You are a private individual with responsibilities and limited resources, so you must be careful with your credit cards. When there isn’t enough money coming in, it’s easy to fall into the trap of making up the shortage with credit card spending, but after awhile your debt will become uncontrollable to the point that there may not be a way out. Below you will find 10 tips for managing your credit card spending so you can enjoy the benefits of your credit cards without getting into trouble.

1. Put your credit cards on ice – This might sound crazy, but this will probably help you out a lot with your credit cards. Get a fish bowl or a bucket and fill it with water. Drop in your credit cards and put it in the freezer. You will now have time to think before using your cards; a factor that will avert a lot of needless spending.
2. Don’t carry a balance – Credit cards pile up interest and service fees rapidly, so you don’t want to charge any more than what you can pay. It takes a lot of discipline, but it will keep you from getting out of control with your spending.
3. Use online tools – If you have a credit card that has budget and expense tracking options, use them. Keep track of how much is on your card and set up email alerts to let you know when you’ve used your card too much.
4. Get a handle on your feelings – A lot of time when people get depressed they go shopping and buy things that they think will make them feel better. Instead of spending, pay attention to the things that trigger your urge to buy and learn ways to react differently.
5. Don’t try to impress – If you can’t afford to show off, you are best to stick with something cheap rather than going into debt. Let your friends think what they want: you must stay out of credit card trouble.
6. Enjoy the joys of shopping – Remember window shopping? It can be a lot of fun just to go around and look at things without feeling the need to buy them.
7. Inoculate yourself against advertising – Don’t pay attention to ads. Their mission is to get you to spend. Your mission is to stop spending.
8. Don’t starve yourself of buying power – Have fun with the money you have budgeted for personal use and reward yourself with new gadgets, experiences, vacations and whatever else tickles your fancy.
9. Get your priorities right – Being debt-free is much better than having the latest game console, fashion clothing, fine dining, or anything else you can have. Understand that and you will have much better control over those credit cards.
10. Earn more money – There’s nothing wrong with having everything you want as long as you can pay for it. If you want more, find ways to earn more first.

These 10 tips for managing your credit card spending serve as important guidelines that can keep you free from the crippling effects of excessive credit card debt.

David writes about rewards credit cards for Credit Card Compare, one of the top comparison websites for Australians.