I agree wholeheartedly. I will even add to number one about overspending. Although circumstances can happen, try to never charge more than your available cash that you have to spend at any given time. Like if you have $5000 savings, then never charge over that amount. That way there is really nothing that the credit card company can do to you. If they try balance chasing you, CLDing or any of the like, you have the ability to pay them off and move on with minimal damage. That doesn't mean you can never carry a balance if you like. It just means that you always have the ability not to carry it at any given time. Paying in full each month also solves that problem.
@OnTheRebound wrote:Simple:
1. Don't overspend
2. Pay on time
3. Never, ever be late
Think of everything as your debit card. you don't want an od fee if you dont have the money right? thats how i see my cc.
i was always against credit but came to fact without it i would never be able to buy a house/condo/ car unless i paid cash upfront.
how many people have 600k lying around?
So charge what you can pay.
pay in full.
check your accounts!
since i was 19 i managed 3 cards and never once missed a payment.
now 21 with 10 accounts still low util and no missed payments.
the only thing hurting me is aaoa obviously.
Another big one:
Always communicate with your creditors when tough situations happen.
It happens to all of us at some point in life - unexpected layoff, huge medical bill, etc. - some unforeseen event that suddenly makes paying the month's credit bills tough.
There is a natural human tendency to sort of "go turtle" when this happens. You just want to hide and hope the threat will go away. Or maybe you feel ashamed of being laid off, or maybe talking to someone about being unable to meet your obligations makes you uncomfortable.
However, the truth is that the vast majority of creditors are not going to shame you or guilt-trip you when you call in with a situation like this. Most will be happy to work with you to establish a payment plan, give you a temporary emergency grace period, or in some other way help you get over that obstacle and back in the black.
It's win-win for everyone involved, because an extended late period, chargeoff, or bankruptcy is just going to cost you and them a significant amount of money. They don't want that any more than you do.
So please, even though it goes against your every natural instinct, talk to your creditors in tough situations. Cooperate with them to make sure things don't get any worse than they have to.
As someone who once did the exact opposite of this advice when he got laid off, I have the scars to prove that this is the better path. Don't do what TheConductor did! 
Max out my Cards.
Take all cash advance and spend them all in strip club.
Dont paid bills for three months.
Ask for credit limit increase.
Thread to closed my account if they don't give it to me. Lmao...jk....
Starting Score: 560
Let your CC's work 4 U and not the other way around!
The best thing that I can recommend is having a plan. Especially if you are making a larger purchase, like a computer, tv, or something. As you're browsing the web for the best item you want, also come up with a plan to pay it off. How many payments will it take for you to pay that item off in 3, 6, or 12 months (especially, if you have 0% interest for a certain time). I treat every 0% interest card like I'll be charged interest retroactively. It lights a fire under me to make sure it gets paid off before the deadline set by the CC company.
If you can make a CC payment every paycheck. This will help you get it paid off faster. Set up reminders for due dates in your online banking or on the calendar of your phone.
And of course paying more than the min. amount due.
