You're thinking correctly. Until I got my first cc in my mid-20s, I firmly stuck with the "Do I have cash enough to buy it? No? Then I don't need it." Granted, having one is, as you said, wonderful for the slidie-takie convenience, but when I finally looked at my total debt on 3 cards ... and realized the same amount could be used as a downpayment on a house, or to buy a new car outright, I hit the brakes. I'm now down to one cc and my Lowe's card, which I will never part with until all my renovation/remodel/landscape needs are met. Read: NEVER! But the other one is good for building a good credit report - as long as I watch my spending like a hawk and keep the balance nice and low - it actually does help more than paying it off entirely and closing the account. THAT SAID, I now currently do what one of your friends mentioned above. I deposit a round number from my paycheck into my checking account; take the odd dollars and cents left over, keep $10-$30 for drinks/snacks for the next 2 weeks, and put the remainder into savings. If you can stick with it, both accounts will mushroom before you know it! And cutting down on some of the FB spending will help, too. There's a lot of links I follow, and as soon as I see actual $ is involved, I leave the app. That's why I don't join Pogo, or get a paid account in LJ, etc. First, I'm too damn busy all the time to really do much online, and second, whatever precious time I do finally manage to wrangle can be spent watching cheap movies through Netflix, or sleeping, or laughing with H - or a great combo of all three! Hang in there!
But the other one is good for building a good credit report - as long as I watch my spending like a hawk and keep the balance nice and low - it actually does help more than paying it off entirely and closing the account.
THAT SAID, I now currently do what one of your friends mentioned above. I deposit a round number from my paycheck into my checking account; take the odd dollars and cents left over, keep $10-$30 for drinks/snacks for the next 2 weeks, and put the remainder into savings. If you can stick with it, both accounts will mushroom before you know it!
And cutting down on some of the FB spending will help, too. There's a lot of links I follow, and as soon as I see actual $ is involved, I leave the app. That's why I don't join Pogo, or get a paid account in LJ, etc.
First, I'm too damn busy all the time to really do much online, and second, whatever precious time I do finally manage to wrangle can be spent watching cheap movies through Netflix, or sleeping, or laughing with H - or a great combo of all three!
Hang in there!
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