Cut up your credit cards!

deliciosa

Right, yes, do it! I have just done one, and it feels fantastic!
I have decided to start a DFW-wide movement. The idea behind it is simple. If you cut it up, you can't use it anymore.

So there are two kinds of cut-ups.

Formula A is when you cut up the card but yet to pay off the balance. This can be done anytime, anywhere. Do it NOW! Take the card and nicely cut through the middle. Or cut a heart-shape, or a flower out of it, up to you. There, it's done. Now you can be sure that provided that you keep paying a little bit (or a lot) more than the minimum, this card is never going to give you headache and it will go away!

Rules: Make sure you can't put the pieces back together and use the card online in a moment of desperation. (Been there, done that.). Make sure you remove the number from anywhere, such as amazon and other sites so that you can't use it as automated payment method. And finally, make sure you know how much you owe on it and come up with a clear, straightforward repayment plan - no cheating here. Please be careful though: If you cut up the card, it does not mean the debt does not exist anymore. Keep up the repayments, the goal is to cut up and repay!!!

Formula B: Cancel and cut. If you have the outstanding balance somewhere (savings, can transfer the balance to another card which gives you better APR etc). Call them, demand for a 0% rate for six months or something of this sort. More likely than not they won't give it to you (If yes, well yay, there you balance transfer!). Then announce that you are now paying the balance off and closing the account. Pay it off and dont let them bully you into "just keeping the card for a few more months". they are just hoping you would spend on it. No. Close it. Put the phone down. Cut it. There. It's gone, gone gone.

I have just cut up my capital one and repaid the outstanding £285 with my savings. So come on everyone, it feels fantastic cutting through the chip and the visa logo. You are not dependent on the cards anymore! You are free! Cut it! Join my movement!

Deliciosa - cards cut up so far: 2. (Both Capital one).
Who's next? :j

Snaggles

Well done! :T

I did it when I started clearing my debt, and it definitely works. Out of sight, out of mind! Just make sure you chuck the pieces away, and don't tape them back together again like I did once!

always_amazed

Yep well said

poorandindenial

I cut up one of mine and would wholeheartedly support the BIG 'C', just need to crack on and do the others except I have to go away with work and need a credit card for when I stay in hotels (my debit card rarely has enough on it to pass the pre-auth they do but as soon as it does - snip, snip).

Just a word of caution from personal experience:

make sure that there is nothing you have bought that you might want to take back - is much more difficult (and a little humiliating:o) if the card you purchased on is in teeny pieces:rolleyes:

Good work on the card chopping everyone who has

deliciosa

Yes, need to be very careful with chopping but hey it's so much fun.

And besides you can return the goods and claim to ahve lost the card, or even damaged (that's true isn't it? pretty damaged), 90% of the time they CAN refund it to the card, if not they will ask for id, etc and you will probably have to sign things, but they eventually refund it to other cards too... I just had a similar situation with my lost amex...

Well done everyone for card cutting. This is my new passion, I have got the pieces as I want to keep them for when I am debt free. Maybe make an artwork of it! Did you guys cut before or after paying off?

I got so excited that I chopped up an old Insure And Go plastic too, just for the sake of chopping.....

It makes that nice creaking sound when you go through the chip...

Ok I know it's too late, that's my excuse for card-cutting-fetish.

poorandindenial

deliciosa wrote: »

And besides you can return the goods and claim to ahve lost the card, or even damaged (that's true isn't it? pretty damaged), 90% of the time they CAN refund it to the card, if not they will ask for id, etc and you will probably have to sign things, but they eventually refund it to other cards too... I just had a similar situation with my lost amex....

They roll their eyes at you but they do let you do it.

Mind you I am learning that to be a true DFW you need to leave a wee bit of shame at the door and exercise your inner brazen.:rotfl:

poorandindenial

I meant to say - I love the snip snip noise too and have thought about making them into some sort of mosaic homage to cleared debt (in the future)

Maybe we should have a credit card artwork show and tell!!

postingalwaysposting

well said :j :j :j but also to be nice to those fradsters dont dump each bit in your/one bin spread them out ~ i took a bit to work, i took a bit to the swimming baths and a bit to the libary :rolleyes: can be quite fun if you chop it into tiny pieces :rotfl:

mhe

I lost my wallet a few months back and cancelled all my cards before I found the wallet. When the new cards came I shredded the pin numbers with out reading them and peeled off the 'phone to acctivate' sticker but nener acctivated them. Now all my cards are useless (although whole):j

mollypolly

Hi all.
I cut my cards up when I had my lightbulb moment and did a snowball.
It was a very scary moment but I feel very proud and virtuous now that its done.
Well done everyone!!!!!!!!!!:T

(Land_of)_Maz

i even cut up the one they sent me 2 years on to replace the card i was paying up as it had expired....... that took some doing but i did it with a bit of support from here.

the thought of having a thousand pounds to spend was like an itch that needed scratching but i resisted!

snip snip was great fun, i took photos ... see if i can find the link. BRB