Interesting article about ditching plastic...

[DiznEeyore]

Duh, no $4000 per year. Still a chunk of change, as it's over $330 per month.

Julia

That is a chunk of change! Wow!!

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

You know, I may try a modified version of using cash for a month. We do use our CC for everything and we pay it in full the day that the cycle closes. We get rewards. Still, though, I don't **know** that I'm not falling into the trap of spending more on groceries or whatnot just because it's on plastic instead of cash. We don't really eat out much and we aren't shoppers, but every month I still look at the CC statement and wonder how we spent so much.

I'd still use the CC for things like the gas station, because clearly paying cash there with a toddler in tow would be more of a pain than it's worth.

As for spending more at Starbucks or Quiznos when you have cash than when you only have a CC on you, I think that the solution to that is the "envelope" idea where you budget so much cash per month for that category of spending. I'd do the same thing otherwise.

 

[MrsPooh]

I'd still use the CC for things like the gas station, because clearly paying cash there with a toddler in tow would be more of a pain than it's worth.

This was my biggest complaint when we switched to cash-only/envelope system. Going in every time I get gas, especially with a little one, is a total pain. I solved the problem by purchasing gift cards at the gas station for dh and myself. I bought a gift card for myself and one for dh and then each week I take the cash we have budgeted for gasoline to the gas station along with both gift cards and have the cash amount put onto the cards sometime when I'm able to get out without my little one. We can use the gift cards to pay at the pump so I don't feel I'm being "punished" by not using a credit card.

This has worked great for us. Many people in our Dave Ramsey class had the same complaint and loved this suggestion.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

This was my biggest complaint when we switched to cash-only/envelope system. Going in every time I get gas, especially with a little one, is a total pain. I solved the problem by purchasing gift cards at the gas station for dh and myself. I bought a gift card for myself and one for dh and then each week I take the cash we have budgeted for gasoline to the gas station along with both gift cards and have the cash amount put onto the cards sometime when I'm able to get out without my little one. We can use the gift cards to pay at the pump so I don't feel I'm being "punished" by not using a credit card.

This has worked great for us. Many people in our Dave Ramsey class had the same complaint and loved this suggestion.

This would work as long as you weren't making a special trip to the gas station to buy the gift cards. I don't always get gas at the same brand of station, though, so I'm not sure that it would work for us. Luckily neither of us fills up too much, so I think still charging it on the CC would be OK.

For me, groceries are the huge budget buster. I'm wondering if I would spend less than my usual $300-$400/month at BJ's if I brought cash instead of the credit card.

 

[tonilea]

Try it. What do you have to lose? You might be suprised.

I hated, hated, hated the idea of going to the grocery store with cash. But, I can't spend more than I take with me. If I take the debit card, I am more likely to pick up an extra doodad and a few widgets (because one can never have too many widgets ).

I don't have to shop with cash anymore. Our budget has more flexability in it now than ever before. However, I will continue to shop with cash because *I* spend less. And when I spend less at the grocery store, I have more $$$ for other things.