Do you wish you could cut back on your use of credit cards? Do you feel that you rely on them a little too much? While credit cards definitely have their perks and are a good fit for many consumers, for others they pose challenges (like too much temptation to go into debt). And if you’re in that latter group, it might be a good idea to decrease your reliance on your cards.

Here are some things you can do to cut back on your use of credit cards and your reliance on them either as a funding source or simply out of habit.

1. Convince yourself that you really do need less in life.

If you’re relying on your credit cards to pay for things because you don’t have the money to buy them outright, chances are good you could do without them if you really tried. You won’t ever become less reliant on credit cards if you can’t get control over your spending habits in general first.

2. Come up with a new budget you can live with.

Having a budget will help you control expenses and the urge to whip out your credit card on a whim.

3. Carry more cash for planned purchases and try to plan more purchases ahead of time.

Get back in the habit of using cash so you don’t have easy access to more money than you intend to spend on any shopping trip. Also go into shopping excursions with a plan in mind. For example, create a shopping list before visiting a grocery store to cut down on impulse buys.

4. Ask to have your credit limit lowered.

If you have a lower credit limit you immediately rely less on that credit card because it doesn’t offer you as much as it used to. To make this work, you would have to get a low enough credit limit that it would cover a little bit less than the amount you usually charge in a month. Then it forces you to either spend less because you don’t have extra credit available or use other payment methods.

5. Switch to debit cards.

If it’s the convenience of credit cards you love and not necessarily the access to more funding than you have on-hand, try using debit cards instead. You spend your own money so there is no risk of late payment fees or interest if you don’t pay off your balance on time.

6. “Downgrade” your credit card.

If you want a credit card still but want to minimise fees, costs, and risks, transfer your balance to a simpler card like a no frills credit card. You can also try to downgrade to a lower tier card offered by your credit card company (a good option if they won’t lower your credit limit on your existing card). For example, if you use the ANZ Frequent Flyer Platinum card now, you might downgrade to the standard ANZ Frequent Flyer credit card instead.

Not everyone needs to worry about decreasing their reliance on credit cards. Some can avoid debt and unnecessary fees while taking advantage of credit cards’ perks and rewards. But if you need to decrease your credit card use for any reason, these tips might put you on the right path.