Receive Text Messages About Your Bank Account Balance Every Morning
Every morning I wake up and receive a text message with the balance of my checking account. I do this because I have a tendency to overspend, which I actively try to limit, and I like to know how much money I have at any given time. It’s a little thing that makes me aware of my big goals.
You can do this through an app like Digit (which costs $ 2.99 a month) or through your bank account settings (you will need to log into your account and see what emails / text notifications the bank offers). You can usually choose between text message, email, and / or push notification.
Obviously, if you use your credit card frequently, this is not your true balance (although you can use Debitize to help with this). But you can also receive notifications sent to you when you charge in excess of a certain amount of money from your credit card (I have a text notification set to $ 50). This is not only a reminder to keep track of your spending, but also a good security measure in case your card is stolen.
And, depending on your bank, you can complete other financial tasks with a text message:
- Check transaction history
- Transfer money between accounts
- Get the addresses of the nearest ATMs and bank branches
- Find out when your credit card bill is due (or get alerts when it gets close)
Warning: Do not reply to text messages claiming that there is a problem with your account or that you need to reactivate your ATM card. This is likely a phishing scheme . You will never need to provide information such as your SSN or checking account number via text message.
I’ve offered this tiny trick before, but it’s actually one particular thing that has improved my finances; I can’t pretend I don’t know what’s in my account or avoid my balance (which I did until it was time to pay my credit card bill or I got paid … yes, not very good). Is it sometimes stressful? Yes. But for me, more information is better, and I use it as a way to make sure I stay on top of my goals . Of all the alerts and notifications constantly buzzing on my phone, this is by far the most rewarding.