Finding Those Credit Wins

 

Finding Those Credit Wins

By Sariah Savvy Tips

Get on Top of the Credit Game

So, you got turned down for that retail store credit card at the mall when there were 10 people standing in line behind you, and now you are wondering how to get your credit back on track.  You have received collection calls, and letters in the mail recently that you have ignored and unaware of the implication it is having on your credit score.  You accept your circumstance and walk around as if it is normal & there is nothing you can do about it.  In order to start getting approved for credit again, you must get on top of the credit game.

 

Reinvent your Credit Self

You are wise, ambitious and talented, and once had dreams of being in control of your finances so that you could get the things you want and deserve in life.  Never in a million years would you have imagined that you too would travel down this vicious cycle of bad credit like previous generations, but here you are.  What do you do now?  You are powerful, knowledgeable and determined to turn this tide of bad credit around so that you can get out of this funk.

Radical transformation must take place.  This is not easy.  It is going to be uncomfortable at times & people may think you have lost your sanity.  Some people may support you through this journey, but meanwhile, many just won’t understand it.  Don’t waste your time trying to explain or justify the metamorphosis.  The primary focus must be on the goal and not simply an end to a means.  Go ahead and get radical.  Feel good about the process & pat yourself on the back from time to time.  Keep in mind change may not happen overnight so don’t be too hard on yourself. 

 

It Starts with Attitude

Take time out to think and reflect on your attitude and behavior towards credit cards.  Do you really know what a credit card is and its purpose or do you just think you know?  There are so many misconceptions surrounding credit cards and its purpose. 

If you grew up in a house where one parent had credit cards, but the other didn’t & wasn’t allowed to touch, look or access those cards that can impact your attitude towards credit.  If you grew up in a neighborhood that did not have any electronic stores near but was filled with plenty of pawn shops or a friendly man driving a green van with an abundance of electronics to select from, but unknowingly at a higher price than the typical electronic stores & this negatively influence your behavior with credit.

You may end up feeling as if credit is owed to you.  Perhaps, you didn’t have the finer things in life compared to other people in your neighborhood or that you saw on television & you justify spending freely on a credit card as payback for what you lacked as a child or that you lack now as an adult.  Credit cards can be used as a mask for bigger issues we are dealing with unknowingly.

 

Start Winning

It is time to get to know, understand and make nice with credit once and for all.  Credit is neither a friend nor foe.  It is simply a tool.  The sooner we realize this, the less pressure we will feel about putting purchases on a credit card & so will our wallets.  See credit for what it is which is a cute name for loan.  The only difference is there is a set payment at a set time. 

Believe it or not you don’t deserve credit, but you earn it.  Credit is like a game & if you play the game correctly you will win every time.  Play the credit card game & don’t get played by it.  The best way to win with credit or any game is to have a strategy & know something about the opponent so that you can have an advantage to win.