How to smash that credit card balance

What is a fool-proof way to stop spending money that you don't have to put any effort into? what if you are useless at budgeting? what if your stuck in a job you don't like, so you spend more money! What do you do?

Open your wallet or purse and take out the credit card. Don't take a pair of scissors to it, instead put in a accessible place. Not a place that you regular go to find things. I put mine in my bedside cabinet.

You are probably thinking that was a bit of an anti-climax. BUT it is often the simplest things, like the one above, that work. That don't require much will power or concious effort.

It was strange not carrying a credit card in my wallet, however after a couple of weeks I got use to reaching for the debit card to pay for everything. At this time I also unsubscribed from a lot of emails that I was receiving from various companies tempting me with sales, special offers and 50% off bargains.

A month, became 2 months and then 3. No card in my wallet, no additional debt which meant monthly payments really started to having an affect on the balance.

Lets put this in context, I have been paying off my credit card for 4 years. I was stuck at the £1000 level for months. It just wouldn't budge. The simple act of putting my card in a safe place meant i got to my goal of a zero balance much quicker.

I have since reintroduced my credit card to my wallet, and old habits have crept back in. Since writing this I have put my card away again so that I can focus on bringing my bank overdraft to zero...not be side-tracked by monthly cpayments. Good luck to all those trying to reduce they monthly payments.