Which choice

PicassoMatisse

I have several credit cards and rang the card providers to amend all the payment due dates to the same day of the month. This really helped my monthly budgeting.

Gemini.IDF

James_B. wrote: »

Yes, without question. If I owed money, I'd go cold, hungry, and unentertained to ensure that I meet my obligations.

I've known people who'll still smoke, still have a drink, and still go out while claiming that they can't pay back what they are supposed to, and genuinely can't understand how someone can think that that is acceptable.

I couldn't agree more. My husband and I have always had what are now considered 'Old-fashioned values'. When we were first married, our priorities were: 1. the roof over our heads, 2. Paying our bills, which we tried to keep to a minimum, 3. Food. After that, the clothes on our backs. All other things, we went without until we'd saved up for them. We never went into debt, apart from our mortgage and over the years, we tried to pay more whenever we could to pay it off and have a better standard of living as a result. We never dreamed of borrowing on the house as people keep doing today, whenever there is a bit of equity built up in it, to buy cars, holidays and stuff, so that the mortage is never paid off!

Mind you, having said that, in those days, there wasn't the huge range of consumer foods to 'Want' but even if there had been, I don't think our priorities would have changed. People seem to think that certain consumer goods are absolutely essential now, whereas I can't see it myself. We didn't have a TV for about four years; our only entertainment was an old radio with a lid! Our house was only partly furnished for a good few years. I didn't have a washing machine for four years either. I had a second-hand Burco boiler when our first baby was born, two years after we married. No spin drier and I didn't have disposable nappies either! Looking back I wonder how on earth we managed! I can't understand some of the reasons people go into debt for. Christmas? A Holiday? It's ridiculous! Nothing to show for it afterwards either! Our kids' 'Big' toys like bikes, etc., were all bought second-hand and 'Done up'! They never suffered because of that. A lot of their clothes were second-hand too or passed down. They are grown up now with families of their own and they have had their hard times too. But...neither have debts. They inherited our values, thank goodness. Both are doing well and I don't think and neither do they, that making do and going without for a while has done them any harm in the long run. It teaches you to manage on very little and that can only be a good thing. You can't keep living above your means; something will have to give in the end.

Just my opinion of course; people are not all the same, but I couldn't sleep at night knowing I had such huge debts hanging over my head and I would sooner go without than that.