The March 3 issue of Business Week features a blurb regarding controlling your credit card usage. In the past, the solution to credit card overusage has been to cut up the card—which leaves you stuck in the event of an emergency. A tip from the book Good Advice for a Bad Economy suggests that you put your credit cards in a sandwich bag full of water, then stick the bag in the freezer.
This way, you have access to the cards in the even of an emergency, but “impulses must wait for the ice to thaw.”
posted on March 7, 2003 10:40 AMBetter make that black ice--I can see through regular ice and get the number :P
Posted by: Jon at March 7, 2003 12:30 PM
This is actually an old tip. I did it with my (at the time) only card back when I first got out of college. I had an ENORMOUS balance that took me a good number of years to pay off, but I did it.
Thankfully, I've learned the error of my ways and I am able to keep a couple cards in my wallet without the impulse to give them a workout. Indeed, my only current debts (not counting recurring monthly bills) are my car and my college loan. All three credit cards are at zilch.
Admittedly, I'm preparing to buy a digital camera, so that'll sit on the card for a couple months, probably.
Posted by: Lee Bennett at March 7, 2003 1:56 PM