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The standard advice is that credit cards are not a substitute for a lack of funds, and there is a lot of wisdom in that. You should remind yourself of this fact every time you use a credit card. Also, keep in mind the following "do's" and "don't"s.

The Do's:

Always plan for the purchases that you need and those that you want. You need the essentials, and you want everything else. The ability of making a distinction might help you plan wisely.

If caught up in financial difficulties, it's always good to talk to the issuer who might re-schedule your payments. If you simply default, that only helps to build up an unfavorable credit history and you might find yourself being denied credit next time.

Only in a truly emergency situation should you ever spend over your credit limit. If you have to do this try to at least stay about 30% over at the top level.

And if your mails are flushed with credit card apps flaunting better deals than you currently are enjoying, you may approach your issuer for a better deal. They want to retain you as their customer, so they will listen.

The Dont's:

Avoid using the credit card to make household purchases. It works out to be very expensive on the long run.

If you only pay the minimum amount due each month, you will end up paying way too much interest. Pay the complete debt off as soon as you can.

Avoid using the credit card to buy items that are not in your budget.

If you follow these guidelines, you'll be handling your credit cards in a responsible manner. And of course, this will help you avoid the negatives that sometimes haunt some people who have used credit cards.

The moral of the story is that credit cards are not necessarily a bad thing. One just must be sure to use them in judiciously. Consult one of the online credit-cardguides for more tips on credit cards and managing credit card debt.