Credit cards can get you into trouble by offering more money to spend than you actually have available. If you only considered you bank balance, you might opt against that new HDTV or overseas trip. But available credit says “Use me. Spend me. Just pay me back as you can.” Enticing, no?

Unfortunately that availability of a credit line can lead to compulsive spending. It’s so easy to use a credit card that you may not really think about how much you’re spending. You’re not parting with physical cash, so it may not even register with you mentally until you later see your bill. There are ways to avoid being sucked into easy, compulsive credit card spending though. Here are three things you can do to keep your spending under control:

1. Leave your card(s) at home.

If you’re going out to pick up just a few things at the store, take enough cash to purchase what you need, but leave the credit cards at home. If they aren’t available to increase your budget on that shopping trip, you won’t cave to impulse buys because you simply can’t afford to.

2. Make a list.

Larger retailers and food stores are often designed in a way to make customers walk deep into the store for routine purchases, so you’re forced to view other products and sales messages along the way. By making a shopping list, you may be able to stay more focused on what you went in for, avoiding other temptation.

3. Give each credit card a “job.”

Assign a specific purpose to each credit card you have. For example, if you have a rewards card (like the Woolworths Everyday Money credit card), you may use that for routine purchases to accumulate rewards points, but pay it off every month. You might have another card that you keep only for emergencies. A third credit card might be kept open to use as an actual credit line for major purchases, like booking flights, where you intend to maintain a balance at a lower interest rate (like the ANZ Low Rate MasterCard). By assigning them “jobs,” you can avoid treating them like a never ending credit supply for your every purchasing whim.

4. Treat your cards more like cash.

It’s harder to part with cash than credit, because we’re forced to think about what we’re physically giving up. Put your credit cards in perspective by keeping detailed records. Carry a small book with you to make note of charges as they occur, and how it affects your balance (like keeping records in a cheque book). Looking at the actual numbers may be enough to dissuade you from making some compulsive purchases–it can’t really be compulsive if you’re forced to think about it in detail.

While there’s always the potential for abuse with credit cards, self-monitoring and control can go a long way towards stopping you from spending more than planned, and accruing debt. Everyone’s triggers for impulse buying are different though, so tweak these tips or swap in your own to find the right plan for you.