Progress on the Interac Association 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge

Recently I shared that I’d be participating in the Interac^® 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge and set aside my credit card for 21 days and use my own money.  The idea is to live within my own means and avoid incurring more credit card debt.  How good would it feel to be debt free?

Today I have an update to share on how the challenge has been going for me so far.

When I started the challenge I took Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s advice and froze my credit card.  Literally.  It’s sitting in a bowl of ice in my freezer as I write this.

I have to admit that I was a bit apprehensive about freezing my credit card and committing to this challenge especially as we approach moving day and the costs associated with that.  On the other hand it feels good to know that once we are all moved in and settled there will be no surprise credit card bill for it all!

I am already pretty careful about some of my spending – we already do meal planning (Gail’s day three tip!), price compare etc…  I generally do like to shop though so the hardest part of the challenge is not spending money online on things we don’t really need. 

I did need to order a new desk as my current desk snapped in half when we moved here and it’s currently held together precariously with a board my dad screwed into it to hold the two pieces together.  I didn’t see the point in moving the desk again, and since I got the desk when I was 14, I thought it might be a good time to upgrade to a newer model. 

Thanks to the Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge website I was able to pay for my order without needing to hand over my credit card. How convenient is that? 

–While I have been working hard on only spending my own money, I’ve also been working on paying off my credit card debt.  Gail makes a great point on the tip for day 6 about paying more than the minimum to get your debt down faster.  I’ve been taking a percentage off each cheque I have received over the last few days and put it directly towards a payment against my credit card.

So far the Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge has been going quite well, and I feel pretty good about not incurring any new debt.  I think we have made some positive changes in our spending habits and been able to make room in our budget to pay off our current debt.

Want to join me in taking the Interac 21 Day Credit-Free Challenge to help kick-start a return to better financial habits and to speed up getting out of that debt?

It’s easy to get started.  All you have to do is sign up with your email address at 21DaysCreditFree.ca to receive daily financial guidance to help you get debt free faster.

Disclosure: This post was part of a sponsored collaboration with Interac Association  

Interac is a registered trade-mark of Interac Inc. Used under licence.