I need a spot of financial advice here: I'm getting my

>>17782627
just pay the minimum. thats what i do. but when i can i pay the whole thing off. just as long as you dont miss a payment you are good to go. (my fico is 773)

>>17782627
Pay at least the minimum and don't pay it late. If you pay it off as soon as you comfortably can I wouldn't worry about it too much.

>>17782650
>just pay the minimum

OP, you should know that if you make a habit of just paying the minimum, this -does- negatively affect your credit score. at least in Australia. idk about you americans.

but your plan to pay half is totally fine (i'm assuming it's more than the minimum).

>>17782650
I've heard that paying the minimum racks up more interest over time. I'm strapped enough as it is that I don't want to fork over extra for interest. I just know that my job will pay better, and I'll actually have less expenses next month, so I'll spread the payment out a little.

>>17782664
In America, I know that the minimum payment usually just tacks on interest over time. And over a long period of time, it can get out of control. I'd consider myself somewhat financially responsible (for a student juggling loans), so I'm not too worried about fucking up.
But yeah, minimum is $35, I'm probably going to be paying $200-$300 of a total of $500

>>17782716
yeah, the interest is also something you want to avoid.

how are your bills so low

i spend over 2000 kangaroo dollars every month on rent and bills

i hate my life

File: 1377338637733.jpg (88KB, 440x615px) Image search: [Google]

88KB, 440x615px

You should be fine, OP.

Generally, (in the US), if you use less than 1/3 of the credit on your account, it will never negatively affect your credit. That's a very conservative estimate- chances are, using up to half will have no consequences.
Best I can tell, your debt-to-income ratio influences your score more than individual card balances.
Look, life happens. Your plan is solid, and while I believe that you're worrying about nothing, doing what you're doing is exactly what you should be doing. If your score dips 2 points because of a carried balance, that's not enough to worry about, esp. as it'll bounce back one month after you pay your balance down again.
Unless you're planning on buying a house in the next month, I wouldn't worry. A marginal change in your score isn't going to change anything. 700 and 750 are your threshold values, where interest rates will change for large loan offers, and we're still talking about 0.2 to 0.3 difference between 700 and 750. Even with a car, that's not enough to notice unless you're 100% financing the note... and with one card? You're talking about a 30 day dip in your score, miniscule, if anything.
Might not even affect your score, too, OP. Think on that.

>>17782811
Well, this is general food/supplies
You'll have to factor in rent and utilities to get a full picture. I also don't have a car, so it's more like
>Rent, $400
>Utilities and services, $100
>Food and stuff, $300
>Student payments, $100 avg
So it's more about $900-$1000, but my rent is cheap anyway.

>>17782834
I'm right about 1/3rd of my total line with this month. I've just never paid not in full, so I was wondering if there were any consequences I should consider before I do it. I really hate to fall into any sort of debt (hello student debt). I just know that by dividing it in 2 months, knowing one month will be less expensive, I'll have much more breathing room and not have to worry about emergencies. Additionally, it allows me to do a little holiday shopping for close family and gf.

Thanks for the input!