Insidious Conveniences
The constant tide of payment options
Your $7 coffee is $25 on DoorDash? No problem, split it into 4 payments with Klarna. Now you can afford a pastry too. And why not get dinner tonight? Four more payments.
Little tight on money between checks? No problem, your payroll company can spot you.
You realize you could have saved 20% on that purchase if you had used your Towel World* Store Card? You don’t have one? Oh, well, let me hook you up with an extra 10% off your first purchase.
Easy payments. Pay over time. Discounts. New Member benefits. Overdraft protection. Everywhere we turn, we are being urged into debt.
When I was in my first apartment, I wrote bad checks to Pizza Hut. At the time they were the only place that hadn’t adopted the newfangled funds verification. That became a non-issue with Visa Debit cards. They’d cut you off. Not anymore. You can just keep spending yourself negative.
Credit card lost or stolen? No problem, your bank will roll all your subscriptions onto your new card whether you want them to or not.
There’s no escape from the attempts to chip away at your income.
No escape other than the choices you make.
*High five for the person who can tell me that reference.
This is so true. The first time I saw The Big Lebowski I could unfortunately relate to writing a check for 69 cents at Ralphs.