Ok, you have to take all the credit cards and just store them away. In your safe, put them in a cup of water and freeze them, whatever it takes to make it inconvenient to use them.
Next, you better learn to live on pure cash. Here's why: if inflation is brutal in the country where you live, the credit cards interest will always be higher than the rate of inflation. You will never catch up if you can't learn to survive on pure cash.
The best way for cash-living is the following:
1. Go over your finances for the past year...such as what you spent everything on for your credit cards, debit statements, etc. Find out what was a fixed or variable cost. Fixed is what you have to pay no matter what: rent, mortgage, heat, etc. Variable is stuff that just seems to fluctauate week by week, month by month. Then tag each expense with what seems to make sense as a general category: a restaurant is eating out, clothing is clothing, the movies are entertainment, etc.
2. Eliminate from 1 what you can. Do you really need new earings? Reduce what you can. If you know you spend x amount on clothing, do you need that much clothing? Can you just cut the amount down, and even better, buy it used. -
3. Take a deep breath. Take 10% of your paycheque and put it aside in an account you will not have access to. Chances are you use the credit card for emergencies that you need to pay for the next day, etc. Or you might want to retire. Who knows. But here's the part that is important: you will use this "float" for the emergencies of life that come up.
4. Everything that is remaining, put towards the credit cards. Even better, get a line of credit, and transfer the balance to that.
5. Live on cash only: draw that budget it up, and put the money in each budgeted area, whether the money are stored in jars, or in a folder. Live straight cash for all your expenses, excluding mortgage and credit card payments. Feel the money and feel it slip through your hands as you have to pay for things. You will certainly be less willing to spend if it isn't made as easy and you can see it disappearing right from your hands.
5. Start your spending journal for yourself and ask your husband to have a spend journal as well. Everytime you spend something, record it in the book. At night, put in your entries of what you spent that day and review it. Ask your husband to review his too. You will probably come up with some great feedback for yourself. You can even write down goals for the next day. But remember: record every penny: coffee bought in the morning, bus fare, gas, etc.
6. If you have a house, apartment, or large goals: project how much that would cost you right now. Want to go around the world? 2 years of not smoking will pay for it.
7. Have fun with it. It's money. Value your friends and family.