Dear Mary: My son is a college student and wants to begin establishing credit. He is interested in finding a credit card that would be right for him, a college student on a budget. He did apply for a card, but they turned him down because he lacks credit. Could you suggest a card or a way to get his credit started? -- Pam M., e-mail

Dear Pam: I understand your son's desire to begin building good credit, and I do applaud that. I just hope that he understands that a credit card is like a power tool. If you don't know what you're doing, it can do more damage than good. That being said, I suggest he head on over to the bookstore on his college campus. There he will find applications for any number of credit cards that are targeted for unemployed college students with no credit history.

Credit card companies are foaming at the mouth to be a college student's first card. They know that statistically the student will have a well-paying job someday and that he will keep (and use) that first card for at least 15 years. As his parent, it's up to you to make sure he is well-educated in the proper use and care of a credit card.

Dear Mary: Your recent article about hidden fees prompted me to call my phone company to see whether I could save some money.

The representative I talked to gave me another option to my basic phone plan: a measured rate.

The measured rate plan in my state is $7.25 per month. Incoming calls do not count; only outgoing calls do. I am allowed 25 local calls each month, and 911 and 800 numbers don't count toward the 25. If I go over my allotted 25 calls, I am only charged 8 cents per call. Even if I placed 200 calls beyond my 25, I still would pay less than what I did for a basic line. But just to be on the safe side, do you know anything about measured rates that I didn't learn? -- Stephanie C., Missouri

Dear Stephanie: I don't. In fact, you've taught me something new, and many of your fellow readers, as well. This option seems perfect for so many of us who want to keep our landlines just because we've had the same number for many years and also because we want to have that all-important connection to the 911 systems in our communities. Thanks so much, and keep the great tips coming.

Do you have a question for Mary? E-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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