Natalie Barletta – Special to the Southern News
Getting a credit card is a milestone in our lives. It stands for freedom, the ability to buy whatever we want whenever we may want it, and a way to get out of trouble in case of emergencies. It’s a huge part of becoming an adult. However, although it can be good, overindulging can cause deep trouble for your finances if you don’t use it carefully. It’s safe to say that credit cards have a glass half full, and glass half empty effect.
Credit cards can be helpful for college students. They are great for emergencies because sometimes things pop up unexpectedly that may or may not be in your budget. Your car may break down, your computer can crash, and of course let’s not forget textbooks. For a college student sometimes we might not be able to afford it. With the credit card, we can pay it off over a period of time. It’s perfect, because in life things come up and sometimes we can’t plan everything that happens to us.
Credit cards also are great if you wish to purchase merchandise online, because let’s face it – it’s much cheaper there. Credit cards are perfect for the person who plans to do a lot of online shopping because most internet shopping sites require you to have one.
Before you were 16, I bet you thought once you got your license, you would be have ultimate freedom. Quickly, after entering the roads you soon realized that with all of that freedom that driving gives you, it has a lot of dangers, and responsibilities. Like driving, credit cards have that same amount of responsibility, and hidden dangers that you may or may not realize. With the ability to spend whatever you want and the ability to pay them off later, you may be spending way more than you make. That can put you in a deep hole that’s more painful than not having those shoes that you want so badly. Or that new handheld device.Whatever it may be, perhaps it could wait until you can actually afford it. It’s easy to get yourself in that hole, but almost impossible to get yourself out of.
Are you thinking about getting a credit card? The first thing that you need to know is to spend within your means. If you know that you are not able to pay for something in the long run, than you shouldn’t buy it. The second is to try to pay off things as soon as possible because otherwise the card would try to bill you. That means something that cost you twenty dollars can cost you as much twenty five.
How do you know if a credit card is right for you? I don’t recommend a credit card for someone who has no self control. Yes, I am talking to all of you people who think the novel “Confessions of a Shopaholic” is their life story. A credit card is perfect for someone who is responsible. They know to spend within their means, want to increase their credit score, and they know how to say no to that Prada sale when they know that they can’t afford it.
