Income Master

How a debit card can be a handy budgeting tool

I don’t know if you have noticed but our society is moving closer and closer to a cashless society. I almost never have cash in my wallet. I don’t need it.

Everywhere I go — the coffeeshop, Target, the grocery store, the mall, even a fast food restaurant — I can use a card to pay for what I need.

Cash is quickly becoming obsolete.

The problem with using credit and debit cards is that they make you feel like you aren’t really spending money. It doesn’t seem real. You just hand someone the card and presto chango, you have bought an item.

The problem is when you do this and one of two things happen. You either a) rack up your credit card with more charges than your lifestyle or salary can possibly afford or b) you keep racking up your debit card without balancing your checkbook and then realize you are overdrawn. It only takes being one penny short to cost you hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees. I should know.

There is a solution.

There is something called the AchieveCard, which is a reloadable, prepaid debit card that can be used at any location that accepts Mastercard.

It works much like a prepaid cell phone or long distance phone card. You can use it just like you would another debit or credit card to buy items in stores or online. But the difference is, when you run out of money, you run out of money. You don’t have to worry about overdraft charges or racking up a big credit card bill.

The AchieveCard is an ideal gift for your living away from home college student. Send your son or daughter an AchieveCard and when he or she runs out of money, he runs out. It allows you to still pay for your college student’s expenses without any costly or surprise bills later on.