Do you have bad credit? Do you plan to continue using credit cards anyway, but you want to make better credit and spending decisions? Then these bad credit tips might help. Here are some things you should consider doing (or not doing) that don’t involve cutting up all your plastic.

Here are five credit card related tips for consumers with bad credit.

1. Cut back on your active credit cards.

This doesn’t mean you have to close any existing credit card accounts that you don’t want to. But unless you’re already down to using just one or two credit cards, it might be a good idea to cut back on active cards (the ones you use for new charges). It will help you limit your spending and give you time to focus on paying down balances on the other cards.

2. Consider alternative payment options.

If you have bad credit and it’s a result of poor spending decisions, consider using your credit cards less frequently in general. For example, take a grocery list and just enough cash with you to buy food so you don’t give in to impulse buys with your credit card.

3. Come up with a debt reduction plan.

With bad credit often comes too much existing debt. If you fall into this group, it’s time to think about a plan for paying off those credit card balances. We’ve explored some of them here for you. Learn more about the snowball method, flat rate method, and paying your highest interest credit cards first as examples.

4. Don’t apply for new credit cards.

This should be common sense, but if you can’t handle your existing credit lines, you probably shouldn’t apply for new ones. So hold off on new credit card applications until you get your debt under control. If you’ve already paid off that debt and you’re ready to rebuild your credit history, this tip might not apply to you. Just remember that enquiries stay on your credit file for years even if you aren’t approved. So don’t apply for credit cards if you think approval is unlikely anyway.

5. Change the way you use your credit cards.

If you have bad credit, you need to look at the underlying problems. If you got into bad credit card habits previously, now is the perfect time to re-evaluate things and come up with a new strategy. For example, after you pay off some of your existing outstanding debt, you might reserve specific cards for specific purchases. Or you might need to rethink your budget so you never charge more than you can pay off in a month.

Hopefully these tips serve as reminders of some of the basic steps you can take to improve your credit history without getting rid of credit cards altogether. If nothing else, it’s important to remember that your credit card is a tool — not an extension of your income.