Get Debt Consolidation Options
Call Now! (866) 484-5373
Shopping on a budget is wise, but it can have pitfalls. If you use anything other than cash to pay for your purchases, you could be derailing your efforts to budget and save. Avoid the pain of racking up unnecessary debt by learning some easy ways to stay on track.
The Plastic Problem
Using a credit card to pay for purchases can be costly. Using a debit card when you’re shopping on a budget can be just as disastrous, because it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re spending. According to Sound Money Tips, people spend more when they pay with plastic. When you withdraw cash and use it for purchases, you are aware of how much money you’ve gone through. When you pay with a debit card, however, there is no physical reminder of how much you’ve previously spent.
It all boils down to this: paying with plastic feels painless, but it’s not. People can and often do suffer the consequences later by spending beyond their budgets and racking up debt, but that does not have to happen to you.
The Benefits of Shopping with Cash
According to research published in the journal Neuron, paying with a credit or debit card tends to take away the pain of spending money. When study participants were given $20 cash to spend, pain sensors in their brains were activated when they saw prices that were too high. With debit and credit cards, you don’t have to part with any physical bills to make a purchase, so it doesn’t feel as much like you’re giving something up. Shopping with cash is a better alternative.
7 Steps to Shopping on a Budget with Cash
Shopping on a budget can be easy if you plan and prepare. Not only will you save money by shopping with cash, you will also avoid busting your budget and racking up debt.
Image source: Flickr
[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]
Filed Under: Shopping
Tagged: bank account, Credit, Credit Card Debt, debit card processing fees, Debt, Shopping on a budget, shopping tips, Shopping with Cash, Shopping with debit card, Spending
Consumer Education Services, Inc. empowers people to overcome their financial challenges and lead financially-healthy lives.
CESI is NOT A LOAN COMPANY