Afford Prada not Primark...

Posted in 'Credit Reports' by Lisa Maskell

17 June 2008

Women and shopping go hand in hand – fact!

Spending 25,000 hours over a lifetime stocking up at the supermarket, grabbing the latest fashion must-have and hoarding the beauty products that promise to make us look 10 years younger, we are experts at spending our hard-earned cash, along with plenty of cash that isn’t ours or hard-earned.

With bills soaring as we try to buy more Prada than Primark, and the credit crunch becoming a reality, something has to give. But let’s face it, who’s prepared to stop getting that fix of the retail therapy buzz totally? We just need to be a little more savvier with our money, girls!

To weather the coming credit storm, we need to take check of what we have (and that doesn’t mean how many pairs of shoes) and plan long term – it's no use splurging today if you can't buy that new bag next month. As with a shopping trip, preparation and knowledge is the key, so find out where you stand credit-wise.

To save precious time, check your credit report online where you can check all of your three credit files. Qualified credit analysts are on hand to help out with any problems such as errors (which are rare) or removing your ex-partner from your credit file (surprisingly more common a problem than you might think).

In possession of all the facts, and hopefully also of a decent credit rating, you can make a more informed decision as to where to get credit and to ensure your credit standing is correct and is working for you. And, like your old shoes, ditch those expensive store cards and halve the cost of credit by finding new credit card lenders who are most likely to say yes.

Damage your credit file or let a credit lazy ex-boyfriend stick around on your credit file, if not in your life, and you will be wearing those same stilettos for the next 6 years!