Photo Credit: Michael Blanchard
I’ve been having a few conversations with clients/prospective clients on how to save yourself from yourself vis a vis your money.
Here are 3 of my fave quick-and-dirty tricks:
- Set up a high interest savings account anywhere other than your primary bank/credit union. Set up an automatic savings plan, even if only $10/paycheque (start small if you have to, but start!) Do not get an atm card – repeat – do not get an atm card. You can even go extreme – bury your online codes to make it a real hassle for yourself to withdraw the funds. That way your true savings goals will stand a fighting change of being realized instead of subject to impulse buying.
- Lower your credit card limits unless you pay it off in full every month. Most people don’t pay them off (that’s how visa/mastercard/amex make their money) and you know who you are: Save yourself from yourself by shaving off your balance, then calling and reducing your limit. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
- Do a quick, daily check-in with your bank accounts. In the ideal world, we’d be so organized that we wouldn’t need this. But who lives in the ideal world? 3 minutes to keep right up-to-date with account activity may save you a small disaster some day.
Readers: any other crime-prevention measures you can add?
