Recently, I got a new debit card in the mail. As I’ve done plenty of times in the past I called the phone number to activate it but I couldn’t because something I’d done was wrong. I suspect it’s because we got new phone numbers after we setup our bank account and so the information didn’t match.
Because of my inability to activate my new debit card I was going to stop by the bank the other day to get it straight when it dawned on me: “Maybe I truly don’t NEED this new card?” After all, I can’t remember the last time I actually used the old one!
And since we’ve been more frugal the past few months we’ve really made a concerted effort to ONLY use cash for nearly everything that we can and so the credit and debit cards haven’t seen the light of day nearly as much.
That’s not a bad thing, mind you. In fact, our recent need to be frugal may have been a blessing in disguise in so many ways–time will continue to tell–but with respect to cutting back on our spending and, therefore, not using plastic for purchases, it’s been a good thing… all except the fact that my prepping purchases have all but ceased. 🙁
The point is that you really, truly, honestly can make it through life much of the time without resorting to credit and debit cards. In an online world this isn’t always the case but by-and-large it is.
As for my wife and I, we’ve always despised debt and NEVER have a credit card balance or overdraft fees not because we’re rich, far from, it but because we CHOOSE to live that way.
Obviously many people don’t see the world the same and I can only imagine that this unnecessary debt has to weigh heavily on them. I honestly don’t know. That said, I do know some people who do live life with huge debt and I do see the struggle they have. It saddens me that they can’t (or won’t) change their lifestyle. FYI, if you’re struggling to get your credit score back, try a secure credit card.
Truthfully, it really isn’t that difficult to do and you don’t need to experience a life-changing event like we did to make it happen. You can simply start by NOT accepting any new credit cards. Yes, those credit card offers they send in the mail… shred ’em. And if you’re feeling super daring you might even consider cutting up a few you already have. Yeah, I said it!
In fact, to ensure those credit lines (of the cards you cut up) are no longer active, call the company beforehand and tell them you want to cancel. When we’ve done this in the past they often try to get you to stay but don’t do fall for their tricks. We’ve even had some that didn’t actually close the account but somehow put it on hold. You can check your credit report free once a year at places like annualcreditreport.com or the individual reporting agencies.
Lately, we’ve decided it was a good idea to have credit monitoring from Equifax.com which would also allow you to check your credit whenever you want but you’re going to pay for the service.
Anyway, when you’re really ready to take the plunge to (mostly) cash only try grocery shopping with cash instead of plastic. You’ll find that you stick to your budget a lot more than you would otherwise, and don’t cheat by bringing an extra $50 for snack foods. 😉
Before you know it you’ll be back to using cash all the time! Remember that “cash is still king” and acceptable nearly everywhere VISA, Master Card, and Discover are. Heck, you might even find that you have “extra” money for your preps. What a wonderful benefit that would be!
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