Page 9 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – March/April 2022

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Maintaining Healthy Money Habits in a Post-Pandemic World
Prepaid cards offer solutions for traveling and online spending while staying on budget
We’re all eager to make up for lost time by regularly gathering with friends and family, eating out and traveling. As we frequent restaurants or plan a summer getaway, AAA encourages healthy money habits for members to consider as part of their “new normal” and how reloadable prepaid cards can help.
Here are three ways members can utilize prepaid cards to help their new financial habits stick:
1. Stay on budget
For many, the last two years forced changes to spending habits, whether it’s less money coming in or simply limited access to goods and services. According to a 2021 study from the Pew Research Center, 42% of Americans say they’ve been spending less money than usual since the pandemic began. Sticking to a budget may have been
a little more cut-and-dry in the recent past, but what happens as we start returning to our old routines?
2. Keep travel expenses and accidental overspending at bay
Though eased travel restrictions may allow for smoother travel, today’s limited resources and increased prices because of inflation create new challenges. Setting a travel budget early to avoid overspending is
a smart way to avoid overspending and stay in control of finances. Prepaid cards allow cardholders to start
budgeting early for a trip by having a portion of their paycheck directly deposited to their prepaid card. Cardholders can spend and withdraw their cash when traveling — but only the amount that’s loaded to the card.
3. Prioritize security when shopping online
When the pandemic began shutting down shops and restaurants, consumers took to the digital marketplace and increased shopping online for groceries and essentials, ordering takeout and streaming content in record numbers. However, the surge in online shopping also raised further uncertainty about the security of personal data.
The cards can be used directly at online merchants
or stored as an alternative payment method and adding these cards to a wallet — physically or digitally — gives consumers a simple way to separate funds from primary accounts. It’s even possible to automate the reloading process with direct deposit.
As you return to all of your favorite activities, enjoy all of these benefits and more while keeping your spending in check with a AAA MemberPay Visa® Prepaid Card. Get more details at AAA.com/Financial or visit your local AAA Travel Store.
Prepaid cards are issued by MetaBank®, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa® U.S.A. Inc. Use everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
MARCH/APRIL 2022 I 9