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Helen was allowed to use her debit card at the cash machine once a week to take out Β£100 for the family food shopping, Β£20 for petrol and Β£30 for going out, clothes shopping and other luxuries.

So, has living on old-fashioned cash helped her rein in that spending?

X-Ray has been following her progress, with the help of psychologist Dr Justin Savage. Last week Helen tackled the supermarket shop and with no DVDs, clothes or CDs in the trolley she spent considerably less than usual.

But can she keep it up for a whole month? This week we followed her on a night out with friends and a clothes shopping trip with her daughter.

In the past meeting up with friends has been a real danger time for that credit card. But this week, she arrived at the restaurant with a cash budget of just Β£20, so she had to think carefully about what to order.

"I'm going to go for duck and then I've got to pay for chips on top," she said. "I've got to leave enough money for dessert. Perhaps I'll just have a starter and a dessert. Something's got to give and the wine's not going!"

Rhodri and Justin, watching via a video screen commented: "At least she's thinking about it before, rather than getting to the end of the meal and realising she hasn't got enough.

"In the past she would probably have just ordered what she wanted and not worried about the cost."

Helen explained to her friends that she's finding it hard to manage without her cards - and there had been one particularly difficult moment.

"I've missed the convenience," she said. "I wanted to go and see Tom Jones, tickets were out but I didn't have my credit card to book them so I'm not going."

Helen's friends know all too well how she relies on her credit card. When they've gone out in the past, Helen paid for everyone's meals on her credit card and her friends gave her the cash.

But Helen admitted that she doesn't pay that money into the bank. "That's special money," she said.

"That gets stashed to one side for nice things, holidays and perfume. Because that hasn't come out of my account it doesn't feel like I'm spending my money."

And this is dangerous behaviour according to psychologist Dr Justin Savage. "What's interesting is that money is not extra money on top, it's money that she's already spent. And her friends didn't realise that they were financing her little treats."

When the bill came, Helen had spent less than usual on her night out. But the following day she slipped into old habits at the supermarket, as she explained via her video diary: "I can't believe what I did today.

"I filled my trolley then I realised I hadn't got the cash before I come into the shop. So I had to leave my trolley, go out to the hole in the wall, get my cash and then come back in. I don't think I'm ever going to get this right!"

Will clothes shopping be any easier? Helen and daughter Jessica often go on spending sprees together, armed with their credit and store cards. But with just Β£20 cash in her purse this time, Helen couldn't come home with bulging bags.

And before long, Jessica was trying to persuade Helen to spend some of that Β£20 on her.

Justin is not impressed. "Jessica and Helen both love spending - it does seem to be a two-way interaction here, so hopefully some of the new Helen will rub off on her daughter as well and they can save money as a family."

But even though she was on a budget, Helen was determined not to leave the shop empty handed and after putting a few things back on the rails she bought just one top.

"Well I haven't got as much as I normally have", she said, "but I'll be back next week when I've got my cards back!"

For nearly four whole weeks Helen successfully managed to live on cash alone. But that debit card, which she's used at the cash machine, has become more and more of a temptation.

And just as the cash challenge neared its end there was a video diary confession.

"I wanted some tickets to see James Morrison in Cardiff, " Helen explained. "The only way I could get them was with my debit card. So I'm afraid my debit card won!

"I do feel disappointed because I do feel in one way that I have failed the challenge but it has just reinforced the need that I have, in today's society for the convenience of a debit card."

At the end of the month, Rhodri returned the credit and store cards to Helen and she was delighted to get them back.

The challenge hasn't converted her to cash, but she admitted that using real money did have it's benefits and she saved Β£120 on food shopping alone. So will she use the money to pay off some of her credit card bills?

"No, I'll probably use it as spending money on my holiday," she admitted.