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goobster  ·  3056 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Hubski, how do you budget ?

I basically stopped using credit. I pay for almost everything with cash, or bank transfer.

That leaves me with mortgage, internet, and cell phone bills that I pay electronically.

The surprising benefit of this method is that the bank account fills up really quickly. When you need to take cash out of your pocket for everything, it makes every expenditure very REAL, and you find yourself choosing NOT to buy things way more often. It pauses everything for a moment, gives you time to reflect on the purchase, and then either confirm the initial purchase decision was a good idea, or put the cash away.

I'm living on far less than I ever thought I could, and saving far more than I ever thought I could.

(Note: For credit purposes, and large purchases, I DO have credit cards. I just pay them off as soon as I buy anything on them.)