7 Signs You Are Addicted to Credit Cards

Americans have a love affair with credit cards. Between the rewards that can easily be wracked up to the convenience of simply carrying around a piece of plastic to purchase everything, using a credit card is often a great consumer experience. However, this convenience can quickly turn sour if you become addicted to using credit cards. When is too much credit card use too much? And at what is the line between loving the use of your credit card and full-blown addiction? Here are seven signs that you are addicted to your credit card.

You Hide Your Spending Habits From Your Loved One

If you are at the point that you are charging so much on your credit cards that you fear your loved one knowing the extent of your spending habits, and attempt to hide the credit card bills from him or her each month, then this is a sure sign that your credit card habit has gotten out of control. If you feel the need to constantly cover up the extent of your credit card charges, or even worse, if you are hiding the fact that your credit card debt is piling up then it is important that you acknowledge that your money habits are probably out of control and that you need to seek help.

You Have Maxed Out Credit Cards

There are times when a maxed out credit card is necessary, for example, an emergency that you simply have no other way to cover but with your credit card.  However, if your credit card is being maxed out because of your daily spending habits, and you are spending more money than you are making then you may have a credit card addiction.

You Get Anxiety at the Thought of Not Using Your Card

People that rely heavily on their credit cards often can’t imagine being in a situation where they couldn’t use it. However, if you are a true addict then you might experience actual anxiety at the thought of being credit card-less. This is often due to the fact that credit card addicts don’t actually have any cash that they can use if they can’t use their plastic, and so credit cards are the only way for them to buy things. If you can relate to this then you may have true credit card addiction.

You Keep Obtaining New Lines of Credit, Even Though In Debt

Most consumers know when to stop when it comes to taking out new credit cards, and realize that having  maxed out credit cards is a telltale sign that they need to slow down their spending habits. However, credit card addicts do not know how to stop and will constantly seek out new lines of credit to continue their credit card habit.

You’ve Thought About Drastic Ways to Pay Credit Card Bills

In the end credit card addiction always catches up to you. Those that truly have problems often think about expensive and sometimes dangerous ways to get out of credit card debt by getting more money. If you find yourself so maxed out on credit cards that you’re thinking about drastic measures to get yourself out of debt such as take out a payday advance loan or even stealing money from a loved one then it is time to get the help you need

You Take Online Shopping to the Extreme

Online shopping addiction and credit card addiction can often be one and the same, and so if you find yourself spending a substantial amount of time on the Internet, scouring for online deals then this may be an entry point to credit card addiction.

You Find Excuses to Use Your Credit Card

If you find yourself using your credit card for things you can’t afford simply to obtain the rewards or points from them or because you feel the need to use your credit card then this can be a sign it’s time to put away the plastic.

Finances - 22 Jan, 2014 - No Comments