debt
7 savvy steps to escape the credit grid
Put your credit cards in the deep freeze
Lisa Kirchenbauer, president of Omega Wealth Management in Arlington, Va., advises that you shut down automatic bill payment connected to credit cards. Otherwise, you'll just keep running up balances on those credit cards and remain reliant on credit.
People who are early in the process of getting off the credit grid usually don't have emergency funds, so having a credit card for financial emergencies is a good idea.
But, to make sure you don't lower the bar for what constitutes as an emergency so you can go to a great sale at your favorite store, Burton suggests putting your credit cards in a plastic bag full of water and stashing them in the back of your freezer.