When it comes to budgeting and taking control of your credit card usage, there are 3 main types of expenses: fixed, variable, and discretionary. Fixed expenses are the ones that stay about the same each month. For example, you know that your rent for the month will be the same, if not almost the same from month to month. The same applies to car payments, car insurance, or other loan payments. Variable expenses are the ones that are not easily predictable at the beginning of the month. For example, it is hard to say how much money you will spend throughout the month on gas, food, and clothing. These two expenses generally involve things that you need. Discretionary expenses are the ones that involve things that you want and do not need. For example, eating out a restaurant twice a month, spending money on one of your favorite hobbies, or going to the movie theaters with your friends fall into this category.

To say that it is far too easy to spend money with a credit card is an understatement. Nearly every person who has ever used a credit card can agree that paying for an item down the road can be a bit more painful that just paying for it up front. Check out the comments below to see some tips from credit card users around the world for people who are just getting started using credit cards or those who really want to take control over the card. We'd love for you to share your thoughts as well!