You've got instant credit!

The thing that works for me is to not even open the envelope. I just feel if there is a card in there so I can cut it in half with scissors. Otherwise I just tear the whole thing in half and throw it away. It has taken many years to recover from our credit issues. I now have no credit rating. I STILL won't even consider the cards sent in the mail.

I get these *offers* virtually every day n the post and they all go straight into the recycling box. I shred all these so no one else can attempt to use them in my name, and make sure that they are all completely useless. I do get very cross when these offers arrive, it is all too easy to get sucked in and the only way is to destroy them immediately.

First-- remember how it felt when you were fighting your way out of debt- That should be enough to deter you- Automatically cut up the offers- so you aren't looking at them- they are junk mail. It's hard I know- I'm still fighting my way back out of debt- Slowly but surely-!!

We're going through the same thing you are, as far as finally getting debt behind us, except for the mortgage, and we are cash only now too. We are in the habit of as soon as we get those pesky pre-approved offers, they go directly into the fireplace, even during the summer, and we burn them once a week. That way, they aren't put in the trash for someone else to possibly find. It is very tempting when you get them. It's hard not to get drawn into the hypnotic feeling when you see them, and the creditors know that too. Just get rid of them as fast as you can, don't leave them around, no need to keep that temptation there. Good luck!

I shred those immediately! The only time I really looked was when we were trying to pay down our bills. The two credit cards I had were 13.99% and 13.95%, which really wasn't bad. But we got a offer from a bank where we do business already to transfer the balance for 9.99%, and then no interest on any new charges until 2009. The only things we have charged we have paid off, and are paying down the balance at a lower rate. It has helped us save some money. But all the other offers go straight to the shredder!

Don't be deceived. Nothing is free, not even the $500 in the catalog. Only the printed catalog is free. If they dangle the $500 in front of you, and you are so easily bought, then their marketing ploy has worked magically on you. They are so willing to lend you that money because they need to make the sales from their store, as well as earn from interest on the money they want you to have in your pocket. Don't fall for such sales tactics. It's the same for pre-approved credit cards. In my country, banks once gave pre-approved credit cards by sending them to people like unsolicited mails. All they have to do is to sign on a form and return it, and they can keep the card to use. The monetary authority frowned upon and put a stop to such sales tactics, because it encourages unnecessary spending, and the banks are extending credit to people without first verifying their financial status and their ability to pay. Getting unsolicited credit cards sounds tempting, but believe me, it is a financial trap. Banks don't care if this will ruin your life or cause you to spend unnecessarily outside your means. All they care about is to make money at your expense, by tempting you with ready credit. Don't ever fall for this or be succumbed to such temptations. Learn to be thrifty and spend within your means. That's probably the best financial advice I can give you.

We get so many credit card offers! Our old mailman considered it to be a slow day for us if he delivered less than 5 pieces of mail to our house! Usually at least a couple of them were credit card offers or loan offers or the like. We usually don't even open them up, unless they are from a company that we do business with. Otherwise, I just put them in a pile, and then once a week, shred them, along with everything else that needs to be shredded.

My husband and I get those in the mail everyday. Because he has two credit cards already (low credit amounts) I open them, read them and then rip them up and throw them away. We don't want anymore so I just have a nosey then tear them up and throw them. Today he also received a catalog in the mail saying he had $400 instant credit and I ripped that up as well LOL. That's how I deal with them when we get them in our mail