<prompt> Human: Hi everyone! I almost have my credit cards all paid off. I have 3 in total. In September, I will have the remaining roughly 3000 paid off on my cards. After Sept Oct. I will be completely credit card debt-free and want to know the most efficient way of keeping a balance and working to improve my credit score. Ive read that people should keep 13 of a balance on their card and keep paying it every month. I dont know the validity of that. As well, Im a stereotypical I-use-my-card-for-everything individual and only recently have been able to pay it down significantly, so I can use any information anyone can provide. Are there any good time management habits and balance tips I could incorporate to maintain a low balance while using my cards?Thank you all for your advice!  <response>: Never carry a balance. Pay it 100 off every month. Use it as a de facto debit card, not credit. Only justification for carrying a balance is dire emergencies with no other options. I use credit cards for everything and last time I carried a balance was five years ago. I went from low 500s to 780. 