Plaid suiting is a sartorial style that could potentially outlast time itself.

The squared pattern is leaving its check on men’s tailoring; stamping jackets, trousers and the full three-piece suit. As the timeless pattern does a dance with modern colours, the check has come a long way since the Scottish kilt. And don’t worry, the masculine pairing of checks and a suit means there’s nothing pretty-in-plaid about it.

What Is Plaid?

Plaid is the general umbrella term given to a piece of cloth that exhibits a checked pattern. And within the plaid family there are types of checks, such as tartan, windowpane, madras or gingham. Plaid finds its heritage in Scotland but has since found itself onto pretty much every continent (maybe not Antarctica, you don’t see penguins dressed in kilts).

Let’s take a look at the types of plaids worth check-ing, before learning how to wear them too.

Tartan Suits

Tartan stems back to late 17^th century Scotland, where it fashioned kilts and served as a symbol of rebellion against England. The Sixties saw the plaid hit men’s workwear shirting, before the punks took tartan back to anarchy once more in the Seventies. It’s the original plaid and today, comes in every colourway – not just red, black and blue.

Blackwatch Suits

Blackwatch is a tri-coloured check recognised for its midnight blue and emerald green squares, separated by black lines. A Scottish clan tartan, it’s a refined check, perfect for gents seeking subtleties in plaid and a more traditional suit look.

Gingham Suits

Roaring along with the British mods, gingham hit it big in the sixties. Consisting of mini square checks in two colors (typically white and one another colour), it has been termed the ‘tablecloth pattern’ by unknowings in the past, but the micro-check is spreading onto jackets and waistcoats of late.

Windowpane Suits

Big in the Forties (think Johnny Depp in ‘Public Enemies’), windowpane plaid consists of very wide checks, often in white or off-white. It gets its name from the fact that the pattern does indeed look like a series of window panes, which adds quite a bit of dimension and a huge statement to a suit, or separates.

Prince Of Wales Suits

Also known as Glen plaid (taken from the Glenurquhart Valley in Scotland), the Prince of Wales check was dubbed so as the Duke of Windsor helped to popularise it last century. This pattern consists of tightly woven small and large checks in muted colours, usually greys, blues and whites.

RELATED: Incredibly Stylish Gentlemen All Possess These Traits

Madras Suits

Madras print stems from India and comes in soft, vibrant colours – like those seen in an East Indian sunset. It’s preppy and summery, made up of checks and stripes, which are somewhat formed uneven. This gives Madras a visual depth and dimension.

How To Wear Checked Suits

A full suit in checks is indeed the biggest statement. For work, opt for a grey Prince of Wales check in smooth, wool or a navy suit in gingham, both with tan shoes. While the bolder windowpanes and tartans may not be corporate enough, they make for a dapper summer suit, especially in cotton or linen.

Windowpane in grey and blue matches easily with two other big patterns: spots and stripes. The largeness of the check acts as blank canvas for a blue striped shirt under a navy, white polka dot tie; keeping the blue theme across each piece.

A grey, teal or white linen checked suit (with a dash of pink, green or yellow) looks great with a paisley tie and pocket square, ensuring the shirt is plain and neat. You can’t beat white, really.

How To Wear Checked Blazers & Jackets

A checked blazer or jacket is the most common and safest option for gents exploring patterned tailoring. A jacket with textural tight checks in navy and black, over navy pants, a black tie and white shirt, is absolutely work ready.

Elsewhere, a light linen plaid in nautical blue over an tonal denim shirt and white trousers show just how fabric and patten-savvy you are; mixing in different subcultures (American workwear and the south of France) for a nothing-like-it summer look that will have everyone pining your style.

How To Wear Checked Waistcoats

On its own or as a three-piece suit, the checked waistcoat is this season’s ‘it’ tailoring. The three-piece is sartorially timeless, so roll this way with neutral browns, navy or black with mid-size check and slightly woollen touch for winter. A tie is not essential, but the waistcoat must always be buttoned and add a muted-coloured pocket square like mulberry, layering the suit over a bronze-y tan top coat.

