Wise Bread Blogger on the NBC News with Brian Williams

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On Friday, September 24th, my family was on the NBC Nightly News talking about changes we've made in the way we use credit cards because of the financial crisis. We'd interviewed with one of their L.A. reporters, Kristen Walker, a couple of weeks previous.

Filming was a blast. We were a little nervous, not knowing what they'd ask or, after the interview, what clips they'd use. While both my husband and I felt like we said some more intelligent, compelling things than were in the clips they actually used, overall the process was a blast. And shopping at Target with the camera guy was a trip, too!

Check out my clip from the show:

Sarah Winfrey on ABC News, September 2010

The topic was a timely one for us. My husband, a college professor, lost his job on July 1, 2010, because the college he worked for didn't have the incoming tuition to renew his contract. We knew it was coming and have cut back on our credit card use since early this year. While we've always been responsible with our cards, we wanted to be sure that we could pay the bill each month.

We've also found that it's easier to limit our spending when we use cash or debit cards instead of credit cards. When you actually have to hand over bills or when you know that the bottom line in your checking account will take a direct hit, you're less likely to spend money on things you don't need.

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