Do you tend to carry cash? How do you stay on budget with it?

My worst excess spending comes when I carry cash. I am aware of this problem. If I have it I will spend it (it's easy to grab a pop, or gum, or whatever) ~ so I tend to not carry any, or have it around the house. However, living in our small town the business' only take cash - so we need to have some. I am finding it hard to stay on budget having the cash around all the time.

Am I totally a lost cause??

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I don't carry cash...just because I like the convenience of my bank Visa where it all comes out of my checking account. I reconcile it daily, so I know exactly to the penny how much money I have and it's just what works out really well for me. I guess if you have to have cash, you need to make yourself not use it...kwim? I'm not the type of person that has to spend money if I have it...

Of course you aren't a lost cause!

I am just the opposite though. I never have cash. I use our debit card for everything. I think if I would use cash instead, I would spend less. Its just so easy to swipe and spend all the money away. I actually have $15.00 in cash in my purse right now and its been there for over a week. I keep telling my DH that I am saving it for an emergency. He keeps saying, "a $15.00 emergency? What is that?"

I think regardless if you use cash or a debit card, its best just to ask yourself, "Do I really, really need this?"

I don't carry cash as much as I used to...Even if I have a $20 on me I always reach for my debit card first b/c it is such a habit. I started going to a bread outlet on Thursdays and they only take cash, so it has gotten me back into the habit of using cash, so I am trying, but when I have cash in my wallet I try and make it last as long as possible.

I don't think you're a lost cause, my dearest psycho chicken lady, I think you need to learn to condition yourself. Next time you put money in your wallet, tell yourself that X amount of dollars needs to last you until your next payday (or DH, which let's face it, is YOUR too ). So that way when you reach for that pop or take 5 bar you think twice about it before buying it.

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Have you been in the Spotlight yet?

I don't carry cash. If I have it I will spend it. DH carries cash - he'll get $100 out when he takes his check to the bank and it will last him 2 weeks (used to be longer when gas was cheaper) until his next check. I just can't do it. That's why I'm not doing the envelope system with cash - I don't trust myself.

That's exactly why I don't do it either.

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I have a hard time with cash myself. I have been a strickly debit card person for the past 7+ years. Now I am tryin gto use more cash but find it a challenge. My biggest problem is that I don't want to spend it.... I mean that is what it's for but still I don't like to hand it over.

We have started to do more things with cash of late, been doing odd jobs, cashing in recyelables at the scrap yard, holding yard sales, etc. We've been trying to use that excess cash for groceries and gas and it's definately a different mindset. It used to be that if I had cash I would find myself in the drive thru line at McDonald's for a coke or a bottle of water at the gas station, etc.

Luckily I've been pretty good these past 2 months and have not "wasted" my money this way but it's still a temptation that thus far I've been able to resist.

Good luck

I used to be that way, If I have cash, I spend it!! Or I should say, that my kids spend it! It seems they always need a dollar for this or $5 for that. It is much easier to just say that I have no cash. Now I just have gotten much better about not buying anything! I have had a dollar in my work purse for about a month now incase I want something from the vending machine. I haven't used it yet!! I am so proud of myself!

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~Happiness is a large family~

I am a lot better with cash then I am with a debit or credit card. If I have cash I know exactly what I have and how far I have to stretch it.

We use both (debit and cash) we pay our groceries,phone/internet with debit but our "fun money" is with cash. I normally budget how much we are going to need for two weeks and that's how much money I pull out. All our other bills comes out automatic but I normally wait until those bills comes out first before I start pulling out money.