You and money!
By Daphne | September 25, 2007
What does money mean to you? What kind of relationship do you have with money?
Let’s face it… sometimes you can save on certain things and other times you can’t. Urban Frugal is devoted to people who live (and play in the city) and who want to make a conscious effort to have a healthy relationship with money. That is a healthy relationship with money without being bogged down in excessive debt. If you are in excessive debt, this is where you will be able to find out some practical money saving tips.
A successful city dweller who wants to live more frugally saves on some things but does not deny the occasional pleasure in life. It is possible to enjoy some of the finer things in life without carrying heavy credit card debt. Check in often to learn more.
Topics: Intro, September 2007 |
September 26th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I don’t use credit cards but I do use my debt card and I use it to pay for groceries. So I suppose to some it may appear I am using credit. It is freeing to use only cash but it is difficult with dependents.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Daphne, great blog with very sound advice!
When I lived in Japan, credit cards were not as widely accepted as they are here in the US and it was common for the Japanese to pay cash for most things: from shopping at the mall to buying groceries. ATM’s were not 24 hours and banks were often closed on the weekends. So, you needed to plan ahead and have cash ready for the weekend out or whatever. Most of my bills were automatically withdrawn from my account and it seemed that I was easily saving more money (in one of the most expensive countries in the world) than I did here in the U.S. When I returned to the States, I decided I needed to keep up with that cash on hand tradition and it has really paid off. The only debt I have is our house.
Now as a stay-at-home mother of twins, I know what Michele is saying about using the debit card. My solution is to have an envelope of cash to be used for the month and I keep my checkbook balanced. If I have to go shopping with the twins (the register is where the fits begin)I swipe the debit card and then deposit the cash later. I keep all debit receipts in one part of my wallet and when the babies are sleeping, I subtract the money spent from our envelope. Then, I fill out the deposit slip and put it back in my purse for the next time I have to go out. I love drive-thru banking and pay at the pump gas stations.