Your organizing system is great, and is similar to what I encourage my clients to do when they're digging out from under--I have them go cash-only for all unscheduled, non-fixed expenses (food, gasoline, etc.), though not for bills.

But I do have questions, especially as I have barely used cash in twenty years. In fact, other than when I travel and need to tip in cash, I rarely keep more than $2 on my person. Germs. ;-)

I've never seen or used a money order. Does everyone you encounter accept them? I know I wouldn't accept them from clients. I generally don't accept cash, as I've got no way to recoup a loss if one of the bills is counterfeit. (Yes, I know it's legal tender, but my clients use their cancelled checks as receipts.) How do you track whether it's been received if you mail it? With my bank, I can see the front and reverse of the check online once it's cleared; if I pay online, I have proof of payment. How do you prove payment has been made, and what happens if you send the money order but it's not received or credited? With a check, you just write a new one and/or stop payment on the old one.

Next, if you have no bank, how do you preserve the safety of your money? I hope/assume you have more money to your name than just what you get paid every two weeks, or else I can't imagine what you'd do if you got sick, or you had an emergency. How do you safeguard your money if you only use cash? Do you have a safe? When you travel, do you have to carry all your money with you? (Wait, maybe you shouldn't answer these in public.)

May I ask, how did you buy your house (if you're a homeowner) or get qualified for an apartment? In most places, you can't be authorized to rent a home or car without bank accounts and a credit history, and I assume you can't buy a house without a bank account and credit history. About 15 years ago, when I was still working in TV and we went from checks to direct deposit, one of our employees refused to get a bank account, and he was told that he could quit or get paid by DD. He got a bank account. :-)

What happens when you fly? I was under the impression that anyone who flies on a ticket purchased with anything but a credit card is immediately flagged by security as a high-risk candidate. Do you get a private inspection every time you fly?

Finally, I'm afraid I don't know that much about your professional background outside of your motivational posts. Do you own a business? If so, do you find vendors have difficulty with this form of payment? How do you prove to the IRS that you're actually the one due the deductions if the expenses aren't debited from an account on which you are the named owner?

I realize I've taken us off track, and I don't mean to be too personal, but I found your story fascinating. Please only answer if you feel comfortable doing so. Thanks in advance for indulging my curiosity.

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Julie Bestry, Certified Professional Organizer®
Best Results Organizing
"Don't apologize. Organize!"
organize@juliebestry.com
Visit http://www.juliebestry.com to save time and money, reduce stress and increase your productivity

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