<prompt> Human: I just got my first credit card. How exactly does using credit work? I understand it for the most part; pay by the due date, credit utilization ratio, etc. Where Im confused is how exactly do I pay my bills and use the actual credit?Its a secured card with a 500 limit. I got it this month, my due date is October 7th I think. So far Ive spent about 250 and thats too high, so I made an online payment of 92 which was the first set of charges that went through. The rest came last week and its just been sitting there. I guess what Im trying to ask is, do I just spend X near the start of, or during, the month, and then pay off the balance a few days before its due? In my case, basically just spend 150, then pay it off every month?Also, how exactly does credit workhow is it calculated if I spend money with my credit card and immediately pay it off? Is it better to let it sit for 25 days and pay it before its due, or does the pay date matter? If I were to spend 300, pay off 100, spend another 300, and pay it off before my due date, does that impact my credit positively, negatively, or not at all?Apologies if my questions are confusing. Ill elaborate in the comments if you want to know.  <response>: Youre over complicating things. Just use the card normally to buy stuff throughout the month. At the end of the month you will get a bill. Usually they give you 25 days or so to pay the bill. Just pay that bill in full before the due date and youre fine. Your utilization is typically reported once a month to the credit reporting agencies. You can call and ask when they will report it if you are curious. Some people will try and pay down their card before this so it shows low utilization. Some people wait until after this to pay off their card so it shows the card is being used. You really dont have to play these games. The general rule of thumb is use credit responsibly and your score will go up over time. You dont need to micro manage your credit card usage to try and eek out a few extra points, its not worth it. 