More just say no to credit cards

Five years ago, Rajendra Hariprashad thought he was living the American dream.
The native of Guyana and former Marine carried balances on his credit cards, went out to dinner at least five times a week, and didn’t pay attention to the price of gas.
Today, Hariprashad, owner of Ena’s Driving School in Queens, N.Y., pays off his credit cards at the end of the month. He’s making extra payments on the mortgage for the house he shares with his parents and hopes to pay it off in about 10 years. He shops around for the cheapest gas he can find and pays with cash to get a discount.
Hariprashad, 34, says the recession forced him to change his ways. Business slowed because customers didn’t have as much money to spend on driving lessons. Faced with the threat of bankruptcy, he cut back on discretionary spending and used the money to pay off his credit cards. “Now, I have a clean slate,” he says.
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