Your business is yours, and none of mine, but please consider this. Stop using your debit card for online or other shopping. Use you credit card instesd. [1]. If you're scammed, the scammer can empty your bank account; any illegal charges on your credit card above a predetermined amount is waived. A basic credit card protection. [2]. You get cash back from purchases on a credit card; the specific card, who issues it, and type of purchase determines how much. Assume you're using a USAA credit card: you are shopping at Walmart [merely an example....insert other company if you wish]; you make a $100.00 purchase; your card generates a 1% [just an assuimption about your card] reward into your bank account. If you use USAA's online shopping tool, at a participating company, you will receive an additional reward ofsome specific purchase percentage [each compsny is different, but the Membershop page displays the company name and how much each company returns money to you as an award; I'd have to check, but I think Walmart is about another 1% reward]. That produces about a 2% reward in your rewards account: you transfer it to checking, savings, or pay your credit card bill: your choice. Compnies also routinely display one or more alternative offers like price reductions, free shipping, etc; you will see what's offered if you go to the store's name on Membershop. In my case, I average more than $100 per month from buying what I will buy anyhow; when the reward hits $100 I just transfer it into savings [that doesn't do much good, since savings accounts in America today don't generate much interest.....but that's a different concern]. Caveat: it's functions best if you psy off your credit card, and keep it paid off: you don't want to save 1% while paying 12% on the card. My system, once I paid off all my cards [I carry two USAA Visa cards so if one is damaged, lost, or scammed, I have a backup card]; every morning over breakfast, I open my USAA account; pay off the new charges; and verify every new, pending charge is valid. If you question a charge, you can file an immediate challenge to that pending charge. We pay all our bills with our credit card; every time we buy groceries or pay phone/propane/gasoline/etc we generate a tiny income. Caveat #2: some purchases with a USAA card are exempt from the rewards program [truck stops, etc]; read whatever credit card compny you use contract about this. Since we live in rural Missouri, where the inbreeding rate is high, online purchases for groceeies plus everything else not only generates income, it means we don't step into a brick store with Covid-potential customers and staff; we don't stand in line with virus-producers, no one touches our cards, and we don't touch possibly contaminated machines or conveyor belt [Walmart brings all our pruchases, loads items in the trunk, and don't even touch the car]; another benefit is we don't go in for one item, see 23 other things, anf leave with more than we wanted. Eliminating spontaneous purchases, alone, saves a lot of money! Following the above saves/generates money and keeps my family safe. It also eliminates credit card interest rates; by keeping my account at zeeo, or at least paying off minimums before cutoff dates means I don't pay any interest or fees to use the card. I haven't psid credit card interest or fees for many, many years. Yep, it takes some financial self-control, but defeats credit problems while protecting yourself.
