photo: Lo& Sons

 

There was a joke amongst my friends that I was always broke. Whenever we went for drinks and did ’rounds’ I would shy away. Because I knew I only had my overdraft to survive on.

Like an idiot, I’d tried every single money saving option that was out there, but they didn’t work for me. Because as soon as I got paid, I wanted things. I wanted new office clothes. I wanted cool new shoes. I wanted a sparkly highlighter. But not just the things I wanted, there are things I also needed. I needed to travel every week. I needed to get lunch, dinner, and breakfast. I needed to have spending money for weekend breaks and holidays.

Frustrated with my status as the broke girl (with fabulous shoes!) I took my money into my own hands and I did something crazy. I opened a new bank account.

I chose a card that had no overdraft and was just a simple debit card with contactless for easy travel, and I made that my primary card. A completely empty, fresh card. Woohoo.

The next thing I did was relegate my old reliable card with a large overdraft limit to the back of my purse. There in case of emergencies, but not for everyday purchases. That way I wouldn’t get charged for being in my overdraft every week.

With the card I had most often abused, I gave myself a budget of 100 pounds (works for dollars too!) and checked my account to make sure I wasn’t overspending. Because if I was, I wouldn’t be able to afford travel. Of course, I can transfer some here and there to top up after lunch, but by using my new card I’ve tricked myself into living well within my means, even in London (which is an expensive city!).

Checking my mobile app every day is soooo much easier when I don’t have an empty overdraft scaring the shit out of me. For me, opening a second bank account was super easy. It took a few minutes online and a trip to the bank to do it, and I shopped around for a strict card that wouldn’t let me be silly with money. The last thing I wanted was two cards with maxed out overdrafts!

Another great tip I’ve learned is to look for a card that will give you rewards or cash back on certain purchases. It might just work for you if you’re as terrible with money as I am.

 

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