Cuttin' Up The Cards!

**Shell** · 09-09-2003, 10:08 PM

I am getting close to paying off my credit cards (again)

How many of you have cut up your cards and never use them again? Do you have one emergency card and freeze it? Or are you struggling just to pay the min.?

I have cut up a few of mine and have put one away. My next step is to cut up one more card.

**homesteadmamma** · 09-09-2003, 10:18 PM

Seven years ago, on the 14th of Sept. I cut up ALL our cc and we've never looked back.

We don't have one, not even for emergencies. At first I paniced and wondered how we'd make it, but we did. We now pay cash for whatever we need. If we don't have the cash, we don't get it.

**Shell** · 09-09-2003, 11:29 PM

Wow! That must of been a big day for you to remember the EXACT date. You should be very proud of yourself.

**mylittle4** · 09-09-2003, 11:57 PM

We paid off and cut up the last one a week ago. This summer since memorial dau we have paid off $4000.00 of debt and fixed the transmission in the van.

**mrscornbread** · 09-10-2003, 12:35 AM

Well right now, I am virtually living off my credit card, bad I know, but I have no money coming in and still have about 3 weeks to go. I am grateful to have them right now to tell ou the truth. I wish I didnt have to but that is my reality. Knowing that it has saved me this summer makes me feel that I must always save one for a rainy day, or in my case A STORM!

**lucy979** · 09-10-2003, 01:59 AM

We cut all of ours up except for one. We have all of them paid off right now and don't plan on using the one unless we absolutely have to.

**Michelle** · 09-10-2003, 07:25 AM

CJ, that's really great that you don't use CC's any more. Do you have an emergency fund? I am wondering what you would do in an emergency.

I still use mine but am very responsible with them and pay off the balance every month.

**Heather** · 09-10-2003, 07:58 AM

We have one credit card and that is for my husband on the road. He doesn't use it but it is there in case there is an emergency on the road. He is on the road all week.

**Darlene** · 09-10-2003, 08:22 AM

We have 2 because sometimes places don't take my Discover.
I like getting money for using their money and always pay the balance each month so I don't pay interest. Just earned myself $120 from them and put it towards my balance for this month.

**paelthom** · 09-10-2003, 08:33 AM

I have 2 and since I have been on short time for over a year, I do have more on one than I would like. I try to not use it unless its a have too situation, however they do come up. I always pay much, much more than the minimum and sometimes manage to pay it completely off. Then something comes up again. As for the other card, I always pay it off each month. I keep saying I will do better, but right now this is just about the best I can do.

I think those of you that have paid yours off and don't use them are an inspiration. Keep up the good saving habits.

**homesteadmamma** · 09-10-2003, 08:36 AM

Michelle, when we first cut up our cc, we didn't have any savings or an emergency fund. We just went payday to payday and prayed we'd have no emergencies.

It became a real challenge for us to cut back and really become frugal and to start saving $$ anywhere we could. dh was on board which really made it so much easier.

We now have a emergency fund, albeit small. I'm adding to it as often as I can.

It really taught us a couple of things. We learnt we didn't need everything we had purchased on cc. We learnt to be satisfied with what we have. And we learnt we could make do.

Not an easy lesson for me because I loved cc. I loved the fact that I could flash them out when we went out with friends. I loved the fact I could purchase anything I wanted on cc. BUT I ABSOLUTELY HATED DEBT!!!!

When I cut up the cc, we had $18,000.00 on cc debt alone, a mortgage payment and a vehicle payment. We now have no cc debt, no mortgage and only a van payment. When dh lost his job, had we had all that debt, we would have lost everything.

**Shell** · 09-10-2003, 06:22 PM

You paid off $18,000 in debt and lost 30 lbs? You're my hero!

**Mom23boys** · 09-10-2003, 06:39 PM

I only use 1 and if I make a purchase on it, I pay the full amount before the due date. I do not want to owe any interest.

**doodlebug** · 09-11-2003, 12:45 AM

We only have two right now, one will be paid off this month, woohoo! The other will be paid off by January if I can manage to do it. We paid off one card a little while back and I cut it up and it is no longer used, yippee! Slowly but surely getting them
paid off