Step 3. Use cash rather than credit cards when possible. There is a reason that casinos give you chips to spend instead or requiring cash: People don't attach the same value to noncash substitutes and will spend and bet more freely. It's the same with credit cards, and retailers know it. People spend more when using a credit card versus cash for purchases. The next time you buy pair of new shoes or the latest CD, instead of scribbling your name on a charge card receipt, try laying out the cash. It's amazing how it makes you think twice about impulse purchases.
