My Credit Card Diet

So I admit it. I haven't been following my own advice...

Although I have been *extremely successful in finding some great DM deals - a cute dress for $24.99 here, a cool chair on Craigslist, there, coupons for groceries - the reality is that I have been finding too many great deals, if you know what I mean. And while for the first month or two, I significantly cut down my monthly credit card bill, this last couple months it has been slowly (fine. not so slowly) creeping up there again. And all this at at a time when I am on my last week of the beloved top-up on E.I.

In short, I am in denial.

But no more mamas! It is officially fall now and with the new season, I am turning over a new leaf (get it? fall? leaf? sorry, I'm tired). It's time to get our financial houses in order. It's time to ask ourselves the question: "What Would Suzie Do?"

You know Suzie Orman, right? She's Oprah's financial guru and she's kinda kooky. With her...ermm... unique fashion sense and even better common financial sense (or is that common financial "cents"... ha... seriously... I'm tired), there's a lot a DM can learn from the teachings of Suzie Orman... but not fashion... I repeat, not fashion.

For the next few weeks in particular, I'm paying close attention to what Suzie has to say about credit cards. Although she doesn't advocate giving up the credit card entirely and living on cash alone, she does point out quite rightly that credit cards usually lead us to spend on indulgences and not necessities. For example, buying groceries - a necessity... buying friends a round of cosmos (or whatever the kids are drinking right now...) is an indulgence. I mean, I'm not taking friends out for rounds of drinks don't get me wrong but I play the justification game a lot. And I always do that with my credit card.

So, this week starts my credit card diet. I am locking away the credit card and am living on cash. Again, Suzie doesn't necessarily advocate this but for me, for now, I'm giving it a try until I get back on the straight and narrow. I have come up with a number that I think I can live with for the week and hubby and I have decided what his pay cheque pays for (mostly our reoccurring monthly expenses - mortgage, utilities, that sort of thing) and what my measly E.I. pay cheque pays for which is most of the reoccurring weekly expenses - groceries being the most notable of those expenses. If I have any money at the end of the week, I am putting it aside for moi. So at the end of the month, I might be able to get that cute dress or yes, take you out for cosmos (people really don't drink those anymore do they?).

And let's get this straight - this is not an allowance - that would be insulting to us DMs. But this is a recognition on my part that I need to make choices - something that for me falls out of the picture when I use a credit card instead of cash.

Yesterday I had my first full day of my cash only diet and it went well. I ended up in WalMart to do grocery shopping for the week and only spent $67 - the groceries included a lot of local and even organic produce. I did some window shopping and although saw some great deals, I left it at that and made a mental note to come back at the end of the month to see what was still there. Today I have to go get Archer a couple of items of clothing for the cooler weather but I am actually walking in with a budget and I'm going to Old Navy where this week starts their baby sale. And even though the Old Navy website promises a lot of stuff for me, today I'm just looking.

Wish me luck!