First of all, let me start by saying that I took my debit card out of my wallet on the first day of the month, so I did not use it in this incident. However, the situation is...I went out with a group of friends on Saturday night. It is well known, from my 'About Me' profile, that I am a handbag connoisseur, LOL. So, I own both day and evening handbags. When I went out with friends on the weekend, I took one of my cute, going out, small clutch-type handbags that can only hold my wallet and lip gloss. Fast forward to Tuesday when I went to the service department of my car dealership. I had an oil change and front brake service. Because I didn't know, in advance, the exact cost of the service I had already decided I would simply write a check for the amount instead of trying to withdraw an unknown dollar amount from the bank.

My car service was completed to the tune of $286 and some change. When I went to pay for the service I realized I had not put my checkbook back into my current purse of the day. This was discovered AFTER the service was completed and I was at the payment counter. Although I had already removed my debit card from my wallet for the month, I decided to keep my American Express card, just in case. And luckily I did or else I may have been leaving the service department in a police car--or maybe not, I am a regular. So, although I didn't use my debit card, I still used a credit card--which was also prohibited for the Challenge.

So the question I'm asking is, did I violate the Challenge? You decide by leaving your comment...but before you decide, allow me to plead my case. First, I did NOT use a debit card because I have not carried it with me for the month. Secondly, the purpose of the Challenge was to make the participants more conscious of how we spend our money and not to spend on mindless, frivolous purchases. This was definitely not a mindless or frivolous purchase. Either way, I will still continue the challenge for the remainder of the month.

Did my love of handbags cost me the Challenge? You be the judge...

7 Comments:

  1. Anonymous said...
    I can understand how this could happen. I would take it as a lesson learned for the future. I don't think it would count if you pay off the credit card bill right away.
    Divine and Debt Free said...
    lol nope you didn't violate the challenge. Any purchases that are NOT considered fun or blow are ok. But what the heck are you doing with that amex card!!! YIKES!!

    P.S my debit card is in my wallet just in case lol.
    Young Mogul said...
    @Divine:
    It's the Optima card. It doesn't have an annual fee.
    Annie said...
    As long as you pay it in full I don't see where you violated anything. Don't sweat it!
    Anonymous said...
    Stuff happens :)

    I think that it would be OK if you paid off the balance right away.
    Willow said...
    No. Not a violation. Car repairs that you pay off when the AE bill comes are basically the same as cash. It's not always wise to carry cash for a large purchase/repair. In addition, check/credit card is a good way to track the expense in case there is a question later. My vote is that if the expense is large, unexpected, paid off when the bill arrives so there is no service charge/fee then it is 'go green' light.
    Anonymous said...
    Ha! One of the many hidden costs of fashion! In my book you didn't violate "the rules" especially if you pay the balance off in full when the bill comes.

    I personally use credit cards for everything because it makes it easier to track my spending. When I've got cash on me it just trickles through my fingers. With the credit card there's a day of reckoning each month when I must pay the bill off in full (I ALWAYS pay it off in full). It really helps me to see where the money goes, and prevents me from making frivolous purchases because I know the day of reckoning is always just around the corner...

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