My four-week plastic fast has come to an end, though I still haven’t actually used my credit card yet.

I’m a bit relieved to be through it, while still processing what I learned from my swipe hiatus.

In week 4, I spent about $115, including $38 plus change on gas, a smaller-than-average grocery store bill of $20.08, $20 to charity, $4 on Girl Scout cookies (Huzzah Thin Mints!), and $15.58 on lunch with a friend.

For the month, I spent about $482 of my alloted $560 cash for groceries, gas, household supplies and entertainment. This doesn’t include checks I wrote for daycare, a clinic bill and dentist appointment.

I’ll wrap up my month-long experiment in Friday’s Money-Savin’ Mama column. Look for it in the SheSays section of The Forum.