We've never had an ATM or debit card and our credit cards are used for major purchases only. I wrote checks a lot until I got disgusted with the replacement price. When I went to cash we still didn't realize where all the money went until I started keeping a spending diary/ log of everything I spent. As tedious as it was, it was a good lesson in what we spent our money on and the first step to instilling some self discipline. I did this for about 2 months until I got a handle on what my weaknesses were. Ironically, last night on the national news, they did a story about the most effective tool for weight loss was......a food diary. Same theory but a whole other thread.