You won't find yourself drowning in debt simply because you used your credit cards a few times. In fact, you can use your credit cards regularly and still keep your head above the murky debt waters.

What does lead to debt is using credit cards and other debt instruments (e.g. loans) unwisely and unnecessarily without paying your debt bills accordingly. There are five specific spending habits that lead to debt. Avoid these and you'll have a much better financial life.

More on Debt Management:

Choosing the right credit card is important for everyone. Young adults going back to school should be especially careful because many credit cards targeted at this age group aren't as great as the names make them sound.

Take the Citi mtvU Platinum Select Visa Card for College Students, for example. Any credit card with "MTV" and "College Student" in the title should be a great starter card. However, the credit card rewards students for spending money on the MTV website - a great place to spend your hard-earned tips right?

A better choice would be the Discover Student Credit Card which has no annual fee, 0% interest on purchases for up to six months, and up to 5% cash back on certain purchases. Cash back beats MTV swag any day of the week.

For more great student credit card offers, check out our list of the Five Best Student Credit Cards. And if you want to know which credit cards to stay away from check out the Worst Student Credit Cards.

I also recommend you read:

• How to Choose a Student Credit Card
• Smart Ways for Students to Use Credit Cards
• New Credit Card Rules for Young Adults

When it comes to paying off your credit cards, there are two methods that are widely recommended. One way is to pay off your credit cards in order from highest interest rate to lowest interest rate. The other way is to start with the lowest balance then move to the biggest balance. What's the difference between the two and which one is best? Read Two Credit Card Payback Methods That Work. Hint: Ultimately, paying off your credit cards is most important.

If you're really curious about how often your credit report changes and what changes are being made, you might sign up for a credit monitoring service. These services often brag that they aid in identity theft prevention, but that benefit could be overstated since credit monitoring alerts you to changes that have already happened. Take a closer look at what credit monitoring really does and learn whether it will really prevent identity theft. Current credit monitoring subscribers may be surprised at the answer.

Related Identity Theft Articles

• 10 Ways to Detect, Fight, and Prevent Identity Theft
• 7 Signs of Identity Theft
• Action Plan for a Lost or Stolen Credit Card