1) Do your homework. Applying for and getting approved for a credit card is nothing more than legwork. Credit card contracts can sometimes contain onerous terms that might make you sorry that you signed up for the new card that you did. Read the fine print carefully. If a deal looks to good to be true, it just might be. Credit cards can be a great way to finance your purchases, but make sure it's not at such an expense that you end up paying for a long time afterward.

2) Read about the APR. The APR stands for