Escape from the clutches of credit card

In my last post I talked about impulsive purchases and breaking barriers of reluctance. Credit cards are instruments that help you spend unnecessarily and spend more. Since you do not see your net worth reducing, you get psychologically inured to overspending.

One way to escape this is to avoid the temptation to increase the credit limit of your credit card. I deliberately ignore mails from my bank to increase the credit limit. In one case, the bank increased the credit limit on their own because I am their valued customer. Yeah sure! I also carry just one credit card. I have surrendered all others I had.

I just read something called the ice glass method for reducing credit card spending. The following extract is from Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.

[The Ice Glass Method] is a home remedy for impulsive spending. You put your credit card into a glass of water and put the glass in the freezer. Then, when you impulsively decide to make a purchase, you must first wait for the ice to thaw before extracting the card. By then, your compulsion to purchase has subsided. (You can't just put the card in the microwave, of course, because then you'd destroy the magnetic strip.)

Go figure.