That neighbor who told me to freeze my credit cards in a block of ice really saved me $1,200 in impulse spending last quarter

Ran into him at the community garden shed in June and he said try it for just one billing cycle, so I buried my debit card in a water bottle overnight and the hassle of thawing it out actually made me think twice before every single pointless Amazon order - has anyone else tried a physical barrier trick that actually worked for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

valthomas1mo ago

I read this thing online about putting your credit card in a ziploc bag and then freezing it in a big bowl of water, and I did that with my backup card a few months back. It helped me stop buying random stuff from those late-night ads that pop up on my phone, you know, the "limited time offer" kind of junk I don't need. The trick is you have to be patient and wait for it to thaw, and by the time it's ready I usually forget what I even wanted to buy in the first place. Plus I actually started keeping my main card in a locked box in my car trunk so I can't just grab it for a quick impulse purchase at the grocery store. It's like having a second brain that stops me from being stupid with my own money.

adam_anderson61mo ago

Freeze your card and next thing you know you're thawing it out at 2am just to buy a set of avocado slicers you saw on Instagram. I'd probably end up using a hair dryer on it like a maniac trying to defrost a steak for dinner. Get a bag of frozen peas involved and it's a whole kitchen science experiment just to buy something dumb. Honestly though, that trunk idea is smart because I'd probably just leave the car keys inside and lock myself out trying to save money.