Credit Card Stressbusters:

Wrightbooks (Published 2008)

Written By Allison Tait

Australia

Review 4 Stars – Excellent Book

How the blurb describes the book:

Feeling overwhelmed by your credit card debt? Struggling to pay off your card each month? Wanting to get back in the black but don’t know how?

Fortunately, help is now at hand with Credit Card Stressbusters. This plain English, Q and A guide will help you to slash your credit card debt in just 90 days. Not only will you learn how to cure credit card addiction, but you’ll also learn some of the best kept stressbusting secrets for using your card responsibly.

Inside you’ll discover:

·         how to choose the right card – credit or otherwise

·         how to control your spending, instead of letting it control you

·         how to reduce debt – fast

·         how to make your credit card work for you

Whether you’re struggling with credit card chaos or just trying to stay ahead, Credit Card Stressbusters is the book for you!

Allison Tait specialises in writing about personal finance issues for ninemsn Money and MSN NZ Money. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist across a wide range of publications, including; The Sydney Morning Herald, Madison, and House and Garden magazine.

Mr Home Budget’s Review: You wouldn’t think you could turn one product into a whole book. However credit cards are so complicated it’s not all that hard.

While working with people in debt you tend to hear the same stories over and over again. One of the biggest things we hear is, “our problems started when we turned to credit cards.” This book gives you all the unblemished facts which should have you attacking your credit card with a chainsaw.

Allison Tait has done a great job in this book by dissecting every type of question which you the reader could possibly ask about credit cards. She then answers with the most rational answer. In fact the book is based around 33 questions.

For example, one of the questions is: How do I live without a credit card when the world is set up that way?

Answer: There are alternatives. Less convenience means less debt.

Then she uses the next four pages explaining this answer in detail and what she means by alternatives. It’s a great idea for a book to tackle the issue in this way because each question may or may not relate to you personally.

To answer the questions, she uses a variety of black and white facts, personal interviews with credit card users, studies by colleges & professors as well as her own opinion. 

Some of the other more poignant questions and answers are:

Q: The bank wouldn’t offer me an increase if I couldn’t afford it right?

Q: There’s no way I’m addicted to credit, is there?

Q: Why put extra towards my debt when it doesn’t make much difference?

Allison also uses stressbusting secrets thrown in. Little titbits of information to make her case against using credit cards watertight. And things you should remember when you think about reverting to firing up the Visa or MasterCard.

Some of the better stressbusting secrets throughout the book include:

Repeat your new mantra after me: living with credit card debt is living with the knowledge that, at some point, it needs to be paid off. Living without debt is living.

Avoiding your statements will not make credit card problems go away. The only way to take control is to know exactly where you stand. Read every line, check transactions against receipts and take action immediately if you think there are any irregularities.

This book is a great read and it will have you nodding your head in different parts, thinking yes, I do that.  Read this book if you have a credit card. But keep a pair of scissors nearby, as you might want to cut up your card by the middle of the book.

Pros:

Tackles every different argument one can have about keeping their credit card

Uses facts, stories, and studies to make their point.

Gives you as the book suggests, stressbusting ideas to help you cope with a huge credit card bill.

Even if you have never had a credit card, this book will reinforce your good judgement.

Cons:

Does give you advice on how to use credit cards safely. At Mr Home Budget we believe the only good credit card is a cancelled credit card.

 We also interviewed Allison Tait click here to read it.