Emily's list: Halloween edition

Today is not just any Friday; it's Old Hallow's Eve, which means you should be on the lookout for zombie debts, blood-thirsty predatory lenders, and scams that will cause your money to vaporize like a ghost. Enjoy this freaky Friday round-up of the week's most haunting credit card blog posts.

3. Money Under 30 helps you figure out what kind of credit you need in order to get a credit card in these tough economic times. In this credit crunch, you may have many more options with Halloween costumes than you do with credit cards.   Just don't dress up like Peter Pan and then post pictures on Facebook. A co-worker might find it and forward it to the entire office.

4. Realm of Prosperity bemoans people who get a credit card just because they like the design of it. This is OK to do with your fancy schmancy Halloween costume, but with a credit card, functionality is a bit more important than appearance. CreditCards.com released a national survey this week that shows that most people agree with Realm of Prosperity: 90 percent of those polled said the brand or appearance of credit cards didn't matter to them.

5. Stop Buying Crap reposts an excellent blog item about why store credit cards are often a bad idea. Another bad idea is going trick or treating after the age of 10. Unless you are chaperoning children, you will just get snarky looks. Believe me, I've tried it. I just wanted some candy.

6. Do you find yourself impulse shopping with your credit cards? Lazy Man and Money provides five questions you should be asking yourself before making a purchase. You wouldn't eat your Halloween candy before first stopping and checking for razor blades, would you?

7. No Credit Needed explains the phases you will go through as you transform from being debt-ridden to debt-free. Sort of like a transformation from a man to a werewolf in the full moon.

8. Uncommon Cents expresses concern over recent news that some students are fleeing the country due to severe debt, and wonders how credit card debt adds onto this.  Don't get yourself into more debt than you can handle, or you'll spend the rest of your life feeling like the headless horseman is always chasing after you.

9. Ask Mr. Credit Card shares this year's scariest credit card stories. Rising interest rates, diminishing promotions, lower credit limits ... what a frightful Halloween!

10. Kacie at Sense to Save ponders when it's best to stow away emergency savings and when it's best to pay off your debt. While creating an emergency fund is vital, don't ignore that debt either; it might come back to haunt you later like a pack of crazed zombies (below).