naturalnews.com printable article

Originally published May 28 2004

Credit card debt is often a result of costly food and grocery purchasing habits

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

Here's how to tell when you're too deep in credit card debt: if 15% or more of your monthly income goes to pay your credit card bills, you've triggered one of the many warning signs that your credit card debt is out of control. There are other triggers, too: paying the monthly payments on one credit card by taking out a cash advance on another credit card.

If this scenario describes your financial habits, you're not alone: some 39% of credit card holders pay only the minimum payment, practically guaranteeing a lifetime of debt if they don't change their credit card habits. So what's the solution?

The solution is to get your spending under control. Easier said than done, right? But most people waste an enormous amount of money on recurring expenses that could easily be made more affordable. One of the more obvious areas is groceries: people use grocery story coupons to buy brand-name breakfast cereals and other items, thinking they're saving money. In fact, anyone using coupons is actually wasting money, since coupons are only printed for items that carry an outrageous markup to begin with. Buying brand-name processed foods is a sure way to eat yourself into further debt. Your health will suffer, too, since processed foods offer very poor nutrition.

Another big money waster in the food category is soft drinks. They're not only terrible for your health (their main ingredient, high fructose corn syrup, has been linked to diabetes and obesity), but they also gobble up your budget. Drinking straight water (filtered, please) can save you as much as $50 / month.

If you're too deep in credit card debt, take a look at your food purchasing habits, and be sure to review your restaurant and fast food expenditures, too, since that's a huge expense for many people. By altering food choices alone, most people can dramatically reduce their level of credit card debt and improve their level of health at the same time.



REVIEW TYPE


All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml