Impoved credit score. Max out credit card. Debt Ratio. Credit score

I have improved my credit score to 695 (from 648) a year ago. I am need to make a big purchase (necessity) and need to use my credit card to do so. I have the choice of either maxing it out or just staying about $300 - $500 below the credit limit. Will there be adifference? I will be paying this off within a year but how far down do you think my credit score will drop? This will also affect my husband's score and his is lower than mine (around 665). I'm so bummed but there's no other choice.
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Your score could drop 20 points if you do not have much credit out there.

When or if you max a credit card out then, get it lower than 80% to high credit limit as fast a possible and no harm will be done.
Once you pay it down to less than 80% your score will be as good as it was before you had a debt ratio problem with that credit card as long as no other things changed.
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Debt to High Credit Ratio
(how much you owe on one line of credit to your credit limit) Counted on credit score<
is different from

Debt to Income Ratio
(oustanding monthly bills to monthly income) NOT counted on credit score
but is counted by lenders as ability to pay. Normally less than 45% is what a lender has to go by. If you have more than 45% bills to income you can be turned down.