While the title may be a little shocking or misleading, let me explain before I get flamed by the feminist left (or right) for objectifying myself.

I obtained my very own, very first credit card at 23 or thereabouts. At the time I was a wild one and fiscal responsibility was low on my list of priorities. I didn't give it a second thought to run the card up and never pay back a dime. In essence, I had no clue what credit was all about. That revelation didn't hit me until I tried to buy a car a few years later - you guessed it, on credit. Since I had so gleefully trashed mine, I ended up paying something like 19% on the car loan, maybe it was even higher than that. I paid almost twice for my car what it was worth. Again, in my stupidity it never occured to me that not paying my bills years before was the problem.

Fast forward to 2004. I am now just about to graduate with a BS in business, have worked in the finance world long enough to know what credit is all about and am mature enough (methinks) to understand, "Dang, I better do something about this!" Hence, I resolutely go at cleaning up my credit as though my life depended on it. And in some ways it really does.

When you have bad credit you most likely need it the most but can't get it; when you have good credit you most likely don't need it but can get it easily. It is a paradox, but the way of the credit world.

It has taken me another almost two years to reach a point where bad stuff is gone from my credit report, good stuff has been added and I am able to enter the world of lower interest rates. I'm not quite superprime elite just yet, but getting there. In my giddiness at watching my scores rise on a monthly basis I went on an application spree - and added a ton of new credit cards to my portofolio. I was never allowed into the elite circle of the Big Five. You know - the circle where only those that are worthy are allowed to enter? American Express, Citibank, Chase, MBNA and Discover. The Illuminati of the credit world, quietly controlling everying without anyone's knowledge. They pull the strings in the finance world and you better believe you want to be part of that elite or else be left behind. I digress....

My application spree was successful but it has produced an unexpected side effect. I have become a credit whore. I am addicted to the high of "CONGRATULATIONS! You have been approved for the super snazzy razzle dazzle elite XYZ card with a limit of XXX dollars!" I cannot get enough of those words and go out of my way to get them. Mind you, I don't really need the cards per se but let me refer you back to paragraph four above.

How did I pull this off? I joined a group of credit gurus online. A hodgepodge of former credit terrorists who have banded together to demystify the world of credit card companies, assist each other through the ups and downs of ridding themselves of the addiction of overzealous and irresponsible spending (and consequently trashing their credit or that of their spouse) and dispensing wise anecdotes so that us stupid young'uns may learn and prosper. I owe this group a world of gratitude in that respect although now I must learn to nurture the beast of high finance and not fall flat on my face again. But, I say it again proudly - I am a credit whore; there is not a feeling better in the world than to whip out my American Express card to pay for dinner. Well, maybe great sex but I digress again....