Leave the Cards at Home

Many years ago I worked in a fabulous retail clothing store.  One of our daily goals was to open new credit cards.  Why?  Because credit card holders ALWAY spend more.  Always.  Something psychological happens when you pay with a credit card as opposed to cash. 

Whenever I pay with cash, I always take my time in deciding what I want to buy.  I never buy the first thing I think is cute.  I will compare items and really think about the purchase, asking myself "How much do I really want this."

When I make a purchase on a credit card it is a whole different story.  I am more liberal with my spending. If I think,"This will be nice to have"  I put it on the card.  I spend maybe 5 minutes thinking about my purchase, compared to 15 when I pay with cash. 

So now I am going to try something new.  If I need to go grocery shopping and I have $40 to spend, I will withdraw it from the bank- taking my cash to WINCO and leaving my credit card at home.  Trips to Costco?  Use cash.  Walmart and Target?  Cash only.  Fun walks through the mall- no cash, and definitely no cards.