Going Lean

Credit cards are bad.

It should probably go without saying that spending money you don't actually have is never a good idea, but that doesn't mean I haven't been doing it since I got my first card one my first day in college either.  (What?  I got a free t-shirt in the deal... you can't go wrong with a free t-shirt, right?) 

So now, here I sit, two husbands later (I've had a longer relationship with my Discover card than I have with any man), with many thousands in debt, and it's time to correct that.

Last night, hubby and I went over our finances, and realized that we have $20,000 in credit card debt.  Granted, that includes a MAJOR house renovation, but still... 20 THOUSAND dollars?  It stresses me out like you wouldn't believe.  And so, we decided to do something about it, starting with NO MORE CREDIT CARDS.  Well, ok, I don't think we'll actually go cold turkey.  I actually get a discount for using my Visa card when I get gas (that's the only thing I use my Visa card for, and I pay it off every month), but other than that, I'm tired of being dependent on my credit cards, so I'm ready to try leaving them at home.  My little experiment: If You Don't Have Cash For It, Don't Buy It.

Sounds pretty simple, actually.  I just wish I had thought of it a little sooner.

And speaking of not having cash, the second part of our plan is to try to spend as little as possible.  No more impulsive buying.  No more going out shopping for clothes/jewelry/purses I don't need.  I sat at our dining room table last night and looked around our large, open downstairs and thoughts, "We don't just have everything we need... we have far MORE than we need."  We have a basement full of things that need to be gone through (and for the most part, donated), kids who have everything they could possibly want, a close and a bureau full of clothes that fit and look nice, enough food to live on for weeks.  I have two large baskets filled to the brim with yarn, and yet every time I get a coupon from Joann Fabrics in the mail, I go buy more.  Why?  Because it's cheap, that's why.  But I don't NEED it.

So, I'm attempting to keep myself motivated by updating this blog with what I spend each day, to see if I can spend as little as possible, and get rid of that credit card debt once and for all (yes, I am aware that I sound like a tv commercial.  I'm ok with that.)