I'm like oddly attached to it. "What if there is an emergency?" "What if I neeeed it?"
I can't even bear to pull it out of my wallet.
And guess what? That means I keep USING IT. It is maxed out already. It has $2,400 on it and it has a $2,500 limit. This thing has TO GO. The last several months all I've been doing is paying the minimum payment since the finance charge maxes the damn thing out again.
Real talk. Help me.
grapefruit / 4235 posts
If you're not ready to cut it yet...what about freezing it in a block of ice? That way if you really really really need it you can Unthaw it.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@highwire: What about keeping it like in the glove box of your car so that its there really for emergencies but not for day to day shopping?
coconut / 8305 posts
Unless I had enough in savings to cover an emergency I don't think I could do it... I WOULD however freeze it with no problem! lol... Then it would take time for to access it & it would have to really be a true need to go through the time to do so.
Yea... I'm not help. lol
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
Is this your only credit card? Do you have that much in your account or liquid in case of emergency?
I agree with keeping it at home like in a block of ice as @dagret: suggested.
@highwire: you need to join July's "No Spending" Challenge!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
None of those tactics work for me because I have my credit card number committed to memory.
The only thing that helps me not to overspend on the credit card is to calculate in terms of hours, how much I have to work to pay for it.
clementine / 957 posts
You'll feel MUCH better cutting it up. If you need a replacement, you can always call the CC company.. but really, it'll be a huge burden off your shoulders if you do it!
pomelo / 5820 posts
You can always order a replacement if there was a reason you'd need it in the future. I say cut it up! If it's practically maxed out, it won't help carrying it in your wallet anyway, because you won't be able to use it! Once it's out of sight, you can focus on paying it down 
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
@regberadaisy: No, not our only CC, but DH already cut his up so his is not available for use. We do have liquid cash for an emergency.
coconut / 8430 posts
Can you have your husband hide it somewhere at home? Or put it away in a sealed envelope with some motivational words like "You don't need this! What is the emergency? Is the balance $0 yet?"
I would just be worried that in a true emergency you wouldn't be able to get a card fast enough. It usually takes 3-5 biz days before they arrive.
pineapple / 12802 posts
I like the ice block suggestion.
Otherwise, just do it. Cut.It.Up.
If your card is already almost maxed, what good is it if you had an emergency today?
eggplant / 11408 posts
How about putting it in a lock box? That way, you can use it if need be, but you'd have to make a conscious decision to do so.
grapefruit / 4554 posts
Cut it up, just don't think about it! Like others said, you can always get a replacement.
watermelon / 14206 posts
Yeah, cut it up...you can always request a new one, if an emergency comes up.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@littlek: you're joining the "No Spending" Challenge in July, right?!
pomegranate / 3160 posts
I only have one credit card so I don't think I could ever cut it up...kind of like you, "what if..." Mine isn't maxed out, but I do definitely put..."non essentials" on it every few months...
The block of ice idea is so great!
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
If I kept my cards I would keep using them, the only thing that works for me is to not have them at all. DH allows me to only have my debit card and he gives me an allowance each month. It sounds sad, but I have a shopping addiction and this is the only way to control it.
bananas / 9357 posts
Cut it up! If it's maxed out, it's not going to help you in an emergency!
kiwi / 742 posts
Hide it from yourself or cut it. You don't need it. As pp have said you don't have enough for an emergency on there anyway so it's not like you could use it for that. I cut up one of my cards and it felt like a weight was lifted. When DH and I got married after we got back from our honeymoon I took his cards and hid them. Sometimes "out of sight out of mind" is all you need.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
Cut it up, believe me, you will feel like a million bucks without that stupid thing hanging over your head. Go do it now Right now!
apricot / 495 posts
Yeah, cut that thing up. It is maxed out so you can't use it for emergencies anyway. Once you pay it off and you feel like you can handle a CC again you can call the CC company and request a replacement. Then don't put that card in your wallet...put it in a safe or in a block of ice like others suggested until you need it for an actual emergency.
GOLD / cantaloupe / 6581 posts
Hide that sucker! We put our emergency card in a lockable safe under the bed. It takes WAYY too much effort to crawl under the bed, find the key, wrestle with the crappy lock, etc. I cut up the one I had before this, but then I was paranoid that I'd need it for emergencies.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
Do it--- seriously, it's so freeing. I had one card that was in my name only and I kept putting stupid crap on it even though I'd told DH it was cancelled and paid off (failwife!) So he saw it one day and said, "Oh, I saw your MC in your wallet when I grabbed that changed, you forgot to cut it up so I did it for you." Being all nice and friendly, not knowing I'd been sneaky shopping with it. Well after that it took me 3 months to pay off and I'm so glad it's gone. He has no idea he cut me off from my sneaky spending, but it was the best thing ever.
coconut / 8483 posts
Cut it up! Agree that since it's maxed out anyways, it's not going to be useful in an emergency.
Once it's paid off maybe allow your self to have one with a $500 limit if you can commit to paying it off everything month.
cherry / 103 posts
Cut it up! You have cash for emergencies. After I cut mine up, I haven't had near as many emergencies. When I did have one, the cash was available to take care if it. Free yourself!
pomegranate / 3452 posts
I froze my husband's credit card when we started dating. It was genius, bc we felt like we had the cushion if we needed it. When we moved a year later, we thawed it and cut it up.
bananas / 9357 posts
@littlek: Good for you. My coworker does this with her DH. He has a debit card that she only loads a certain amount of money to each week. It's the only way to keep his spending in check!
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
CUT it up! I did mine, and it was a thousand pounds off my back now that it's paid off and gone. I no longer have one, and I'm going to be freezing my husbands next month! We are going to freeze it and lower the limit to 1500 so we have it for trips/emergencies but nothing more.
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