I don't know the exact root cause of why I'm physically incapable of saving money, but I am. I would think that it was a gene passed down from my parents, but they are smart with their money: making wise investments such as cutting me off financially right after college.
Starting with my very first credit card, I would look at a maximum spending limit like a goal. Right after I left one job, I received a credit card in the mail that had a $10,000 max. The first words out of my mouth were, "I'm rich!" followed by "I'm going shopping!" or "Drinks are on me!"
Then a peculiar thing would happen. Once a month I would get an unwanted gift. Well, two unwanted gifts but the one that I'm referring to here is my credit card bill. Say what? They want me to pay them back?!?!?!?! And with interest?!?!??! What nerve.
To punish myself I started to cut off the magnetic strips on the cards so that they would be unswipeable. This slowed me down from everything but online shopping and the desperate bartender who would offer to punch in the numbers for me. I also put most of my checks into an investment account that I cannot get to so that I will not spend my hard earned money at Chili's like I want to.
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Chris and I went out for drinks, a local hole in the wall that did not take credit cards (magnetic strips intact or not), and naturally, I had no cash. I used my best sales technique on her, and offered to write her a check with the promise that "if you cash this on Thursday, it will be good...ish."
"What do you mean 'goodish?'" she asked.
"I mean the more time you wait past Thursday to cash it, the less likely that it will have viable funds." I often write a lot of checks around my pay day, but do not enter them into my checkbook. One of these days I will grow up and be a responsible check-writing adult that learns how to use their check register properly. But until then, may the first check to the bank win!
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