Negotiate with creditors Be courteous, but suggest that you might transfer your balance to a competitor with a better rate. Freeze your credit cards Put your cards in a block of ice in the freezer. That way, the next time you get an impulse to buy on credit, you'll have to wait for the cards to thaw, and you may lose your urge to splurge. Microwaving your cards will destroy the magnetic strip. Now the bill is coming due.
Students start early, and charge often.
A timeline of America's relationship with debt. World Report Inc. All rights reserved.