With us for all our main quarterly bills we put x amount towards them each fortnight that comes straight out of bank account automatically when the bill arrives they are usually in or close to credit. I have never had a CC in my life. I have always been a firm believer if "we don't have the money then we don't get it" I do now however have a visa debit but that is using your own money anyway. I make sure our account always has a minimum of $1000 in it. So I if I see my bank account with $1500 then I think "right we have $500". The $1000 is for emergencies. Came in handy when our deep freezer died a week before Christmas last year.

As for shopping I now do it all online. It adds it up for you as you add to the trolley. I always felt stupid carrying a calculator around the shops. If you only have $250 for shopping one week and you go over then you can have a good look at your list and see if there is something that you can do without to the following week. It is also easy to avoid temptation.

My husband doesn't earn a great deal per week and we border on low income, but I just can't be bothered doing the paperwork for it to submit to centrelink. We survive. The kids are fed, dressed and the bills get paid. That is the main things.