A two-piece suit gets a facelift with a contrast check waistcoat. Double-breasted adds another level of suave, opting for gingham or a small plaid to keep the look more formal. Keep the suit plain and light in summer, matching a hue from the check to make it more streamline.

How To Wear Checked Trousers

The road less travelled for the check is definitely on the trouser. It’s the most statement of ways to wear the pattern and the most foolproof when splitting a full plaid suit.

Go for a tartan or black watch trouser – in navy, grey or green – paired with a double-breasted  blazer in a complementary colour such as dark green or navy. An ice blue shirt keeps the colour scheme aligned; turned royal with a red gingham check tie. Finish the look with brown tassel loafers and Madras check pocket square.

If the check is more windowpane, the opennes plays well with sugary hues like pink and duck-egg blue. Opt for a texture wool or mohair fabric for more heritage take on the dandy pant.

Double-strap monks base out the look under a white linen blazer. Or try a black denim jacket for something more sinister.

Now go forth and get checked, you magnificent bastard.

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• The Secret To Making A Good Suit Look Great
• How To Wear Sneakers With A Suit

The post How To Wear A Checked Suit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Everything has the potential to kill you. Whether it’s a junk food diet, exposing your skin to insane amounts of sunshine or drinking an extra glass of red wine every night, no matter what you do, someone will have an opinion as to its effect on your longevity. Something we should all be able to agree upon, however, is that smoking cigarettes is bad for you.

Cigarettes are packed with harmful chemicals, including nicotine, that not only lead to addiction, but, according to Health.gov.au, can spread around your body, narrowing your veins and arteries, causing your heart to have to work faster. Smoking also causes tar to build up on your lungs, which eventually can cause them to not work as well, affecting your ability to breathe properly and pump much-needed oxygen around your body.

However, it has recently been suggested that smoking a cigarette could be seen as being healthier for you than eating deep fried food. Or – more specifically – that it inflames your body for a shorter period of time.

How so? Enter Mr Dave Asprey. The Instagram-famous health hacker was recently speaking on a podcast with Lewis Howes, where he made the claim that “literally, you are better off to smoke a cigarette, than to eat a plate of French fries.”

Divisive? Definitely. Controversial? You bet. His point? It all comes down to inflammation.

 

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“The amount of inflammation in the body from one meal with fried things in it – I don’t care if it’s fried fish or fried potato chips, it doesn’t matter – that increases inflammation for 2 days”, he relates.

“A cigarette [causes inflammation] for 4-8 hours.”

He goes on to suggest we bake our food instead of frying it, suggesting this to be far healthier.

Naturally, the video received a deluge of backlash, including:

“Not sure smoking is healthier but I get the point”

“A cigarette is way more damaging.”

“What nonsense. Comparing something 100% natural to something with 4k cancer causing chemicals in it. Fried chips are defo not healthy. Still food and still natural. This moron should do some research on cell mutation and perhaps he would find out that even one cigarette can trigger the mutation and can manifest 15 or 20 years later.”

To find out if Dave Asprey’s claims are indeed true, DMARGE spoke exclusively with nutritionist Madeline Calfas, founder of The Wellness Group.

The summation? Asprey makes a good point on inflammation – but don’t get confused. There are a lot of other metrics to judge something by. Inflammation is just one of them. Judging off the ‘lung cancer’ metric, cigarettes are still much worse for you.

“This is a bit of a double-edged sword,” Madeline told DMARGE.

“The effects of inflammation on the body are greatly undervalued, and I don’t think that people really grasp how serious the effects of chronic inflammation can be.”

“Many of the major diseases that affect humans these days, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, thyroid dysfunction, depression, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and dementia, have all been linked to chronic heart diseases.”

