Habits can be easy to get into but very hard to break, as what began as a one-off exception can become a normal routine that proves difficult, if not impossible, to stop.
Smoking is one of the most common examples of this, with infrequent smoking becoming more frequent until finally the user is addicted.
Bad credit card habits can become just as much of a problem, disrupting finances and placing users inside a debt trap in addition to destroying credit scores and long-term financial goals.
The good news is that breaking bad credit card habits can be done with a number of minor adjustments that can make it easier for cardholders to make more of an effort to change their ways.
One bad habit that credit card users need to break is keeping too many of them in their wallet.
Easy access to banking and credit card services in the United Arab Emirates has today allowed almost everyone to get a credit card, but the downside is that this easy access makes overspending far too tempting and simple.
One way that users can avoiding overspending is to keep just one credit card in their wallet instead of several.
Cardholders should also inform their credit card provider or financial institution immediately in the event that a card is lost or stolen to ensure that there is no misuse.
Another bad habit that users need to break is making use of their credit card when it would be a better idea to use their debit card instead.
Many users may select their credit card instead of a debit card in order to accumulate reward points or get cashback or discounts, but caution needs to be employed by those who use credit cards for all purchases.
Cardholders should have a fixed plan in place to avoid missing repayments that can cause late fees or heavy interest rates to be imposed.
However, for the best management of everyday expenses, users should break the bad habit of relying on credit cards and pay with cash or their debit card instead.
Cash can be withdrawn by many credit card users for emergencies, but doing so on a regular basis is a very bad habit that should be broken immediately.
Cash transactions are one of the most expensive transactions that can be done with a credit card as they come with very high interest rates and no grace period.
Credit cards are not supposed to be used as a source of regular cash because the whole point of credit cards is to replace the need for physical currency in the UAE.
Another bad habit that cardholders need to lose is not keeping track of all the rewards they are accumulating with their credit cards.
There are many lucrative rewards and discounts offered by credit cards in the UAE, but many users fail to track those rewards, some of which will expire if they are not utilised within a certain time frame and are therefore wasted.
Avoiding bad credit card habits can help cardholders to use their credit cards to their full potential.
