Do you think it's reasonable to pay extra on your credit card bill each month and then think of that money as still being available if you need it?

Sure because you will stay ahead of your interest but if you needed the extra you could charge it as long as you keep the whole deal up

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no

Credit cards are truly the worst thing you can use to screw up your financial life. Unless you have the where-with-all to pay it off every month, dont use it except for an emergency.

Set a goal to pay it off over the next 6 months (or less). Then, instead of considering it another source of "income" (it's not, it's another source of DEBT), think of it as the source of last resort. Get on the cash-buying cycle, and you will discover at least 3 things right away
1) You dont need everything you want
2) You have MORE money then you've had in the past.
3) Things you buy are more important and special than when you only had to hand over the card, and sign the receipt.

Try it out! You wont be disappointed in the results. Like losing weight or quitting smoking, it's tough in the beginning and it gets easier in a short period of time.

Good Luck
ED

I love credit cards. They are so convenient, and I have a card that gives me cash back so I put everything on my card but then I pay off the balance every month.

Carrying a debt on a credit card unless it's very short term (less than 6 months) doesn't make ANY financial sense. Credit cards are one of the most expensive forms of borrowing. If you already have a debt on credit card that you can't pay off quickly, it would be worth borrowing on a loan, with a fixed monthly payment and fixed term, and consolidating all your debts onto a cheaper interest rate.

At the same time it would be worth doing a full review of all your finances to see where else money can be saved.