“Inflammation is also a key driver for weight gain, which in itself is a risk factor, and is one of those chicken and egg type scenarios – the more inflammation is in your body, the more weight you tend to put on. The more excess weight you carry, the more inflammation your body will have.”

“Having said that, as serious as inflammation can be on the body, to minimise the effects of not just nicotine, but other chemicals, as well as the heat of the smoke in your lungs is not good.”

“We all know that smoking is linked to increased risk of lung-cancer and other diseases, but it is really important to note here that smoking also causes inflammation in the body. Studies have shown that nicotine can activate neutrophils than the release molecules that in turn lead to increased inflammation.”

“The heart from smoking itself has a devastating effect on the alveoli in your lungs and creates a traumatic response, which results in inflammation.”

Pushing Madeline on the question: is fried food is ultimately ‘better’ for you than smoking, she said, “neither of them are great.”

“They both carry risk and side effects on the body. However, if you look at this, smoking still remains worse for you because not only do you have all the known effects from smoking (and this includes vaping), PLUS you are still driving an inflammatory response.”

“Let’s also factor in that a lot of people will actually smoke way more than they will eat (a lot of people actually use smoking for appetite suppression), which means there is a far greater assault on the body.”

“Sometimes it’s not what is better for you per se, but what is going too cause the less damage.”

And as for baking foods instead of frying them, Madeline wholeheartedly agrees that it is the “far healthier option.”

“New research has found that eating fried foods increases your risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke by around 28%.”

“The problem with drying foods is because the actual frying process itself means the outer part of the food loses water and absorbs oil. More often than not, the oils used for frying are those that contain trans fat, which has been shown to increase your LDL, or bad cholesterol.”

“Baking foods is a much healthier way to cook as it requires far less oil to be used. Another option available these days is the emergence of the air fryer. It allows for a similar Tate and cooking effect of traditional frying, but without the need for large quantities of oil.”

So, while Dave isn’t necessarily wrong in his (inflammation) assessment, he definitely isn’t providing a complete picture regarding overall health (in the snipped posted to Instagram anyway). If it’s a longer life you crave, put down the cigarettes, ditch the excessive amounts of oils, and start baking.

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• Exercising May Not Be Key To Losing Weight, Study Suggests
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The post 'Worse Than Smoking A Cigarette': What Fried Food Really Does To Your Body appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Toyota Land Cruiser might be a Japanese vehicle but it’s so beloved Down Under it may as well be Australian.Since the first Land Cruisers were imported in 1959 for the landmark Snowy Mountains Scheme, the tough-as-nails 4×4 has been one of the most popular vehicles on the Australian market, particularly for rural drivers. Just as the Toyota Corolla – the world’s best-selling car – is the final word in commuter cars, the Land Cruiser’s legendary durability and off-road capability make it a no-brainer for heavy-duty driving.Indeed, Australia is the biggest market globally for Land Cruisers, and Toyota has long tested the vehicle in the Australian outback, widely considered one of the most challenging environments for a car to tackle.Unlike most other vehicles, the Land Cruiser range is split into comfort-oriented and off-road-oriented models (you’ve also got offshoots like the Land Cruiser Prado, but let’s not complicate things further). The current generation of both variants offered in Australia have both been in production for a seriously long time – the comfort-oriented J200 since 2007 and the off-road-oriented since 1984 (that’s 37 years!)Needless to say, with production runs as long as those, the recent unveiling of a new comfort-oriented model – the J300 – has been seriously big news. But there’s one element of the release that’s been completely overshadowed, and one that might have serious implications for Australian buyers.

