Curb spending by writing goals on credit cards
Posted
Jun 10 2008, 08:41 AM
by
Karen Datko
This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.
Some of my friends put a rubber band around one wrist if they're supposed to remember something, like getting milk on the way home. Some of my friends send themselves e-mail or schedule events in Outlook. Some of my friends draw treasure maps and hide them behind paintings in their attics. (OK. No, they don't. That was from "The Goonies.")
The point is, we all have little hacks we use to remind ourselves about things we are supposed or not supposed to do.
Here's a hack: Write on your credit cards. If you're saving for a new television, write "new TV" on your credit cards. If you're saving for your kid's 529 plan, write "college education" on the front of your credit cards. If you are $10,000 in credit card debt and devoted to busting that monkey on your back, write "$10,000" on the front of your credit cards.
This simple act has the potential to change your behavior for the better and, if nothing else, help you achieve your cash flow-related goals much sooner.
It's a reminder. Every time you pull out that credit card to buy something, you are reminded about your goals. You are reminded you are saving for a television, your child's education, or that monster of a debt to Uncle Citi (or Uncle Discover, or Uncle American Express). Do you really need what you're about to buy? Do you really need it more than the television/education/debt reduction?
You may decide you do need it more, but at least you'll have made a conscious decision.
Other people will see it (but not truly know). When I recommend that you write $10,000 on your card because you owe that much, I don't mean to embarrass you in front of others. That $10,000 could mean anything. However, it will mean $10,000 in credit card debt to you, and that's all it needs to mean. You merely need to remember how long and hard you'll have to work to pay off that debt and decide whether that purchase is worth it.
It's also a conversation starter that might net you some positive benefits. For example, did you know that the cashiers at Bed Bath & Beyond have a little binder of bar codes for competitor coupons? If you mention that you're saving for your kid's education or paying off debt (or ask nicely, which my wife did once), maybe you'll get a discount on your purchase.
It indicates the goal's importance to you. By virtue of it appearing, in Sharpie, on your credit cards, you're essentially declaring that to be the single most important cash flow-related financial goal that you have. Adopting this practice forces you to think about what you will write down and in what order. Is the television more important than the $10,000 debt? If so, why? If not, why not? Is saving for a Roth IRA important enough to put down on your credit card? Why or why not?
These are questions you are forced to ask if you're willing to take the simple step of writing down your goals on the one thing you are likely to see each day.
Other articles of interest at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity:
"Credit card promotional offers"
"Turn $100 into $1,470"
"50 fun facts about credit cards"
