I must be on the right track!

**SixxOfDiamonds** · 12-13-2008, 03:25 PM

I was on the phone with my mother last night and I mentioned that I closed all of my credit cards. She nearly had a heart attack! I told her there's no real reason to have them, we don't carry balances on them, never use them, etc. She said, well, what about your credit score?! What about it? Haha. We own a house (well, we're still paying on that one), we own three vehicles, I don't think we'll need to buy anything with 'credit' ever again and I REALLY plan on not buying anything with credit. She didn't know what to say, and rarely is she ever without words! I think I may have made her a bit mad. I thought her, of all people, would get it. She raised me frugally, they bought their vehicles with cash.. but, I guess the idea of no credit cards is something that boggles her mind.

That means I'm doing something right!!

**xtena** · 12-13-2008, 03:32 PM

Yup! You're doing great and it makes people, even loved ones, uncomfortable.

**homesteadmamma** · 12-13-2008, 04:16 PM

Yup, you're doing the right thing. WTG on a job well done.

**FrugalMomof3** · 12-13-2008, 04:38 PM

You sure are doing the right thing, that's the truth! I am proud of you

**bumplett** · 12-13-2008, 05:32 PM

wow - that's great! I'm sure your mom is just worried about you, and she's thinking of the credit cards as a 'crutch' in case you need them - so..... you can't be too upset with her...

but I'm soooooooo happy you made her speechless!!

**Michelle68** · 12-13-2008, 06:04 PM

Good for you! (No matter what mom thinks.

)

**kestrel91316** · 12-13-2008, 08:50 PM

Good for you!

My mom and dad rarely used credit cards. The only time I remember them using them was paying for expenses on vacations. But they almost never had a credit card bill in the mail. They did very well on a modest income, and I should have paid closer attention to how they did that, lol.

**fixer** · 12-13-2008, 09:32 PM

You are on a great track of such a young age. Living the way you do, you have such a wonderful life to look forward to.

**SixxOfDiamonds** · 12-14-2008, 03:14 AM

Thank you all so much!! I'm getting crazy looks from my friends, too. Even one who I discuss all things financial with.

I'm completely open with what's going on and am not ashamed to say 'we can't afford it'. I'm definitely getting raised eyebrows, since most of our friends know what we make and that we don't have debts (other than the house, now.) Gotta love the military, where everybody knows what you make. Haha!

I'm actually REALLY proud that we're starting to live more frugally. I even was able to buy Duracell batteries the other day with coupons at the commissary for $1.50 for an eight pack. I would have never made that good of a deal, I'd have bought them at their face value.

I even bartered with a hairstylist friend. She's coming to cut my hair tomorrow and I'm taking Christmas photos of her son and giving her prints. I just might use the barter system more often!

I could trade photography for many things. Housecleaning, car detailing, lawn care, whatever. I don't know why my eyes weren't open to these things before!

Dave Ramsey, you are a blessing!

**Royal** · 12-14-2008, 03:41 AM

Good job! You are definitely on the right track!

**thehughughes** · 12-14-2008, 03:05 PM

That is an awsome step I hope to make also, I'm still scared. My mother would also be up set, not for my sake mind you, for her own. She as always been horrible with money and has always fallen back on me. I have told her no more for several months( really thined it down for a couple of years), yet she still called me today asking for $500.00 on my credit card to fix her car that I purchased with my credit card. NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO MMMMMMOOOOORRRRREEEEE!

Congrates! I'm proud of you! Especially at your age, if so many of us had those guts then think where we would be now.