Toyota in Japan is forcing customers to sign a contract which states that they will not export or resell the new Land Cruiser and that Toyota may suspend future transactions with them if they’re caught doing so, CarsGuide relates.It seems as if Toyota’s main motivation for introducing this strict agreement is to stop Land Cruisers from being sold to – there’s no easy way of saying this – terrorists.The reality is that Toyota vehicles, like the Hilux and Land Cruiser, have had a nasty habit of turning up in warzones as the vehicle of choice for bad actors for years now. Indeed, the last phase of the Chadian–Libyan conflict in 1987 is officially known as the Toyota War – which should give you some indication of how widespread and enduring this problem is.Naturally, Toyota wants to do everything it can to prevent its products from ending up in warzones illegally. It’s hardly good marketing to see one of your utes driving around with an ISIS emblem on the side… But there’s another potential upside to this strict ‘blood pact’ that might be just what the Australian car market needs.RELATED: This Tough 4×4 Is The Land Rover Defender Revival We’ve All Been Waiting For

The last eighteen months have seen the Australian car market go absolutely bonkers. Prices of second-hand cars have risen dramatically thanks to – you guessed it – COVID. Not only has the pandemic has made the prospect of public transport far less palatable for many, but social distancing has also inspired many people to buy vehicles in order to give themselves something to do. Working on a project car is a COVID-safe hobby…The disruption to global trade and manufacturing it’s wrought has also seen fewer new cars rolling off production lines and fewer ships bringing cars to our shores, driving aftermarket prices right up. With a global computer chip shortage complicating things, this will likely be the case for a long time to come.Australians have been taking advantage of this market to ‘flip’ new cars and make a tidy profit. Naturally, Land Cruisers have become a popular target of flippers, as have other popular 4x4s like the Suzuki Jimny. So have Japanese buyers, hence why Toyota’s introducing this strict buyer’s contract over there.RELATED: Suzuki Jimny SUV Suffering ‘Rolex’ Price Surge In AustraliaIf Toyota introduces a similar blood pact policy in Australia – that is, force Australian customers to sign a contract agreeing they won’t resell their vehicle straight away – it could do much to take the heat out of the current market, and make it easier for people who really need a car to get their hands on one without breaking the bank.Still, it’s an indictment of the current state of things that Toyota would feel the need to introduce something like this, both from an economic and humanitarian perspective.

Of course, the other reason that Land Cruiser prices in particular have become so overheated is because the new J300, rather controversially, isn’t being offered with a V8 – which is what most media attention surrounding the J300 has been focused on.This news has inspired revheads around the country to buy up J70s and J200s, as they’re keen to get their hands on a V8 before they’re gone for good.RELATED: Australia’s Most Beloved Car Engine Is Now An Endangered SpeciesIn lieu of a V8 option, the new J300 Land Cruiser will be offered with three different V6 engines:  a 3.4L petrol twin-turbo, a 3.3L diesel twin-turbo, and a 4.0L naturally aspirated petrol carried over from the previous model. In the J300 those engines will produce 305, 220 and 200 kW respectively.It’s also not being offered with a manual transmission – but that’s a whole other kettle of fish…

See the new Land Cruiser’s off-road capabilities in action [watch below]

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The post Toyota Land Cruiser Blood Pact Shows How Crazy Australia’s Car Market Has Become appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

A lot has changed in the last ten years. Craft beer has replaced lager. Wide fit has replaced skinny. Youtube is replacing free-to-air TV. Longboards are vogue.Oh, and we now have a global pandemic.But even before 2020 threw us for a spin cycle, things had been changing in Sydney’s iconic Bondi beach.Though the days of ultra-violence and 20 cent bread rolls had long disappeared even before 2011, we were still a way off the $7 sough dough bread rolls, the meditation mile and the $6 iced long black scene you see today.Though crowds have been guaranteed for a long time now whenever the waves are good, a photo recently posted to Instagram by photographer Bill Morris suggests that things have changed even further since 2011.

 

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“What a difference a decade makes. This time… 10 years ago,” Morris wrote, alongside an image of the waves on an uncrowded winter’s day.One commenter added: “2ft winter mornings were quiet for a long time, that was Bondi at its best, everyone thought it was flat. Very few rode longboards.”Morris responded: “Or softboards.”Another user wrote: “It was a great place to grow up in the 60’s and 70’s. Even in later years, like right through the 90’s, I often used to ride a coolite with stealthy fibreglass fins (painted white to deceive the beach inspectors) outside the board area on lovely rip bowls, usually with on one out.”

