With another new year recently begun, lots of us are again trying to get healthier, be better people and behave smarter with money.

On money, I’d like to share an experiment my husband and I began on Jan. 1, 2011: For day-to-day and weekly expenses, we ditched our plastic — credit cards — and went with cash.

The goal was to spend less, save more, and tame the credit card and checking account debits.

One year later, I can happily tell you we did it!

What led up to this was a Christmas season where I got in the spirit (Fa la la la la . . . I shopped more) using an airline credit card to get points. We earned the miles, but before we knew it the charges rang up higher than what we (OK, I) remembered spending.

Ouch! Rick and I talked and agreed it was time for a change.

Our plan: Pay off the regular household bills — the mortgage, electricity, heat, etc. Then allow ourselves a maximum of $300 a week (together) for groceries, gasoline and any other expected expense — or desired expense — that comes up. Things like a hair cut, a golf game, medicine or oil change have to come out of the $300. A surprise brake job does not.

When the cash is gone, no more spending until next week.

As soon as we withdraw the cash from our checking account each weekend, we fill both cars (weekly gas cost $60 to $80), and buy groceries (average $100 a week). Neither of us walk around with a lot of cash, but we have some, which was a change.

After buying gas and groceries, that leaves $120 to $140 for the week. It sounds like plenty for two empty-nesters with two dogs. But before, it never seemed to be. Those little things – heart worm and flea medicine, a doctor’s visit co-pay, items at the department store, a meal or a movie out – add up.

We used to say: “Those are things we need, it doesn’t matter if we get it this week or next.”

Now, we agree if there’s no money left for a hair cut or movie, it gets put off. Everything is planned. Example: Last week one car needed the winter tires put on ($45), the other needed an oil change and inspection sticker ($60). There wasn’t enough cash for both. So the winter tires went on first, the oil change and sticker got done first thing next week.

At first, using cash seemed inconvenient. To fill up the gas tank, for instance, you have to walk into Cumby’s or Xtra-Mart, hand them money, fill up, then walk back in for the change. But it’s no big deal.

Using cash taught me things about myself. I considered myself frugal, but learned that when I use plastic, it doesn’t feel like spending. Taking bills out of my wallet does.

I also learned I was spending more than I needed on groceries. I used to make a list based on the fliers, then shop from my list, not adding up the cost as I went.

No more. I walk into Hannaford’s with my bags, the list and $75 or $100 in cash. No debit or credit cards. I shop from the list, but prioritize. If we’ve allowed $75 that week, there’s no spending more. I watch the food being tallied at the register. If I’ve gone over, items we can do without (nacho chips, frozen yogurt, beer or wine) go back. In 2011 we did have less to eat at home, but we had enough.

The longer we used cash only, the better we got at it. We increased expectations. When we had a birthday, wedding or a baby shower gift to buy, that too would start coming out of the weekly cash. Those weeks we might spend a little less on groceries, maybe skip the Saturday night date.

Meanwhile, I’ll occasionally nab a $10 or a $20 to put away, calling it “my secret stash.” (It’s not a secret; my husband knows where the peanut butter jar is.) I might get it up to $40 or $60, and consider that money free to use for whatever.

After a year of paying with cash, my husband is pleased with the checking account balance. He used to juggle, holding off paying bills a few days to avoid red ink. Because we’re not constantly making debits now, the checking account is more manageable.

We didn’t get rid of our credit and debit cards. But because we generally only use the cards for purchases where using cash is difficult (online orders or airline tickets), the credit card bill is also more manageable

A side benefit of not using plastic is the risk of identity theft diminishes.

Overall, what’s made this work is our attitude and teamwork. Neither Rick nor I spend $20 without discussing it. Both partners need to be on the same page.  We think of careful spending as a game, not as depriving ourselves. Our table talk goes like this: “OK, Stacey’s birthday is next week. Can we live on $200 this week so we can spend $100 on her birthday without using the credit card? Yes we can!”

We’ve traded some inconvenience and less of a few things for more money in our savings account, a better-balanced check book and smaller credit card bills.

It is liberating.

This isn’t for everyone, but if you wonder where your money goes paycheck to paycheck, come up with a weekly number you’d like to stick to and consider a two-month experiment without plastic.

You may like it.

Maine economist: Use of credit cards down

Since the Great Recession hit in 2007 and 2008, consumers have gotten financially smarter, saving more and using credit cards less, says University of Maine Economics Professor Jim McConnon.

According to a November report from the Federal Reserve Bank, from 2008 to October of 2011, credit card debt fell 17.3 percent, a dramatic reduction, McConnon said.

Meanwhile, the personal savings rate grew in 2007, 2008 and 2009. By the spring of 2011, the national savings rate of disposable income was 4.8 percent. In the fall of 2011, the savings rate shrank to 3.8 percent, and shoppers spent more during the Christmas season. Much of that was a draw down of savings, McConnon said.

“I’m seeing the economy growing slowly, with consumers still being very cautious in spending and in taking on debt with a high interest rate, like credit cards,” McConnon said.

Maine’s unemployment rate in November was 7 percent, an improvement from the year before when it was 7.5 percent. “But we still have 49,000 unemployed people out there.”

Using cash only and other ways of sticking to budgets has grown, McConnon said. “More people are looking at those kinds of strategies to stretch their income as far as possible.”

Yes, $75 to $100 a week for groceries

Some of my co-workers were curious how my husband and I could keep our weekly grocery bill to between $75 and $100. Heather and Ursula, this is for you:

My staples: Hannaford oat brown bread (1 star), peanut butter (without high fructose corn syrup), brown rice ($2 ) and a big bag of potatoes. I buy carrots by the five-pound bag, salad material and lots of frozen vegetables — they are a bargain, high in nutrition and no waste. (You can do so much with frozen veggies, including a wicked nice squash soup from two bags of frozen butternut squash [$1.50 a bag], one onion and chicken stock.)

I plan for six dinners a week, with pizza or a meal out once a week. Home dinners include lots of veggies, rice or potatoes, and meat — with the veggies taking much of the plate.

I buy whatever meat is on sale that week, and usually get two dinners out of it. If roast is a deal, we’ll have a batch of vegetable beef soup with barley (the store’s meat guys will cube the roast for you) and beef with onions and peppers over noodles or rice. Roast chicken provides two dinners.

Other dinners: stir fry with fresh cabbage (the produce guys will cut a head in half for you), frozen veggies, a little bit of lean pork and brown rice with Bragg Liquid Aminos (a healthy alternative to soy sauce). Stir fry takes little meat, heavy on veggies and yum! Other dinners: soup or chili with salads; breakfast for dinner (eggs, sausage, toast and potatoes — it’s cheap but good); and occasional burgers with oven fries and fresh celery and carrots with ranch dressing.

To help out, I work with what I have in the freezer, using that for meals the next week. (For instance, if I made a big vat of spaghetti sauce, soup or chili the week before, that’s one dinner the next week.)

Lunches: leftovers from dinner. Or sandwiches: chicken, tuna or peanut butter with leftover soup, salads or nacho chips ($2 for a large bag).

Breakfasts: Every day we eat oatmeal and raisins (Hannaford brand quick oats, $3 a canister, lasts a week or more); Rick eats that plus Hannaford brand cereal for $2 or $3 a box.

Snacks: I make a lot of stove popcorn or a batch of cookies ($2 a pouch) a week.

I use white vinegar and water to clean; Ajax in the bathrooms.

BTW, Hannaford sells wine that “tastes good to me” (a quote from the movie “Sideways”) for $2.50 a bottle. Cheers!