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Personal finance

What could you buy with your credit card debt?

What could you buy with your credit card debt?

What could you buy with your credit card debt?

It doesn’t take a finance major to know that debt can be a huge burden. Today, we’ll try thinking of things a little differently - what could you buy with your debt?

It doesn’t take a finance major to know that debt can be a huge burden. Today, we’ll try thinking of things a little differently - what could you buy with your debt?

It doesn’t take a finance major to know that debt can be a huge burden. Today, we’ll try thinking of things a little differently - what could you buy with your debt?

May 19, 2022

Sam Lipscomb

3

min

Credit card debt is an unfortunate reality for far too many people, and college students tend to be particularly affected. According to a study by The College Finance Company, college students have over $3,280 worth of credit card debt on average and 64.8% of college students have at least some credit card debt.

To make things even worse, the two most common mistakes that lead to students going into debt are only paying the minimum balance and forgetting to make a payment at all. Needless to say, these are two mistakes that are easy to make but can take years to overcome.

There’s no question that credit card debt and missed payments are a bad thing. It’s why we built the Fizz card, a credit building debit card that doesn’t charge hidden fees, doesn’t charge interest, doesn’t let you rack up debt - all while helping you budget and stay on top of your finances.

Credit card debt doesn’t have to be a part of college life anymore. But since Fizz hasn’t always been around, there are still tons of people out there saddled with credit card debt, poor credit scores, or both. We envision a world where no one has to live with credit card debt. Let’s take a look at what that might look like.

By the numbers

The average college student has over $3,280 worth of credit card debt. That’s a good chunk of money no matter how you look at it. Plus, credit card debt tends to build interest at an incredibly high rate, so that $3,280 is ever growing. And it’s certainly an amount the average person would rather have in their pocket. If $3,280 is a little amorphous, think of it this way.

With $3,280, you could buy a cup of coffee every day for about two years. It’s also about a year’s worth of Chipotle burritos. It’s more than enough to go on a couple solid shopping sprees. And depending on where you live, you could buy about 164 30-racks of Miller Lite.

You can get creative and think of a million different ways to spend $3,280. But let’s take it a step further. Let’s say that instead of having $3,280 in credit card debt, you decided to invest. Even if you invested in the most boring index fund ever, you’d likely have an additional $1,522 after just four years.

You could even decide to invest in something crazy, like a friend’s business or an obscure cryptocurrency. You might make 100 times your money, or you might make nothing. But it’s important to remember that even if you lost everything, it would still be better than building up debt.

Why it matters

All of this is speculative. Not everyone has credit card debt, and even if you do, there isn’t much you can do to magically make it disappear overnight. I understand that telling you what you could have in an alternate reality can be kind of annoying. To borrow a phrase, “if my grandmother had wheels, she would’ve been a bike.”

The point is that if you haven’t gotten started yet or are just getting started building your credit, you should be mindful of the effect that your actions can have. Using a credit card with confusing terms, hidden fees, interest rates, and credit lines that encourage overspending is something you should be wary of - because debt is real, and debt sucks.

At Fizz, we’re helping create a world without credit card debt. Instead of looking at your debt and envisioning what you could buy with it, we’d rather you have no debt at all and actually be free to spend that money. That’s why Fizz doesn’t charge hidden fees, doesn’t charge interest, and doesn’t let you go into debt. We just want you to build your credit score, earn rewards, and live financially free. So download the Fizz app today and let's make it happen!

*This communication is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.*

Sam Lipscomb

Author bio

Sam is a Kenyon College alum and is head of content at Fizz. He's been a go to personal finance resource among his peers since getting his first credit card during his sophomore year of college. He hails from Washington, DC, loves all things aviation, and currently lives in Los Angeles.

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ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024. 40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .
For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of September 2024.


Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024. 40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .
For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of September 2024.


Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024.


40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz © 2024. 40 Wooster Street, Level 2, New York, NY 10013. All rights reserved. FIZZ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.


ShoulderTap Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Fizz (“Fizz”) is not a bank. The Fizz Debit Mastercard® (“Fizz Card”) is issued by Patriot Bank, N.A., Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Mastercard® and may be used everywhere Mastercard® debit cards are accepted. Any loans you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are originated by Lead Bank, a Missouri state-chartered bank. Any promotions or rewards you may be offered in connection with your use of the Fizz Card are offered and managed by Fizz, not our bank partners.


Fizz Members may choose to apply for a Fizz Card, but are not required to. Fizz Membership does not guarantee access to a Fizz Card. Application and eligibility restrictions apply. Over $300 in annual value of Fizz Card based on cash value available to Fizz Card users assuming half of all available rewards and promotions are used. Actual results may vary.


Fizz cardholders: Fizz reports your payment history on the revolving, open-end line of credit accessed by your Fizz Card. Increases or specific changes to your credit score are not guaranteed. Impact on your credit score may vary depending on your use. Fizz is required to report late payments, which may negatively impact your credit score. Credit scores are independently determined by credit bureaus based on a number of factors, including your activity with other creditors. The Fizz Card and related services will not remove negative credit history from your credit report. Fizz, on behalf of Lead Bank, will report your activities to Experian®  and Transunion® .
For additional information, terms and conditions applicable to your use of Fizz’s services, please consult Fizz’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, the Cardholder Agreement, any Line of Credit Agreement in effect between you and Lead Bank and any and all other applicable terms, policies and guidelines made available to you through the Fizz services.


Selected customers reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Individuals in TikTok videos featured above are paid spokespeople. Selected customer reviews above describe individual experiences or results. Actual results may vary. App Store rating as of September 2024.


Credit score sliding scale feature is for informational purposes only. Credit score ranges based on information available on RentSpree. Car loan figures assume a loan value of $30,000 over 72 months and based on information available on CNN. Student loan figures assumes a $35,000 private student loan with a 10-year term and based on information available on CNBC, NerdWallet and Credible. Apartment approval based on information available on BI and RentSpree.


For people with disabilities, including those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard of hearing, we accept messages via our in-app chat, emails at [email protected], and calls on our answering machine at (940) 260-2704. If you leave us a voicemail, please leave your name and number and a member of our customer support team will return your call.