Cash only!!

Ok, so this may not be a monumentally moving moment, but it is alliterative and it is practical.  Our fridge went out.  2 servicemen and 150 dollars later I was told that it was going to cost me $628 to fix a 4 1/2 year old bottom of the line GE Fridge.  No thank you.  To be honest, the first thing I did was to grab my Home Depot Credit Card.  After all, it’s an emergency right?  Resorting to a 12 months-no interest payment plan could be  construed as an emergency right?  Of course then I ask myself, how many months of no interest payment plans have I thoroughly tanked because of some other emergency that came up?  So, I slowly put the card down.  I’ll be honest, it was difficult.  I then sighed largely and grabbed my only remaining emergency fund, which happened to be the cash we are saving for disney and christmas.  Long story short, $906 later we own a new fridge.  OWN.  I’m not going to live to owe, no matter what the culture says is ok.  I am attempting a cash only 2010.  I haven’t charged anything on credit since March.  Amazingly, we aren’t behind and we haven’t really wanted for much.  The bank account goes low, but it’s because we know where the money is going.  Emergency fund is coming back. 

It seems that money is the thing we deal with at the most basic of levels.  We deal with it every day.  If I don’t live with purpose with my money, then how would I be able to live with purpose in any other area.  So, I start with the basics.  Anyone tried this before?  How far did you get?