While there are few silver linings to the current economic crisis.. 23 News Reporter Kristin Burke found out.. there's at least one *plus.. fewer credit card offers in the mail. But as lenders scale back... It includes the approved credit some of us have grown used to having.

It was a rude awakening for Kim Connaughton... when she opened her mail last month.

"I was surprised with my credit score, I actually thought i might slip through and no one would reduce my credit ."

Kim's home "equity based bank account " from Chase Bank was slashed by 75 percent..* the reason.... the letter from the bank says... to help homeowners from borrowing more than their home is worth .

" The total value based on what the credit says was about $50,000 .. the truth is home values are reducing and my line of credit was based on a higher home value ."

That truth is hard to swallow considering she has exceptional credit.. and pays her bills on time each month.... but she still got no breaks from the bank.

"Now that they reduced it it looks like I am not using my credit very wisely which is really not the case through no fault of my own that II reached 100 percent of my limit ."

Now armed with less cash to tap into to pay for things like a new deck or a vacation... Kim is forced to scale back.

" It will make me make better financial decisions because i know i don't have that extra line of credit to fall back on .. now its going to force me to put more in savings and spend less."

But thankfully.. her family doesn't need the credit to help makes ends meet.... and while she recognizes the banks are buckling down in this tight credit market...

" I will be right there to call them as soon as the market picks up again.. they reduced it down.. they should be willing to put it back up."

She still plans to pick up the phone...and get her spending power back once the housing market picks up again.

In Rockford Kristin Burke 23 news Right Now

Reports show the average American household is receiving about 30 percent less credit card offers this year. Mail offers to new and existing customers are expected to "drop" below 8.5 billion pieces... The lowest level since 2004. But it's still 28 credit card offers for every person in the u.S.