I can't stop applying for credit cards. Please help!!!

[Anonymous]

I'm able to pay what i charge every month, but I'm working just to pay off credit cards. WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THAT? It's ridiculous and getting approved for one cc makes me think that i'll get approved for another one so i keep applying. My problem is not debt, its the cc apps, which is killing my credit 

[TRC_WA]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm able to pay what i charge every month, but I'm working just to pay off credit cards. WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THAT? It's ridiculous and getting approved for one cc makes me think that i'll get approved for another one so i keep applying. My problem is not debt, its the cc apps, which is killing my credit 

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No... your problem is buying things on credit that you can't afford to pay in full each month.

[Anonymous]

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@TRC_WA wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm able to pay what i charge every month, but I'm working just to pay off credit cards. WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THAT? It's ridiculous and getting approved for one cc makes me think that i'll get approved for another one so i keep applying. My problem is not debt, its the cc apps, which is killing my credit 

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No... your problem is buying things on credit that you can't afford to pay in full each month.

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I know! 

[kdm31091]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@kdm31091 wrote:

To be honest, yes the garden thread can help, but plenty of "future app talk" sneaks in there. Some people benefit from this site and others find it too much of a temptation. It seems you are the latter.

I do not want to scare you off but realistically, it's better to take a break from this site (temporary or permanent) and as TRC said honestly seek some help. Credit cards can be an addiction just like anything else. Some members here have realized this and laid off the site and/or apps. Some still are addicted unfortunately.

You can have a good credit score and history with only a few cards. You do not need to obtain 20 or 30 cards for that purpose. You will see people with that many on here, but it's a personal choice rather than something needed for good credit.

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I don't know if you notice but OP just joined the site.  Also, people are able to resist temptation where a group of people are with the same expectation and goal with a strong example as MyFico.  Not just in the garden thread but life in general.

So if OP just joined the site and needs help, asking OP to take a break from the site does not help.  Reading and properly educating oneself on credit may just do the opposite.

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I think it's a bit too general to say "people are able to resist temptation when..." there are plenty of people in the past in the garden thread who "fell out of the garden" because of xyz. Sure it helps some people, but for others, it really doesn't, and reading this site can lead people to want to app more because they see all the cards being discussed.

Now that's not to say they cannot or shouldn't be here, because there is good advice to be had, but it's an individual thing. There's no one solution for everyone. Maybe being in the garden thread will help them, but maybe not. It's not 100%; nothing is.

I think the best thing for OP is simple: not charging more than they can afford, paying down their debts, and stop apping.

[Anonymous]

I know how you feel Opie.

I recently got one of my buddies into the whole credit game, explaining the importance etc. etc. For a couple weeks while we both were researching and deciding to app, it was kind of a friendly competition. His credit is much shorter than mine, but he also has no derogatives.

Now that I've got a healthy porfoilio and a $40,000 auto loan, its time to garden until the rest of my report cleans up. I dont NEED anything else.

My goal is to get the Ritz Carlton card, and until then, I don't really want anything else.

I find the best way to curb your appetite for new credit, is to simply improve the credit you have currently.

Whatever is on your credit file that looks suspect, start taking care of it until its gone. For the cards you currently have, every couple of months or 6 months or a year, look forward to calling in or sending the EO an email to upgrade the cards to unsecured lines. I find the credit limit increase opportunities and product changes to "fill the same need".

As for debt. Just simply don't do it. Build a budget and know what you can spend. Think back to all of the times where you would get by with $10 a week in high school or grade school, and had the time of your life. Back in college I would make $1000 student loans/fin aid surplus last an entire semester and have a blast. Now I'm spending $10,000/mo

Just remember, as I'm sure only other people who have been there knows, assigning all those collection call numbers to "Don T. Answer" because the anxiety of receiving 50 calls a day, everyday, is too overwhelming.....thats a place I never want to go back to.

Don't avoid it, make exuses, or accomodate any credit problems - confront them and fix them. The rebuilding credit section is a good place for that. Just look at the work people have to do to make up for their mistakes, and you will be more than encouraged to not make them yourself.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm able to pay what i charge every month, but I'm working just to pay off credit cards. WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THAT? It's ridiculous and getting approved for one cc makes me think that i'll get approved for another one so i keep applying. My problem is not debt, its the cc apps, which is killing my credit 

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You're not working to pay off credit cards, you're working to pay off the things you bought. When you charge something, the credit card company pays for it. You still have to pay for it yourself. That's what you're paying. If you don't like that kind of life then the only solution is to pay for less things by not buying them, or pay less for the things you buy.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@TRC_WA wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm able to pay what i charge every month, but I'm working just to pay off credit cards. WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THAT? It's ridiculous and getting approved for one cc makes me think that i'll get approved for another one so i keep applying. My problem is not debt, its the cc apps, which is killing my credit 

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No... your problem is buying things on credit that you can't afford to pay in full each month.

