How Not To Land Yourself In Credit Card Debts
We are all living in a world of heavy consumer spending. Everywhere we go, we are plummeted with advertisements, urging us to spend more and more money. These advertisements fuel our wants and desires. After some time, there will be items that we sought after. Who doesn't like to own the latest hand phone, the newest gadget, and the most fashionable designer hand bag?
The problems is, many of these items come with a hefty price tag. A designer hand bag or a portable gadget may cost up to several hundred dollars. The higher end products may cost up to thousands of dollars. After being exposed to countless advertisements, the average consumer finally caves in to temptations. Here is where trouble starts brewing.
Loss of control leads even the most financially savvy consumers into credit card debts. How did that happen?
You see, the trouble starts when the consumer starts to spend money on items that he or she cannot afford. In other words, the individual is spending money that he does not have - he is spending future earnings. This is possible with a simple piece of plastic - the credit card.
The credit card allows a consumer to go on a spending spree just by flashing the cards and signing for items. The bill is sent to the bank, and the bank pays for it upfront. Now the consumer owes the bank. Everything is all fine and dandy if the consumers pays back the bank on time.
Aha! Here is where the consumer finds difficulty. Because he is spending money that he does not have, eventually he finds it hard to pay off all his credit card bills on time. So he pays the minimum amount and leaves the balance unpaid. But banks don't let the consumers off so easily. If the balance is not paid off on time, the credit card holder now officially owes the bank money. That also means he has to pay whatever interest that the bank charges. And you can be sure that interest can build up quickly to a substantial amount.
Everything goes downhill from here. The consumer already has difficulty paying all his credit card bills on time. So how can he possibly pay off all the current balance PLUS interest? It's an uphill battle all the way.
Usually, unless some form of drastic action is taken, the consumer goes deeper and deeper into debt. For severe cases, specific programs have to be put in place to help consumers get out of debt. The recovery process is usually a long and painful journey.
The only way to avoid this situation is to remind yourself how it all started. You will only find yourself in the same predicament if you spend beyond your own limits. If you can't afford an item, don't buy it. Wait till you have saved up enough money before making a purchase. That way, you will never be in a position where the banks are chasing after you for interest repayments.
The problems is, many of these items come with a hefty price tag. A designer hand bag or a portable gadget may cost up to several hundred dollars. The higher end products may cost up to thousands of dollars. After being exposed to countless advertisements, the average consumer finally caves in to temptations. Here is where trouble starts brewing.
Loss of control leads even the most financially savvy consumers into credit card debts. How did that happen?
You see, the trouble starts when the consumer starts to spend money on items that he or she cannot afford. In other words, the individual is spending money that he does not have - he is spending future earnings. This is possible with a simple piece of plastic - the credit card.
The credit card allows a consumer to go on a spending spree just by flashing the cards and signing for items. The bill is sent to the bank, and the bank pays for it upfront. Now the consumer owes the bank. Everything is all fine and dandy if the consumers pays back the bank on time.
Aha! Here is where the consumer finds difficulty. Because he is spending money that he does not have, eventually he finds it hard to pay off all his credit card bills on time. So he pays the minimum amount and leaves the balance unpaid. But banks don't let the consumers off so easily. If the balance is not paid off on time, the credit card holder now officially owes the bank money. That also means he has to pay whatever interest that the bank charges. And you can be sure that interest can build up quickly to a substantial amount.
Everything goes downhill from here. The consumer already has difficulty paying all his credit card bills on time. So how can he possibly pay off all the current balance PLUS interest? It's an uphill battle all the way.
Usually, unless some form of drastic action is taken, the consumer goes deeper and deeper into debt. For severe cases, specific programs have to be put in place to help consumers get out of debt. The recovery process is usually a long and painful journey.
The only way to avoid this situation is to remind yourself how it all started. You will only find yourself in the same predicament if you spend beyond your own limits. If you can't afford an item, don't buy it. Wait till you have saved up enough money before making a purchase. That way, you will never be in a position where the banks are chasing after you for interest repayments.
