You didn't misread the tagline. This tip comes from a member who found a slightly unconventional, but brilliant, way to quit credit:She froze her credit card in a block of ice.
According to the member, she's always had a hard time resisting the allure of credit cards, but knew how important they were in times of need. How, then, could she avoid the impulse spending while having relatively quick access to the card in an emergency? Freezing the credit card seemed to do the trick.
On three separate occasions, the member felt an impulse to make a purchase on credit. She opened her freezer to pull out the block of ice and let it thaw. Under hot water, she said it took around 45 minutes to thaw. Within twenty minutes, as she saw the block of ice shrink, some restraint would return to her, and the credit card would be re-frozen.
She hasn't used it in a year.
This is not for everyone. This member had AAA (at $54 for a basic membership, it pays for itself the first time you use it), so she didn't need her credit card for roadside emergencies. She also wasn't traveling abroad frequently (it is a good idea to have a few backup payment methods when traveling abroad!). Also, it is worth noting that this doesn't work very well if you have your credit card information saved at online merchants. Still, for many of us, this could be a great way to get into the habit of not relying on credit, to help kick-start the repayment process and help get out of credit card debt for good.
Share your methods for lowering debt on your credit cards here! No idea is too wild: All that matters is that it works.
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