Consumers in the UK have been advised that they should not use their credit card for a transaction if they know they do not have the available finances.
David Kuo, head of personal finance at Fool.co.uk, said that by paying with plastic, people - and in particular students - were storing up financial problems for the future.
"I think the golden rule is if you can't afford to pay for something with cash then you certainly can't afford to roll in on your credit card," he explained.
Meanwhile, according to the national money education charity Credit Action, total UK personal debt at the end of June 2008 stood at £1,444 billion.
The growth rate rose to 7.4 per cent for the previous 12 months, which equates to an increase of £98 billion.
Total consumer credit lending to individuals during the same period was £232 billion - an rise of 6.8 per cent in the last year.
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