Packin' on the Pounds with Plastic
Credit cards used to be for big-ticket items. Today they can be used at some parking meters, on buses, and at more and more fast food restaurants. While purchasing a burger and fries with a credit card may make the fast food experience even faster, an article on Bankrate.com said it could also make us fatter. A Visa study found that restaurant customers who pay with plastic typically spend 30 percent more than those who pay with cash. And that's the calorie boosting difference between a regular-sized meal and a super-sized meal.
Matt's View
As cash continues to go out of fashion, it's becoming ever more important to know the rules of the plastic road. And rule one is recognizing our tendency to spend more when charging. One simple yet effective step to curb the urge to overspend is to make spending decisions before we get to the point of purchase. That means deciding in advance that when asked if we'd like to super-size to the three-day supply of French fries we'll just say no.
This article filed in: Credit/Debit Cards , Health
Managing Money by The Book
- "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." - Matthew 7:24-25
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