I have no credit cards. I got in BIG trouble when I got one at 18 - lets just say I'm still thankful to Daddy for bailing my $10k debt butt out. As a result of him bailing me out, I was not "Allowed" to have a CC. (I did pay him back...long long years of paying him).

Believe me, I have had emergencies. Having your only vehicle breakdown in a bad neighborhood? Been there - got a cop to call a tow, and the cop drove me home. $800 to fix - my parents needed some work done, and it was Christmas - I did the work and got a "Christmas present".

Not enough money for bills this month? Call the companies and tell them what is happening. Luckily, we are having a large chunk of money coming, as soon as the Feds let go of the grant check - that grant check is from handcutting 20 acres of scrub brush. Just in time. No bills are getting paid this month - but the companies are OK, as long as we pay them next month, which is when we get the money.

I can't tell HOW many times I've been saved by birthday money, rebate money, refunds (once was audited by the IRS - and I ended up GETTING a refund check for $500 for something *I* missed!!), finding something and selling it on ebay and finding out it was worth more than the $20 I listed it for. I've picked up odd jobs helping others in "stretch times" - my friend bought a place that needed work, and I needed money - she paid me in meals and ~$100 cash for a weekends work of replacing her floors.

So from a person with NO CC's at all - no "hidden" ones, no "emergency funds", nothing, I can tell you you CAN make do. My friend had emergency surgery, no insurance - for $30k. She is paying the hospital $20/mo unless she can afford more - and they are fine with that. I can't think of much more "emergency" than that.

Of course, I plan on working on an emergency fund - as soon as I figure how to close this $40k less per year gap we have from me having to leave my job. Am I spending a lot of time thinking about it? Yup. Am I panicked? Heck no! Like DH says - "It all comes out in the wash." So far, I've got two business ideas rolling, and I'm working on getting the proper permits for them, I've got stuff to go on Ebay, I'm going to close one of three retirement funds I have, and I've been taking a critical look of how we can heat this place on dimes instead of dollars. We will make it...without a CC, without emergency funds, without too much stress.

I still would love to have an emergency fund! I would never go back to using a CC again though.

I cut up ALL my cards a while ago. It was close to a dozen. I feel fine, still

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“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

Nope, could not do it!! I have to have one for those times when we totally run out of money. Dh has to have gas money to get to work!!! I would like to have only one credit card and we are slowly working on that, though.

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~Happiness is a large family~