Paid off my first credit card balance in full last month

I used to just pay the minimum, sometimes even less, and let the interest pile up. About six months ago, I got a second job delivering food on weekends. Every extra dollar from that went straight to the card. It was a $2,300 balance. I finally sent the last payment on April 15th. How do you guys handle the urge to use a cleared card again?

4 comments

4 Comments

lilya761mo ago

Wait, cutting up the card doesn't close the account. That's a big mix-up. You can shred the plastic but the line of credit is still open, which is what @miller.rowan was getting at. If you really want to stop using it, you have to call the bank and cancel it. Otherwise, the account just sits there and you could even get a new card sent to you. I kept an old card in a drawer for years thinking it was dead, but it was still active on my credit report.

skyler_jackson272mo ago

Honestly just cut the card up and use cash for a bit.

victor_robinson2mo ago

Cutting up the card is a solid plan, if you can find a pair of scissors that aren't already lost in the same junk drawer as the cash. Cash does have a funny way of making you feel every single dollar you spend, usually right in the gut. Of course, then you just end up with a wallet full of receipts and lint instead of a sleek piece of plastic. It's like choosing between being nibbled to death by ducks or pecked by a chicken.

miller.rowan2mo ago

Honestly, what about just keeping the card open but not carrying it? I get what @victor_robinson is saying about cash, but cutting it up feels like giving up on learning how to use it right. Tbh, a cleared card is a tool for building a better credit score if you can control the spending. Maybe set one small, regular bill to auto-pay with it and then pay that off every month. That way you're using it, but you're not tempted to swipe for random stuff.