Managing your credit and credit card usage is a tricky thing. Credit cards can make your life easier. At the same time, overspending and creating bad credit cards can make life harder. Credit card companies offer you great deals, low APRs, etc. and then bind you up with complex terms and conditions in the fine print.

That fine print is what gets most people. Credit card companies offer you great deals, knowing full well most people won’t even read the fine print or understand the minute details of the terms. They count on this so that as soon as you misstep, they can raise your interest rates and earn more money from you.

Of course, there are plenty of people out there who are responsible credit card users and who pay every bill on time. Those are the same people that keep low balances, and pay off their purchases each month. But all that responsible usage means nothing when you get a notice that your credit card company decided to raise interest rates by 10% across the board.

No matter how much you love your credit cards, remember, they are very sharp double-edged swords. Credit card companies are in the business of making money – so anything they offer that sounds too good to be true probably is. Their goal is to maintain a sustainable profit – and special offers are great for that.

If at all possible, just avoid credit cards all together. You’ll be a much happier, carefree individual. Of course, that’s not always a feasible lifestyle for everyone, especially since credit cards can help build your credit history in a positive way. If you are going to get a credit card, at least go about it the right way.

And as with any financial decision, step one is always research. Research your own credit history and score (which can affect the interest rates you’re offered) and try to repair bad credit before sifting through all the credit card offers you’ve received. Typically the thing to look for is a low APR, or zero APR to start and then a fair APR after 6-12 months.

Once you’ve found an offer or two you like, call the companies to ask questions and get details. No matter how intensely you read that fine print, you should still need information about the credit card. Even if it’s just to make sure you understand the conditions. Credit card reps get paid to help customers, so take advantage of that.

Last but not least, try and keep your credit limit as low as possible. High limits lead to high temptations that might make you bite off more than you can chew in credit card purchases. If the company gives you a high limit, ask them to lower it to something reasonable. It’s much easier to avoid debt from credit cards in the first place than try to pay it back once the damage is done.