“Few people seemed to realise that taking a performance drop on a coolite was worth being able to surf perfect waves on a summer Sunday to yourself – with 10,000 people on the beach! There was a stronger coolite scene at Tamarama, I guess fuelled by how frequently you couldn’t ride a board there.”

This isn’t the first time Morris has made this kind of observation. On July the 18th he wrote: “A not too dissimilar, mid winter Sunday afternoon late session ten years ago…. Except for one thing?”

 

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Comments rolled in lamenting the crowds.In response to the question “except for one thing” one commenter wrote: “several hundred people?”Another wrote:

“1000 muppets.”

Morris attributes this to the lack of other options right now (“Just goes to show that there’s not much else to do atm”).Another user wrote: “I thought it used to be easier to get waves.”

With lockdown now tipped to extend until September, don’t expect the work-from-home crowds to go anywhere any time soon. In fact, webcam footage from the weekend shows the lengths Sydneysiders are willing to go to in order to get their fix (that length being about 10″).

Where to next? Only time and mind-length sales will tell.Though we aren’t as naive as to think people won’t make the most of what they are allowed to do (you are allowed to surf, currently, as exercise), maybe we could all reconsider our need to grovel en masse when the waves aren’t even that good?Or find another bank, get a wave in, and jog off before the crowd follows you over…

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The post 'Then vs. Now': What Bondi Looked Like 10 Years Ago Will Blow Your Mind appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

At the risk of sounding like an old man shaking his wrinkly fist at a cloud… some things just don’t happen so much anymore.

One of them striking up a conversation with a stranger at a cafe.

Blame it on kids being raised on iPads, blame it on coffee now being outrageously good, blame it on social anxiety, blame it on weirdos – whatever the reason, even before the pandemic, the ‘meditative art’ of drinking your coffee while being ~in the moment~ was dying.

RELATED: Paris Local Reveals The Secret To Drinking Your Coffee The True French Way

The following 1980 photo, taken at iconic Parisian establishment Cafe Les Deux Magots, sums up what we’re missing quite well.

Sideways look? Check. Awkward vibes? Check. No smartphone to relieve the tension. Yikes.

As Gary Prebble, the owner of Sydney French restaurant Bistro St Jacques, once told DMARGE, part of the reason food and drink tastes so much better in Paris actually has nothing to do with the chefs – it’s other diners’ attitude to “going out to eat and drink.”

“It’s not just the hospitality providers,” Prebble told DMARGE.

“It’s the customers’ attitudes that makes it a party and something special.”

Also key to having a more meditative coffee experience, according to Prebble, could be to put your phone down.

RELATED: The Embarrassing Coffee Mistake Every Tourist Makes In Paris

“I am 50 years old, so I grew up without social media and phones etc, and I am quite shocked at how much people rely on the use of these devices to legitimise their experience today.”

“I think this can contribute to significantly increased neuroses. I always have the feeling it takes people out of the experience of being there, and that is probably antithetical to a great hospitality experience of immersion.”

That said – as recent photos by Paris-based photographer Patrick Colpron show – even in Paris, the smartphone is now a staple of cafe life.

 

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So either the whole world is now corrupt, or we are being ridiculous, and it’s possible to still enjoy your coffee and talk to each other with a phone in your pocket…

It’s also worth noting that any Parisian worth their salt would probably tell you to go foutre yourself if you tried to tell them what they can or can’t do while drinking their coffee.

 

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Just something to mull over as you drink your next cafe au lait.

