UAE | General
The illusion of a bigger bank balance
Shopping without thinking lets people fall into debt trap they cannot escape from.
- By Sanya Nayeem
- Published: 23:53 July 10, 2008
- Indian expatriate Sunil Nair has been in the UAE for the past 19 years and in all that time, has rejected what most people in the country claim they cannot live without: credit cards.
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Indian expatriate Sunil Nair has been in the UAE for the past 19 years and in all that time, has rejected what most people in the country claim they cannot live without: credit cards.
Working as a secretary for a multinational export company in Dubai, Nair said he was never tempted to apply for one, even with the rising costs.
"The only way we can overcome our financial difficulties is by living within our means," he said.
According to Nair, the possibilities of credit cards are endless, and in this lies its power to ensnare unsuspecting shoppers.
"Human desires are unlimited. If we fulfil one desire, another one creeps up," he said.
Plastic money gives consumers the illusion of having a bigger bank balance, Nair said.
He asserted that people have a tendency to "shop without thinking" when using credit cards and most fall into debt traps because they are unable to pay back the money they owe the bank.
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