively and therefore, increase your credit score.

Only acquire a few credit cards
Just two at most, will boost your credit score. Having five or more credit cards will in fact, lower your credit score. This is why it is important for you to have only two credit cards.

Pay it on time if you borrow money
This will have a positive impact on your credit score because it will show credit reporting agencies and also creditors that you can manage your debt effectively. However, if you have borrowed money before and is long overdue, you should pay it immediately. In time, these old late payments will be deemed unimportant and it will expire.

Managing your credit cards effectively.
Don’t use your entire credit limit on each of the credit card you own. For example, if you have credit cards with a credit limit of 2000, 2500 and 3000 dollars, it is better to use 600 dollars on each card rather than 1800 dollars in one card. Always keep one thing in mind; it is best for your credit score if you only use less than 50% of your credit card limit.

These are some of the methods you can try to boost your credit card score. Following all these will ensure you that your credit score will increase and will result in better opportunities in the future.