Comments on: Eight Minutes to Financial Success – Minute #3: Block Your Cards

By: Nicole

Nicole — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:51:37 +0000

I just…don’t quite get what the point of having them is if you have to go to this much effort. It seems to defeat the purpose.

By: Kate

Kate — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:41:54 +0000

I would imagine that there are some people out there who stumble upon this site looking for ways to dig themselves out of a hole that was borne out of lack of self-control. Not everyone is blessed with self-control…some have to learn it. If it means doing something that someone else might not understand or scoff at, so be it.

By: Patty

Patty — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:35:51 +0000

my husband is a card number memorizeror too. Though after a few rounds of “sorry for the inconvenience but there has been a security breech so here is your new card number” I think he lost track of the numbers. I can barely keep track of my phone number but we are both reasonable with our spending. Its faster to melt the ice cube under warm water than hitting it with a high heel like in the Shopaholic movie. Though these tips may seem silly to some of us, the act of trying these steps mean someone is trying to take control…any step forward is a good thing.

By: Lilly

Lilly — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:57:29 +0000

I like what Diane (#12) said “Um…no. I have never done this and never would. I have credit cards. they are used responsibly and within my budget. If I need them, I use them. If I don’t, I don’t. Bills are paid in full every month. I also am not an alcoholic, and feel fine having booze in my house. I don’t tiptoe past the cabinet wondering if my dusty bottle of calvados will leap out at me and make me drink it.”

This is us too… we have a rewards card and I use it for everything from bills to groceries. We just don’t buy things we don’t need and/or can’t afford.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:29:49 +0000

Points to whoever it was yesterday in the comments that guessed tip 3 would be freezing cards in ice.

Unfortunately, I too have the numbers memorized. (I wonder if that’s common nowadays?)

By: Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:33:56 +0000

I thought the ideas were pretty good. But an even better idea is to not even have credit cards if they are a temptation.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:15:19 +0000

I’m sorry, but this is just silly.
What about a little thought and a lot of self-control?

By: Jan

Jan — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:42:33 +0000

I hide chocolate in my house but the credit cards stay in the wallet. The speed buy button on the QVC website is a temptation though.

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 11:22:44 +0000

I use the “hide them” technique for yummy sweets in my home and in my office. Out of sight, out of mind…pretty scary how quickly they are forgotten, actually. :o)

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:55:40 +0000

Yeah, I’ve memorized them too – along with the 3 and 4 digit security codes. Adam, I guess we’re lost causes!

By: Adam P

Adam P — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:34:38 +0000

Calm down guys. Some people would benefit from advice on how to curb credit spending, and some will not!

I think Trent gave 3 good ways for people who are really having trouble curbing impulses to spending.

Like some of you, I’ve never had this kind of issue; and at this point in my life/career as an accountant I’d be pretty shamed if I did.

One thing I had to chuckle, I’ve now memorized my credit card numbers. Hiding them would be sort of useless at stopping my online shopping.

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:47:39 +0000

My post from this morning also applies here:

Why are you going into stores if your plan isn’t to purchase things.

I never ever got the ice cube/freezer thing.

By: zoe

zoe — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:13:01 +0000

Again you’re making it seem like credit cards are universally evil. It’s flat-out wrong to say that getting rid of credit cards is a “step on the way to financial success”

Your post would be more helpful if you said at the beginning: “if you have problems impulse buying on credit cards, then…”

If you did this those of us who responsibly use credit cards would know to skip the post instead of wasting our time.

By: Diane

Diane — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:03:22 +0000

Um…no. I have never done this and never would. I have credit cards. they are used responsibly and within my budget. If I need them, I use them. If I don’t, I don’t. Bills are paid in full every month.

I also am not an alcoholic, and feel fine having booze in my house. I don’t tiptoe past the cabinet wondering if my dusty bottle of calvados will leap out at me and make me drink it.

By: MattJ

MattJ — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:49:48 +0000

I gave my cards to Batman, and told him not to give them back, even if I begged.

Once you give your cards to Batman, man… they’re gone.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:30:39 +0000

@Andrea: I agree, but sites aren’t going to survive by only catering to new readers either :( Don’t get me wrong — I think it’s great that PF blogs are doing the “back to basics” thing for people just starting out on their journey.

By: Kerry D.

Kerry D. — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:03:08 +0000

My husband and I wrap our cards, securely taped up, and simply keep them in our wallet. If I am willing to stand at a cash register and remove the wrappings, then it is a purchase that is likely to be important. Like when I was at the vet and discovered that they don’t accept checks anymore. I even explained why they were taped up–these days, it is even trendy to be concerned with excess spending. We hardly ever use our cards anymore. Yay!

Now, my “amazon one click” requires me to have excellent self control. Thank goodness I can and do.

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:05:17 +0000

I agree with #7 – if you’re going to freeze the bag of water anyway, why the cubes?

And it seems to me if you smash the cube of ice you take a big risk of shattering the frozen card.

If you hide the cards in an inaccessible place, be sure someone else in the household knows they’re hidden there (or know where your reminder about the spot is stashed), and that they aren’t in anything that might be thrown out or given away or sold without checking.

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:51:33 +0000

The instructions for freezing them in a block of ice don’t make any sense. If you put them on top of ice cubes and then pour water into the container, the ice cubes will float; you can’t “submerge” them.

By: Leah

Leah — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:44:02 +0000

For those who like to carry cards around in their wallet (in case of emergency and the like, as mentioned in the last post in this series), I’ve heard that some people like to do the photo trick or a post-it trick around their credit cards. You just write what you’re saving for, or your motivation, on the postit around your card.

Again, tho, I argue that this is merely a stopgap. The ultimate goal needs to be to reduce/eliminate or avoid temptation. I don’t mean to be judgmental, and I hope it doesn’t sound bad to say so. If overconsumption of anything is your problem, you need to find a way to avoid that thing. There are definitely foods I keep out of my house, and aisles I avoid at the grocery store, to help keep my weight in check. The same can be said for overspending money.