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Greater use of charge cards naturally stimulates spending, since cash at hand is not an issue. Fast-food customers, for example, spend twice as much on average when they use a credit card. Supermarkets report an even bigger increase. Families trying to adopt more sensible spending habits will soon be fighting temptation at every turn. In fact, if the card companies prove adept in meeting their goals, they may persuade Americans to loosen up on their wallets and give new meaning to the term cashless society.
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CREDIT: TIME Chart by Steve Hart
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