What are your "poor person" money life hacks?

return2ozma@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 305 points –

Let's get a list going. Like with a Target debit card you can get $40 cash back and it takes 1 to 2 days to be withdraw from your checking.

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On average people spend around 5% more with credit cards. That 2% cash back is a partial refund of increased spending.

Yeah, don't spend more. Use it as a debit card.

And, again, make sure to be financially responsible and literate before you get a credit card.

Any place to get a proper gist of what financially literate means in this context? I know maybe a few basics but always wondered about the best way to utilize credit to a long term benefit.

Basically use any credit card as you would any debit card. That means never spend any money you don't already have in your account. And always pay the full statement balance every month on time to avoid paying interest.

That way you will get all the rewards and none of the drawbacks.

And what happens when a big purchase comes along that I really need, like my car breaking down or just a new mattress? I always figure that's where the utilization starts going up and there's only so much that can be paid off before the next billing cycle.

Do whatever you would do if you didn't have a credit card.