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The post 'F*ck Smartphones': How To Drink Your Coffee Like A True Parisian appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Mark Wahlberg’s a big man with an even bigger watch collection.The 50-year-old actor, producer, former rapper and fitness fanatic has a well-established love for expensive timepieces, with the Bostonian having a real penchant for Patek Philippes and Rolexes in particular – especially if they’re ‘iced out’.In short, he loves to flex. But not all the time, as a recent family moment Wahlberg shared to Instagram reveals. Taking some time out from his busy daily routine, Marky Mark shared a photo of him playing in the pool with three of his four kids: sons Michael and Brendan, and daughter Grace. So far, so cute.But what piqued our interest was what was on his wrist: a Timex Ironman digital watch you can pick up on Amazon for $50 or less. For a man who’s rarely seen without something pricey on his wrist, it’s a rather surprising piece that says a lot about Mark Wahlberg as a man.

It shows that he’s got his priorities straight. You don’t need to don an expensive watch when you’re playing with your kids, even if it is a photo-op. A Rolex Submariner might be perfectly capable of surviving a splash in the shallow end but clearly Mark’s more focused on having a good time with his family than getting precious about what’s on his wrist.RELATED: The Best Rolex Watches For Men To Buy In 2021Indeed, this humble Timex seems to be one of Wahlberg’s favourite pieces – a real badge of honour for the cheap and cheerful sports watch, considering what else is in his collection. Wahlberg’s owned this watch since at least 2012, and has even been spotted wearing it on the red carpet on occasion.Of course, the beauty of a watch like a Timex Ironman or G-SHOCK is that they’re incredibly tough despite their accessible price point, and they can stand up to all sorts of abuse, from chlorinated water to warzones and everything in between.

Check out Mark Wahlberg’s intense workout routine

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The post Mark Wahlberg’s Humble Holiday Watch Lesson Every Man Can Learn From appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Conor McGregor shattered fans’ hearts around the globe the other week when he shattered his leg in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier.Though he denied UFC diehards a decisive victory (stay posted: there’s almost sure to be a rematch) he has not, in the time since, denied fans his usual training content.Given he just had surgery to repair his kicking pin, this is quite a remarkable feat. But – say what you like about his character or his recent form – you don’t get to the top of the MMA game by making excuses.On Sunday McGregor showed The Internet what he’s made of, posting photos of an intense gym workout, completed with just one leg in operative mode.

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Intrigued? Watch more of McGregor’s best workouts in the video below

“Life is not about what happens to us. But how we handle what happens to us!” McGregor captioned the photo series. “Let’s go team, God Bless.”

“Still grinding!”

“THATS WHAT MAKES YOU LEGENDARY,” comedian Justice Alexander wrote.“The only thing within our control,” Bantamweight Fighter Brad Katona commented.Further comments included “inspirational” and “Wow – dedication.”

“Hard work = success. ‌‌‌‌‌‌Let’s go champ.”

The images show McGregor sitting on the leg extension machine, doing pull-ups, shoulder pressing and doing cable pulls. He can also be seen doing crunches. All with a leg in a cast.McGregor has also recently been seen hanging out with Justin Bieber, referring to himself in third person as “big foot” and taking delivery of a Lamborghini yacht.

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All just another day in the life of Mystic Mac.

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The post Conor McGregor Proves There’s Never An Excuse To Miss A Workout appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

New York, New York, it’s a helluva town!It wasn’t too long ago that the streets of America’s biggest city; the beating heart of the world economy, resembled some sort of post-apocalyptic hellscape more than a bustling metropolis. Empty streets and unhappy COVID landscapes punctuated only by swelling protests or yuppie outdoor diners who’d rather catch The Bat Kiss than ditch their Bar Pitti habit.But now, as North America is enjoying summer – as well as a pretty good vaccination rate – it seems as if ‘nature’ is healing in New York City. If by nature, we mean people getting intimate in public.A recent New York Times story relates how as restrictions have eased in the Big Apple, New Yorkers have developed a newfound appreciation for public displays of affection, as well as for romance in general. Masks are being pulled down and social distancing is being abandoned all across the city, from Central Park to Crown Heights.

