The best advice came from people who had already made the mistakes, and were happy to explain how to avoid them.

Heat changes everything here. Hydrate early and plan activity for the cooler parts of the day.

Common mistakes

Experts we spoke to were careful to say that conditions vary by region, by income and by season, so treat these as starting points.

It is easy to dismiss this as a passing trend. The people doing it every day see it differently, and their reasons are worth hearing.

  1. Start with the cheapest option that solves the problem.
  2. Read the fine print on fees and limits.
  3. Compare at least three options before committing.
  4. Write down dates, amounts and reference numbers.
  5. Give yourself a day before any big decision.

The change did not happen overnight. It built slowly, one conversation and one decision at a time, until it was simply how things were done.