I followed a link this morning and found this. I totally agree with this. We haven't had a credit card in years upon years. And now, DH has one for 'emergency purposes' -- I don't like that one bit. We've lived over 14 years without a debit card or a credit card. Does he think we haven't had any 'emergencies' in all that time? Trust me, we have. There have been a great many where a quick swipe of a credit card would have made it much nicer to deal with.
But we didn't. We had to save in the budget. Things had to be planned for. There was no 'whim shopping' and even though it might have appeared to have worked out better to have had one, we managed to make it through all the little 'emergencies' that crept up along our path.
We have blown tires that put a car out of commission until replaced. Sure, it would have been nice to swipe the card and fix the trouble right then and there, but instead, we waited and set aside some funds in the budget to fix it. And that actually saved us money. I had to make ONE trip weekly, because I had to drive DH to work so I could use his car. I wasn't running to town for anything. It was a hassle. And, we saved what we thought we'd need for a set of tires, and ended up, because we had cash, making a much better deal price-wise.
Think of the things you use a credit card for. Goodness, especially this time of year. All of a sudden, we feel compelled to spend money we don't have on people we think we need to impress with some fancy gift, or some large gift. Some of us even go so far as to buy for folks we never would have thought of had we not had that little bit of plastic to whip out. And then, come January, as the bills begin to come home to roost, we bemoan how foolish we were, how we over-spent again this year. It's 'gold fever' same as those pioneers felt rushing into California at the first hint of something sparkling coming out of those hills.
I have a friend who once gifted everyone on her list with the most beautiful handmade goodies. It might be a gift basket with cocoas and teas, or she might knit a dishcloth set and maybe some potholders. She might put together a small table runner (quilted). It might just be a special Christmas ornament, personalized with your name...but it was always, without fail, made from her hands and given straight from her heart. A couple of years ago, she started working outside the home. She discovered her paycheck was "her own money" and her husband agreed -- he didn't really know why she went out to work in the first place. Since then, her gifts have gone store-bought. She spends for a good month straight, picking out this or that for this or that person. And she now buys for many of her co-workers as well. That independence of making her own money went to her head completely. She lost such a gift of blessing by seeing how she could whip out some plastic and buy everything she wanted without having to wait or plan for it.
In my mind, those cards are nothing but trouble. Bad company corrupts good morals is a fitting statement with them. Once you make that first purchase, no matter how cautious you are to write it down and deduct it from the account, on day, you will forget. When nothing serious happens, you'll find it easier to 'forget' next time, and it will snowball from there. I've been there and done that...I'm still shaking the snow off myself from years back!
I am in 100% agreement with everything you have wrote here. Mainly just from experience!! We have been there done that and came out of it with nothing to show. Well, I take that back, we had the experience and know that we don't want to go down that road.
Blessings,
Trixi
Friday, January 4, 2008 - Little Pieces of Plastic Evil...I'm not kidding
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My DH and I have had all sorts of problems with credit cards. We're not into debts in the thousands (double-digit), but we've done some pretty stoopid things because of them. Now we have to pay them back with DH's income tax refund, as best we can (instead of saving the money...grrrr!) But I guess this is a lesson I'd rather learn now in my mid-thrities than to learn the harder way when we're older.
Times like these I'm glad God loves us enough to chastise us, and not give us any more of a burden then we can bear, with His Grace. Lessons learned hard stay around a while, thankfully.
~Always Planning for Whatever May Come... Mrs Survival site
~Sewing and baking, of course
~write letters
~Pasta made, dried and stored away
~barn repairs, on-going
~bush hogging & timber clean-up, on-going
~List books at BookMooch.com
~build a new mailbox post
~monthly quilt blocks
No indulgences of self will can be trivial, no denial unprofitable; Heaven or Hell depends on this alone. A parent who studies to subdue it in his child works together with God in the renewing and saving of their soul. The parent who indulges it does the devil's work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body, forever.
Susanna Wesley
At The School Desks
We are a Christian family desiring to raise our children with the primary focus of Training their Hearts!
I have no greater joy, than to hear my children walk in truth... III John 1:4
Train up the child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it... Proverbs 22:6
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!... Deuteronomy 5:29
Our mission in life is not to go to some far-off foreign land, but to work at home and in our churches and home communities. Our goal should not be to leave behind riches and possessions, farms and homes for our children, but a priceless heritage they will cherish enough to work fervently to pass along to their children. It has been done for generations and with God's help it can still be done. In teaching our children, we are striving toward a deep understanding of who they are In Christ. I am . . . a child of God, a gift to my parents and my country. I'm a person of great value because God made me. I can . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God has made me able to do everything required of me. I ought . . . to do my duty to obey God, to submit to my parents and everyone in authority over me, to be of service to others, and to keep myself healthy with proper food and rest so my body is ready to serve. I will . . . resolve to keep a watch over my thoughts and choose what's right even if it's not what I want.
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