Thursday, October 30, 2008

How to Beat Credit Card Debt With Credit Card Alternatives

Buying stuff online is great, even my Nana has bought yarn online. These days purchasing stuff online is one of the main reasons we have credit cards. The trouble is credit cards also cause impulse buying and ability to rack up huge amounts in a short time and all the fees and interest charges that come along the way.

A smart credit card alternative is the Visa Debit Card:

Debit cards

You've seen the ads where the guys "pay for the pizza with their own dough". That ad is about debit cards, basically cards that use your own cash instead of the bank's.

Otherwise it functions just the same as a credit card - the best bit is that there is no debt, and no fees or charges. So the banks aren't screwing you, in fact some banks even offer a split card with an ATM function as well as a debit function.

Is there a catch?

You must have sufficient cash to cover your purchases. So if you don't have the money, then you can't make the purchase. But if you didn't have the money, should you really be buying the item anyway?

This is the 21st century and you don't have to be cut off from the world of online shopping if you don't have a credit card. You too can be buying up eBay bargains - all with your own cash without the worry of credit card debt hanging over your head.

So, if having a credit card worries you, or you've fallen into the credit card debt trap before - get yourself a debit card!

Visit http://www.barefoot.com.au for more free information and advice about personal finance from Scott Pape - for the best credit card recommendations, mortgage and interest rate reviews, loan comparisons, recommended high interest savings accounts and the best sneaky deals and discounts in town!

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