I froze my credit card in ice!

I have been spending money like water through a sieve. My credit card is too high where all I can afford is the minimum payment. So I froze the d**n thing! It has less power over me now. Any other suggestions?

Freezing your assets should have a chilling effect on your overspending. Very cool.

That is an awesome idea. I might try that next time.

Just a warning for those that have pets. I too froze my credit card in ice so that I couldn't get to it. It really helped control my spending. However; my cat broke his leg being an idiot and I had to rush him to the vet. We had to go to three places before someone would see him because without the card we had no way to afford the bill and get his leg set. Never froze my card again because in an emergency you're screwed. I just gave it to my brother and told him he not to give it to me unless it was an emergency.

I gave my credit cards including debit card to my husband, I told him not to hide them in our usual hiding places and to REALLY hide them as to not allow me access to them.

I do have access to the check book, so I can get cash for very basic reasons. We don't keep a lot of money in our checking account. We keep the amount low enough to get groceries, so I know I can't go on my usual summer spending spree.

When I do need to buy something on credit I think really hard about it. Is it an impulsive buy or something we need? Discussing it with my husband helps to ensure I'm on the right track.

This may sound weird as I do not go to my husband to manage my life. However I need this to not spend a ridiculous amount as I did the past 2 summers. And no I do not have this type of relationship with my husband and I handle the money. I pay the bills and limit the amount in the checking account.

Maybe set a reasonable limit? If there is an emergency you can always go to bank to take out the money needed. But ya will stop to think for sure.

I just shredded all my credit cards and deleted them all out of Amazon and Ebay. My husband was getting on me (for about the one millionth time) about spending and us being broke and blah blah blah so I did it all in front of him. Didn't think about our dog maybe being hurt and needing them!! I was just thinking about the $30,000 credit card debt that never gets any smaller because I always "need" something. Now I don't know what I should do!

Not only should you shred them but call the credit company and cancel every last one of them. No temptation. Set up a budget (YNABN is what we have. It stands for "You need a budget now). We put all our expenses in there and put money in them every paycheck. I have my own category for my own spending money. If there is something I want and cant afford it, I save up. I can see the money growing in each account. We have a savings account that we dont touch. It only for emergency.

Money is the root to all evil and credit cards are the demons. I understand its a bipolar thing (believe me). Im not perfect and hubby has nicely been after me. But we are now on the same page. We know where they money went and we work together to improve it.

Cancel those evil things, do not apply to anymore. Dig yourself out, improve your credit score and feel better about yourself !

I still have a good credit rating, high 700's, that I do not want to place in jeopardy. It has dropped some due to the increasing debt, that which I have no way in paying off.

Whenever I'm manic, I call my bank and put a spending limit on my debit card. I only allow myself enough to pay my highest bill. That way I can't make any big crazy purchases.

So automatic overdraft protection on my debit card is not a good idea?

One thing you can consider is loading X amount of money on a pre paid card .. So you decide what you can afford monthly on Bipolar retail therapy but wont be able to overspend.

I use to spend money I didnt really have .. Just wasted it on a variety of things .. I tossed all my old habits of retail therapy ..The only thing I allow myself now to buy is nail polish ..2-4 bucks a pop and I only buy 3 or 4 a month.. Gives me my "fix" but its dirt cheap plus my nails always look amazing

I spent money I didn't have even before I was diagnosed bipolar. I've been overspending and foolishly spending since I was 8 years old. My mom said I come by it honestly, she's always been like that too.

I got myself in huge trouble with my credit card in my early 20's, they just kept raising my credit limit and I just kept spending it. I ended up $15,000 in debt and the interest payments were astronomical. I couldn't afford them. I ended up taking out a line of credit to pay off the credit card because the payments would be much less, and my parents had to co-sign for it. I still have the credit card but it's maxed out at $500 and the bank has blocked me from increasing the limit until I've paid back the $15,000 line of credit at my parents' request. I can't get another credit card, my credit is ****.

I'm financially screwed because I'm on disability, haven't been able to work. I eat at food banks. I dropped out of school two years in a row and lost a whole bunch of financial aid so I've been in a hole for the past little while. I'm still trying to pay it back. My bank account is currently overdrawn but I can't do anything about it. A paypal charge for one of my bills got rejected but they keep re-sending it and every time they do, I get a new insufficient funds charge of about $90. So I'm getting further and further overdrawn and I can't do anything about it until I get my next disability cheque and even then I need to pay bills and eat. My doc recently gave me permission to work 10 hours a week max, but the way things are going right now I'm not sure. I'm trying to finish my undergrad, I can't afford to go nuts and drop out again. I won't make it back.

So yeah, financial binds really suck.