5 Easy Ways To Use E-Wallets And Cashless System Payments Without Overspending
As the world shifts towards the convenience of digital wallets and their benefits for a cashless economy, a difficult problem seems to be gathering pace. The main advantages of cashless transactions are safety and convenience. All a user has to do is link their accounts to their debit or credit cards to make their transactions. However, the looming danger here is that the cashless convenience seems to be encouraging impulse spending and putting more and more people at risk of becoming poorer. This is because digital wallets encourage overspending as they usually make it more attractive to spend.
So, in this article, we will take a look at how to use e-wallets and cashless payment systems without yielding to the tendency to overspend.
1. Keep an eye on your finances
It is always important to establish a good financial habit, and one of the best ways of doing so is by creating a financial budget. You can do so by reviewing your weekly and monthly accounts to know exactly where your money goes. This makes it possible to identify and cut down on purchases that are not essential. It is also important to review accounts often for fraudulent activity. This is especially important if you use multiple digital payment methods for your transactions. Each online account you create for payments creates an opportunity for hackers and fraudsters to attempt to manipulate them. To be on the safer side, always use different passwords for each account, and log out anytime you finish your transaction.
2. Consider using prepaid cards
It is advisable to have different prepaid cards, all designated for different purposes. For example, you could have one prepaid card for grocery expenses, another one for weekly fuel or gas, another for monthly bills, etc. This is because using a credit card more than not ends people in debt. With a prepaid card, you can only spend the amount you put on it, which in itself can be a very effective measure against overspending. Plus, it also allows you to monitor your online account activity. Combining efficient prepaid card usage with useful online information like DTSS status correction will put you on the right track to complete freedom from debt.
3. Set up notifications for spending
Most credit cards come with the ability to set up notifications that alert you when you spend above a certain amount – or when you’re about to. However, if that does not seem to be working for you, then you can create notifications or alerts for any purchase that goes above $30 or even higher, to be able to keep your spending in check on the big-ticket purchases.
Most spenders may not notice this, but receiving an alert anytime your spending goes above a set amount can be a very effective measure against overspending long-term. When your phone keeps beeping so many times, you will be forced to hold back and reflect on your buying habits, even when you don’t want to.
4. Create limits for yourself
Digital wallets and a cashless economy have a tendency to create a disconnect with tangible cash. And this makes it less difficult to spend more. Thus, if you choose to make your purchases with a credit card, then ensure that you select one for all your recurring and planned purchases or expenses. Some cards come with great travel rewards or cashback, and most of these bonuses are given when you pay for your necessities. You can use a virtual envelope method for your other expenses by creating different accounts under your main bank account. This helps to set money aside for specific purposes. And whenever those specific purposes come up, you need to ensure that you limit your purchasing only to the amount you have set aside, regardless of the type of card you’re using.
5. Review your subscriptions
Subscription services are one of the easiest ways when it comes to reducing your cashless or digital payments and transactions. For example, it is always very easy to sign up for a free trial without knowing that you have ended up paying for a service that you may never use. How many times have you realized certain regular deductions and wonder how you didn’t know you were paying for it?
Cashless payments and digital wallets are making it easier, safer, and more convenient to make transactions online. And although they come with so many other benefits, it is crucial to be conscious about how we use them to avoid running into debt.
