I learned this too - when we use debit/credit (even with the rewards) I just spend more. It is the weirdest thing. The only thing not paid for with cash is mortgage, utilites, tithe. Cash for everything else. I even put my bi-weekly alloted gas amount on a Walmart gift card so I can take advantage of the .03 discount. It really puts a physical limit on how much I spend on gas. Unfortunately I've had to increase the amount, but I still try to stick with it.

Everyone's personality is different, you just have to find what works for you, because ultimately that is the ONLY thing that matters. Good luck!

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Debbie

"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." --Benjamin Franklin

I rarely carry cash. We charge everything because we have a rebate card, too. Again, the catch is we pay it off every month. I do not like debit cards for a number of reasons.

If you are not good at managing your money and knowing how much you are spending then cash is the way to go, but fortunately, we do not have that problem.

We have not had a problem with overspending. In fact, I think I have trouble spending money!! It is getting better though.

We do the same thing Claire and Aliadam do...everything on a credit card that gets paid off every month and earns rewards.

I get several hundred dollars worth of Target and Home Depot gift cards every year from our card.

We also don't have a problem sticking to our budget and overspending so that doesn't pose a problem for us.

We never have cash in our wallets. We always use the debit card. Just like we never write a check in the grocery store, it's been years since I've written a check for purchases. Plus we pay the bills on-line. We very rarely use the credit card anymore. We just got the two we had paid off and we plan on keeping it that way.

lets see i use my debit card for gas we know what we spend a week and i don't want to drag my kids in and out of the car to pay and i will not leave them in the car no matter what. i also use my debit card to pay for anything over the phone that does not charge a fee i get cash back on my debit card. i pay cash for all groceries cause i'm on a set budget. then any b-day gifts ect i pay cash we do not eat out hardly ever unless inlaws take us out it is just not in our budget...i pay by check a couple bills and then the rest are auto take out of our acct.

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Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money.

Use my ATM card all the time- comes right out of checking- is the same as cash to me.
NEVER use my credit card!!!!

We charge everything to our credit card because we earn air miles. We do track our expenses and pay it off at the end of every month.

Ditto!!!

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my dh gets $50 a month to spend on what ever he wants... we use cash/check for all food purchases a month. $350 max. We use the credit card only for gas and walmart ( paper products and bath, diapers wipes, tp, shampoo.... thoose kids of things) seems to help with things. my dh was spending (charging way to much) and he doesn't look at how much it adds up to so with his $50 cash he sees it go.

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I hardly ever carrie cash. I use my debit card for just about everything.