Using a credit card is not like using real money. It’s painless. Zip and it’s done. Studies show that we spend more money when we shop with a credit card, than when we shop with cash. Even a debit card is easy to use.
So, pay cash. Before you go grocery shopping, take the cash out of your bank account, and only spend the cash you have with you. It’s harder psychologically to part with hard earned cash than it is to use plastic. Using cash saves money.
A word of caution: if you are buying a car, bringing thousands of dollars in cash to the car dealer may not be safe. You don’t save money if you are going to get robbed, so only carry enough cash for today’s spending; go back to the bank tomorrow if you need more. Once you are trained to spend your cash wisely, then return to using a debit card.
