I absolutely hate asking my parents for money. We are by no means a rich family; my dad retired three years ago and now works at a part-time job, and my mom took a $10,000 pay cut when she switched jobs four years ago. On top of that, they’re paying for three kids in college.

Even though I’m working two jobs this semester – as the associate news editor for The Daily Eastern News and a weekend babysitter – I still don’t make enough money to go out on the weekends, much less buy groceries.

Just before winter break, I forgot to pay my credit card bills. I had three credit lines, and after getting them when I was 18 and foolish with money, went over my credit limit on all of them.

I’ve been paying off the minimums, sometimes throwing an extra $10 or $20 on there. But as all of us in debt know, paying the minimums is like giving a dog a piece of food – they keep bugging you for more and they won’t go away until you yell, and then they come after you again minutes later.

At the beginning of winter break, I owed a total of $1,850. That sum doesn’t seem like a lot to most people, but to those of us making minimum wage, that’s quite the bank roll.

I wasn’t planning on telling my parents about my debt, but multiple phone calls over the span of a few days from collections agencies blew my cover.

My dad and I sat down with my credit card statements and called each company to see what could be done. Two of the companies allowed me to defer my payment for a month; the third wouldn’t allow any kind of deferment.

Then my mom, who is the smartest woman I know, came up with a plan.

I had about $1,600 invested in a stock. We cashed it and put that money toward paying off two of the cards and we made a payment plan for the third.

I may be in the clear for now, but this situation felt like a test run for when the time comes to pay back my student loans.

The Health Education Resource Center offers help to students suffering from credit debt.

The HERC’s Web site offers a few tips on choosing a credit card.

Study your card

Know everything there is to know about your credit card. Read the small print on the pamphlet that comes with card applications. Some things to look for are annual fees, minimum monthly payments, fixed or fluctuating interest rates, penalty charges for late payments and credit limit amount.

Know your spending habits

When considering getting a credit card, think about your personal spending habits.

“Buying on credit often feels like you are getting stuff for free,” The HERC’s Web site said. “This can cause a non-disciplined person to be very spend-happy with their money.”

I obviously did not have control over my spending habits, and now, about five years later, I was finally able to pay most of it back. Getting a credit card might be fun, but it’s like opening a tab at the bar- – you may feel like you’re drinking for free now, but eventually the bar owner will find you.

Sarah Jean Bresnahan is a senior journalism major and be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].