By Jenni Snook
These days, it's not uncommon for us to own at least one credit card. The average family in America owes between 10-20 different lenders, nearly half of this is to credit cards. Getting a credit card has never been easier. There have been both good and bad consequences of this. Credit cards have allowed to get what we desire at a much quicker pace, however we are ending up paying more for it in the long term.
If you don't see yourself giving your credit cards the chop, then this article will assist you in saving money. In fact, you can start seeing your monthly bills dropping at a quicker rate with just some simple and easy planning.
Charging interest is the main way credit companies make their living. This is the way your payment is used. Firstly, a portion goes to clearing the balance. Secondly, whatever is left over goes to paying the interest.Some of the interest amounts charged by some companies have become ridiculous. Store cards are culprits in this practice, often charging between 30 and 40 percent interest. Those who are in such a situation are left with few possibilities. Signing up for a credit card from a major providers such as Visa or Mastercard is advisable. Their interest rates will vary depending on which bank it is through.
However, there rates are generally much lower that those of store cards. Furthermore, you can enjoy having higher limits with a major credit card. Hence, it is possible for you to combine all your store cards onto 1 major credit card and save a lot of money.
If you've already got a heap of major credit cards, then here are some money saving tips for you. Look around you and you will see a lot of credit card companies competing for business. This creates a few opportunities for customers. You should first phone your credit card company and simply ask for a lower rate. You should be surprised if they give you a lower rate especially if you've been paying your bills on time.
Nevertheless, if you are not successful in doing this, it's recommended that you look around for better deals. All you need to do is to apply for a card that offers a lower interest rate and transfer the old balance onto the new card. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of money you can save by reducing your interest rate by 2 or 3 percent.
Credit cards can be quite costly over a long period of time. But with the money saving tips in the article, you can make a good start to reducing your credit card debt and keep more money for yourself.
About the Author:
Jenni Snook is the main columnist of http://www.HealthyWealthySoul.com, a website focused on giving people advice and resources on
personal finance planning to achieve both financial and spiritual bliss in their lives.