Everybody knows that times are tough, and almost everyone who has owned a credit card has run into some type of financial trouble using it. It seems as though the temptation of being able to buy now and pay later may be too much at times, especially in today’s economic hardship, where more people are unable to simply buy now. There is no doubt that credit cards are capable of hurting your personal finances, but overusing your debit card might be what is putting you over the limit.

Instead of depending on debit, it is a smarter idea to head to the bank every week, take out enough cash to get you through that time period, and try to live on that budget. It has been proven time and time again that depending on the cash you have in your wallet instead of plastic will both increase budget discipline and assist you when it comes to reducing impulse purchases. Just think about it: you look in your wallet each time to spend money, and see how much you have left. You will most likely be able to buy only what you need as opposed to what you want.

It is true that debit cards are safer financially than credit. They can stop you from going overboard with a large purchase you can’t afford like you can with credit. With debit, you are also able to keep track of how and where you spend your money. But this rationalization can be thrown out the window when one considers the fact that you can buy a notebook and a pen for a dollar at the local store to use as a new budget book.

The simple fact of the matter is that anything that makes it easier to spend money means that if it is in your possession, you will in fact spend more money. More evidence shows that people spend more with debit, and while they may not go crazy with large buys, they do make a large number of small buys that would be avoided if one were to depend on budgeted money. Overdrawing bank accounts is another way that debit can lead to debt. As you can imagine, banks earn billions in overdraft fees caused by the smallest debit card purchases. It seems unfair and ironic that overdrawing your account by two dollars can penalize you with a much larger fee.

Another positive thing about money is that you can utilize it anywhere. Processing fees that come from debit cards are growing very costly for retailers. Many stores, mom and pop stores in particular, demand that you spend a purchase of at least ten dollars if you want to pay for that pack of gum with debit. Card issuers assert that higher sales from consumers make the expense worthwhile(which again, goes to show you that people spend more with debit), but a number of retailers are beginning to protest debit processing fees and asking customers to now pay in cash.

Mallory Megan works for Rapid Recovery Solution and writes articles on commercial collection agencies Also published at Using Debit May Be Deadlier Than It Looks.