Credit cards: Use them or lose them

If you don't charge anything (or don't charge enough), some card issuers will cut you off, often with no warning, and your credit scores could take a hit as a result. Full Story

A suggestion for using your credit card when you don't want to:

1. Find out when your cycle end date is. This is the date interest is charged and your statement is printed.

2. Let's say you have $200 budgeted for something for the next couple of weeks (food or gas or whatever). Just spend as you normally would, putting your purchases on the credit card.

3. Before your next month's close date*, pay off the balance so no interest accrues. You have used your card and lost nothing.

*Confirm the next month's close date because they will vary from time to time depending on the month, weekends, etc.