It makes sense – after being pent up for so long, and with such a climate of fear, the feeling that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel combined with loosened restrictions must be an overwhelming temptation… Plus: it’s summer.PDA isn’t the only hot and heavy activity happening right now in New York, either.Gyms are open again, with the city’s health-conscious slowly but surely heading back to pump some iron. City beaches are once again filling up with people more worried about the risk of sunburn than the risk of catching COVID. Restaurants and bars are getting back into the swing of things.In short, life is returning to normal.RELATED: German Bodybuilder Shows How Quickly You Can Lose Muscle Through Inactivity

These scenes stand in stark contrast to what’s currently happening in Australia’s biggest cities, where further flare-ups of The Spicy Cough – combined with our currently glacial vaccine rollout – means that despite our case numbers being a fraction of the US’, we can’t enjoy many of the freedoms New Yorkers are currently relishing.RELATED: Australia Risks Becoming One Giant Retirement Home With Its Vaccine RolloutIt doesn’t help that we’re in the middle of winter here, too… And you can’t take advantage of ‘cuffing season’ when you can’t leave your house.Forget a kiss – we need mouth-to-mouth.

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The post Forget Nature: Photos Show Americans Are Finally Healing appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Whether you believe that money can buy happiness, that it makes the world go round, or that it's simply nice to have, at the end of the day, we all need it.

To that end: we all have our own ways of increasing our bank balances. Whether we pick up some extra shifts at work, offer to work nights, or make investments in commodities such as stocks or cryptocurrency, there are numerous methods we can exploit, although some are much riskier (and more profitable) than others.

Enter: the following counterintuitive piece of financial advice currently doing the rounds on TikTok. Posted by account TheMotivationalSchool the advice claims to be seriously beneficial for those willing to take the risk. And we must stress, his method of earning himself money is most definitely a risk.

@themotivationalschoolthoughts on this? #success #motivational #credit #debit #wealth♬ original sound - themotivationalschool

Claiming he has "never owned a debit card", nor has he ever allowed "my three sons to possess one" and claiming it to be "the worst financial tool ever given to the American consumer", the man says he instead uses the "safest form of payment to exist on planet earth, the credit card."

Adding that owning a credit card removes "99.9% of my liability", he insists owning a credit card is the only way to go.

His reasoning? "I don't spend my money, I spend their money. My money sits in a money market account where it earns interest. If I pay the bill in full or part of the bill, my credit score goes up. So I'm building credit while I'm using that credit card."

But for him, the most beneficial reason to own a credit card is that it removes virtually all liability. "If tomorrow, someone gets my card number and charges $1 million on my credit card, by federal law, my liability is zero." This means he will be able to get that money back into his account without any detrimental effect to him.

 

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It sounds like the best financial advice you'll likely ever hear, and theoretically, it makes complete sense. But if it were that easy, why would more of us not be doing it? According to a 2020 Statista report, there are 2.35 billion Visa debit cards used worldwide and just under 1.5 billion MasterCard debit cards.

Compare that to there being just 2.8 billion credit cards estimated to be in circulation worldwide – and remember, some people have more than one – and it's clear debit is still the favoured payment option.

To find out the pros and cons of switching to a credit card-only lifestyle, DMARGE spoke exclusively with Devan King, Founder and Financial Advisor at Sydney-based Ikigai Wealth.

Speaking of the TikTok vide, Devan said, "theoretically, the strategy provided could be accurate. However, realistically, it is unlikely to have the desired effect on wealth creation because it does not address the psychological side of money."

"Money is not just about mathematics. We have an emotional connection to how we spend. We all experience it, that moment where you stop and pause before a significant purchase. Where your stomach turns because you've spent that money, it's gone, and that can be painful."