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I know! 

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Then that is the reason why you are always applying.  The need to buy and have things you probably won't be able to afford without CC. That is dangerous and not good. Why do you want to have all these things you can't afford? Create a budget and stick to it.  Most importantly, live within your means and always remind yourself that building and having good credit is not an easy job hence you can't afford to have all your hardwork go to waste.

[kdm31091]

Do not fall into the trap of using credit cards to buy things you otherwise cannot afford. While that's exactly what the card company wants you to do, it's not what you should do. You are negating any possible benefits of having the cards by carrying balances regularly.

As I said before, some people simply cannot handle credit cards without going into debt. While I'm not saying that's you, perhaps you just need help and maybe you need to close some cards and pare down spending on them to only what you can afford to spend.

[Anonymous]

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@kdm31091 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@kdm31091 wrote:

To be honest, yes the garden thread can help, but plenty of "future app talk" sneaks in there. Some people benefit from this site and others find it too much of a temptation. It seems you are the latter.

I do not want to scare you off but realistically, it's better to take a break from this site (temporary or permanent) and as TRC said honestly seek some help. Credit cards can be an addiction just like anything else. Some members here have realized this and laid off the site and/or apps. Some still are addicted unfortunately.

You can have a good credit score and history with only a few cards. You do not need to obtain 20 or 30 cards for that purpose. You will see people with that many on here, but it's a personal choice rather than something needed for good credit.

---

I don't know if you notice but OP just joined the site.  Also, people are able to resist temptation where a group of people are with the same expectation and goal with a strong example as MyFico.  Not just in the garden thread but life in general.

So if OP just joined the site and needs help, asking OP to take a break from the site does not help.  Reading and properly educating oneself on credit may just do the opposite.

---

I think it's a bit too general to say "people are able to resist temptation when..." there are plenty of people in the past in the garden thread who "fell out of the garden" because of xyz. Sure it helps some people, but for others, it really doesn't, and reading this site can lead people to want to app more because they see all the cards being discussed.

Now that's not to say they cannot or shouldn't be here, because there is good advice to be had, but it's an individual thing. There's no one solution for everyone. Maybe being in the garden thread will help them, but maybe not. It's not 100%; nothing is.

I think the best thing for OP is simple: not charging more than they can afford, paying down their debts, and stop apping.

---

You said it yourself.. Sure it helps some people and we don't know if it will help OP.  And it is not general to say people are able to resist the temptation when that particular group is working towards a common goal.  That has been proven with tons of research and fact.

Why did you join MyFico?  You must have had a goal in mind.  Just like me and all the hundreds of people on this site.  We are all working towards a common goal - GOOD CREDIT

[kdm31091]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@kdm31091 wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

---

@kdm31091 wrote:

To be honest, yes the garden thread can help, but plenty of "future app talk" sneaks in there. Some people benefit from this site and others find it too much of a temptation. It seems you are the latter.

I do not want to scare you off but realistically, it's better to take a break from this site (temporary or permanent) and as TRC said honestly seek some help. Credit cards can be an addiction just like anything else. Some members here have realized this and laid off the site and/or apps. Some still are addicted unfortunately.

You can have a good credit score and history with only a few cards. You do not need to obtain 20 or 30 cards for that purpose. You will see people with that many on here, but it's a personal choice rather than something needed for good credit.

---

I don't know if you notice but OP just joined the site.  Also, people are able to resist temptation where a group of people are with the same expectation and goal with a strong example as MyFico.  Not just in the garden thread but life in general.

So if OP just joined the site and needs help, asking OP to take a break from the site does not help.  Reading and properly educating oneself on credit may just do the opposite.

---

I think it's a bit too general to say "people are able to resist temptation when..." there are plenty of people in the past in the garden thread who "fell out of the garden" because of xyz. Sure it helps some people, but for others, it really doesn't, and reading this site can lead people to want to app more because they see all the cards being discussed.

Now that's not to say they cannot or shouldn't be here, because there is good advice to be had, but it's an individual thing. There's no one solution for everyone. Maybe being in the garden thread will help them, but maybe not. It's not 100%; nothing is.

I think the best thing for OP is simple: not charging more than they can afford, paying down their debts, and stop apping.

---

You said it yourself.. Sure it helps some people and we don't know if it will help OP.  And it is not general to say people are able to resist the temptation.  That has been proven with tons of research and fact.

Why did you join MyFico?  You must have had a goal in mind.  Just like me and all the hundreds of people on this site.  We are all working towards a common goal - GOOD CREDIT

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Yes this site is about good credit, but if OP lurks long enough, they'll see that is not the entire purpose of the site. There's also reward chasing, bonus hunting, etc which doesn't equate with good credit necessarily, it equates with going after rewards which is a seperate thing. Hence why I said maybe OP would just be more tempted. But maybe not. Who knows. The only person who knows is OP.