<prompt> Human: So I have quite a bit of credit card debt approx. 8k. I plan on paying the majority of this off with my tax refund. I am a single mom of two and use my credit cards for things like gas, food, emergency expenses medicines, dental procedures, glasses, etc. and occasionally treats for the kids trips to museums, breakfast out, birthday presents. I am a full time student and work part time. The majority of my income while I am in school is from student loans. With that being said... I dont want to keep repeating the cycle of maxing out the credit cards, right around tax time, just to pay them off with my refund. My question is not about how to pay off the debt, but the best way to keep from accumulating it. My conflict with the credit cards is this: if I cut them up, and it really is an emergent situation, what can I do? I dont have the means to put a lot of money aside monthly for an emergency fund at this point, maybe 100 a month or so. If I dont cut them up and just freeze them, its too easy for me to simply run it under the tap and take them out more a problem of self-control than anything. So if someone could just tell me to cut them or freeze them thatd be great :  <response>: Freeze them - literally. Put them in a mug, add water and stick in your freezer. You have them if you really need them, but theyre inconvenient for impulse buying. 