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One giant choice we can make to get control of our money is to stop using credit cards. It may seem impossible but the steps I’ve laid out in this 4 part series gives anyone some time to work the process and even start back over again if they mess up.
Step 1 – Take the cards out of your wallet, put cash in your wallet
Step 2 – Delete credit card numbers from all online accounts, use your bank’s BillPay for online payments, Debit for purchases. Start saving the money you haven’t been over-spending.
Step 3 – Freeze your accounts to any further charges. By now you will start to see how much you’ve haven’t been spending and how much more you can be saving.
Step 4 – Realize you haven’t been using the cards and you don’t need them. Use your Debit card just like you used your credit card, there is no difference and they have the same protections when you don’t use your PIN number.
Here is a blogpost I wrote about Visa’s Zero Liability policy and the protection they give to debit cards: http://www.moneyplansos.com/is-your-credit-card-safer/
For more information, go directly to this information on Visa’s website:
http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_visa/personal_finance/debit.html
http://usa.visa.com/personal/security/visa_security_program/zero_liability.html
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