Some people like to live on the edge and believe they can “afford” anything they can buy with the amount of plastic credit they’ve managed to fool financial institutions into allowing them. These are the same spend-happy folks who skate by buy paying the minimum balances on their accounts, oblivious to the interest that’s stacking up against them.

Credit cards are an effective tool for those who are smart with money, though. Kimberly the Alpha Consumer suggests some ways you can own credit cards rather than let them own you.

Kimberly recommends using credit cards for as many purchases as possible in order to streamline your cash flow and maximize rewards, but only those who pay balances off in full every month will take advantage of such a lifestyle without cannibalizing any potential rewards.

She also advices avoiding the trap of losing track of your expenditures. If you stop tracking your expenses, it’s easy to lose financial discipline and start spending more than you would if you used cash for everything.

What do you do to make sure you dominate the credit card game?

5 Smart Ways To Use Credit Cards [Alpha Consumer]

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