There’s no doubt about it: That low APR credit card is not your friend. Any interest is too much interest. However, those who receive credit card offers and credit card applications in the mail might find them too tempting to resist. Perhaps it’s a part of the culture: the earliest form of credit card in the U.S. was the numbered credit “token” which stores gave to customers in the 1800s. This allowed harried sales attendants to simply scribble down the customer’s number on the back of sales slips rather than go to the bother of taking down names. Back in the early days of credit cards, stores permitted customers to make irregular and installment payments — and forget about that pesky interest. You’re not so lucky now; the average credit card APR is around 15 percent. Being beholden to credit card debt every month is not the necessary evil that you might think. In fact, the best credit card offers are the ones that you turn down. Simply follow this strategy and you’ll find that it’s possible to live a life without ever using your credit card, thereby eliminate credit card debt for a lifetime.

Never have more than one credit card at a time including department store cards. Department stores lure you into applying for credit with certain financial “incentives” — usually 20 percent off your first initial purchase. However, if your credit card interest is 20 percent, you’re not saving a dime by the end of the month.

If you want credit card relief, here it is: lighten your wallet by cutting them all up. Yes, all of them except for one major credit card that you’ll use for emergency situations and to maintain your credit rating. Start to live debt free. If you haven’t paid off your credit card debt, it might take some time. Rather than using a credit card counseling service or putting yourself through credit card debt negotiation, see if you can get your bank to give you a low-interest personal loan to pay off your outstanding balances.

Until you get everything paid off, here’s the rule: No charging anything. Open a second checking or savings account in addition to any other accounts that you might be using to save for your retirement or for emergency expenditures. This is the “splurge” account that you’ll use just for frivolities. Tuck away any excess money that you don’t use for basic living expenses at the end of the month. Don’t carry a debit card with you for this account, except on vacations or for major splurges. Keeping this account separate keeps it out of mind when you go to the ATM machine to withdraw cash. Think of this as purchasing your own “prepaid credit card;” Wait for the things that you really want.

If your goal is to get a new plasma TV, put a portion of your paycheck away each month. If the expensive consumer gadget you aspire to own costs $1,500, tuck away $200 each month. What’s the significance of this number? It’s slightly less than the 15 percent interest you’d be paying if you charged it on a credit card. In less than a year, you’ll have saved enough to purchase this delectable creature comfort outright. And who knows? By then, it may be on sale.

Save up for vacations — never charge them. You might be able to get a good idea of how much your vacation will cost in advance. But because vacations typically end up costing more than you expect, add a bit of padding to your estimate. If you plan to vacation in Hawaii in September and it’s January, figure out how much money you’ll have to put into your “splurge” account monthly to pay for your vacation. Use the debit card for your “splurge” account while traversing the Islands Blue. If you can’t save up enough in time for your holiday soiree, wait until you do have enough money to go, even if you have to stay at home this year. Just don’t use your credit card to make up for what you were unable to save.

Use your major credit card sparingly just to keep it active. If you charge dinner with friends, immediately go home and electronically transfer the amount of the charge to the credit card company from your bank before you receive the statement. This prevents you from accruing unnecessary interest. Make small charges for things that you already intended to purchase — don’t spend just to spend. And don’t be tempted to buy something that you wouldn’t normally simply because it’s on sale. That nice silk blouse marked down to 50 percent is not a bargain if you don’t need it.

Allow a balance to remain on your major credit card only in cases of emergencies. What is an emergency? A major operation that you didn’t expect to have. Extensive dental work. A complete engine overhaul for the car you thought was in perfect working order. These expenses are necessary to keep you healthy and get you to work. Emergencies, however, do not constitute daily household expenses. If you’re paying your utilities and cable and cell phone bills with your credit card, you’re living beyond your means. It might be time to call in a cancellation order and find a cheaper cell phone plan.

Practice saying, “I can’t afford it.” Invitations to destination weddings or family retreats you hadn’t planned on make it tempting to haul out the plastic, if only to save face. If you don’t have enough money saved in your “splurge” account to attend these events, simply tell the invitee, “I’m sorry, it’s not in my budget.” Friends and family who understand that you’re living within your means will respect you for doing the right thing.

Remember the simple rule: If you can’t afford to buy it now, you can’t afford it by the end of the week, by the end of the month or at the end of the year. Living large on credit, as many people have discovered, is a dangerous game that leads to over extension and poor credit ratings. In many states, creditors can even due errant debtors, garnishing paychecks and attaching a writ of garnishment to personal bank accounts. The best way to avoid getting into debt is to never have any to begin with.