"The emotional and physical discomfort of spending is normal. It's our brain's natural defence mechanism that helps us understand the value of money. In fact, this phenomenon is described as coupling. It is the reason behind many advocating for the use of cash when trying to stick to a budget."

"What research has found is if we decouple the payment from the purchase by using things credit cards, we put a time buffer between the time of purchase and payment. This mutes our emotions, and we tend to focus on the immediate gratification and not the loss of funds."

"According to one study, people using a credit card spend up to 100% more than people using cash for exactly the same purchases."

"This can quickly lead to overspending or debits spiralling out of control. We all know the key to building wealth is to spend less than you bring in. As such, this strategy would put that concept at risk, as you nullify the emotions that help you keep your expenditure under control."

 

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So, what of the idea that you solely use a credit card for all purchases and use money invested elsewhere to pay it off? Is it one you should follow?

Devan says once again, there are risks.

"Research has shown that we spend more money when we use a credit card. If we spend more, we rob our future the self of being able to invest more."

"And, this is before we consider what happens in a negative market, when your investment assets decline in value and cannot be used to offset your credit card bill. The market does't just go up indefinitely. There is a significant amount of volatility – just look at what happened to the markets when Covid hit."

"Investments are a long-term strategy and, as such, shouldn't really be considered a tool to be used to address month-to-month spending."

Going on the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, we asked Devan if the strategy put forward is something only those with extremely comfortable bank accounts can practice, because someone who earns minimum wage may not have the funds or the financial know-how to make the right investments.

"No matter the size of your bank account, we're all still human, and it's easy as easy for someone comfortable to overspend with a credit card", Devan relates. "You have to be seriously disciplined in your spending habits to use this method and keep track of every cent spent on credit."

"If you are looking to invest as much as possible, using a credit card is more likely to reduce the amount you can save or invest that increase your wealth."

If you're convinced by the strategy put forward in the video and want to move to a credit-only lifestyle, we asked Devan if he had any tips for those wishing to make the switch.

"Theoretically yes, one can get themselves into a position where they only use a credit card. But what I'd say is, do you want to take that risk with your money?"

"The chances of it going wrong are high, and the implications of overspending can be severe."

"Rather than following a TikTok fad, it's much better to follow what I call the 'Boring Method'. It's a tried and tested method to help get you on top of your finances and maximise the amount of money you can save and invest."

"Many people set up budgets and use an app to track their expenditure and where their money is going. The budget cycle le usually covers an entire month or from payday to payday."

"However, what well-intentioned people often find is that even with the budget and tracking apps, they will overspend at the start of the month and dipping into savings towards the end of the month. That is because there is a gap between setting a budget and measuring your success, and that is managing your cash flow."

"There are some simple steps you can take to plug this gap:

• "Set up different accounts to manage your spending and cash flow. This means an account for bills, discretionary spending, savings and even for the pub. At Ikigai Wealth, we set up accounts based on what you value in life to live a life better aligned with your values."
• "Automate your budget so that when your income hits your account, you have direct debits set up to automatically move your money into different accounts. This improves your chances of sticking to a budget."
• "Budget weekly. A month is a long time for you to keep on top of your discretionary spending, and it's easy to get distracted or lose focus. To reduce the risk of overspending, budget weekly. While most bills come out monthly, it is your day to day spending that can quickly rack up over the course of a month. To keep spending under control, give yourself a weekly budget and set up an automatic direct debit from your main account into a spending account. This way you'll reduce the risk of dipping into your savings come the end of the month."

"Following these three simple steps will likely help you save or invest much more than trying to play the system with a credit card. If you want help setting up this process, speak to a financial advisor, and they can help you align your money to what you value in life."

Any advice given is general only and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, before acting on any advice, you should consult a financial planner to consider how appropriate the advice is to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Devan King, of Ikigai Wealth, is an Authorised Representative of Synchron AFS Licence No 243313 

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The post Controversial Reason Credit Cards Might Save You More Money Than Debit Cards appeared first on DMARGE.