stop spending money

I had a whole savings plan for the beginning of 2009 and so far, I have failed miserably. I have not put one cent into savings (other than the $2 that automatically transfer to my Wachovia savings account). I have gotten two paychecks so far in the month of January, and BOTH have been spent right away. SUCK!

But I’m saving a dog’s life, so do I get any credit?

Here’s to the next few months!

I created a Way2Save Savings Account at Wachovia. It adds a dollar to your savings from your checking every time you pay a bill or make a purchase using your check card. It’s not much, but it will definitely help me get started in the right direction.

I’m tempted to shred my credit cards…but they are just soooo helpful right now that…I’m very scared to.

But maybe in the near future I’ll add an entry about how I did it and how very, very painful it was. hehe

I went online to check my Discover Card balance and found a new tool they had, a Spending Analyzer. This could quite possibly be the best thing that has ever been created. At the same time, it is also the worst thing ever created. It calculates ALL of your spendings. All of them. And categorizes how you spent it.

In the past two years, I have spent over 15k just with my Discover Card. On what, you ask? I have no idea. However, I am known to consistently buy things for other people. I rarely ever buy things for myself. Gas. That’s about it. When I buy new clothes, I do it at the beginning of every year with the money and gift cards I got for Christmas. I don’t live extravagantly. I live at my grandma’s house with my mom and dad and pay them $200 a month for rent. The big things I have were gifts – laptop, dSLR, etc…

I just looked at my paycheck and this year alone I’ve made over 12k. Where did that money go? I have no idea. I mean, obviously, to pay my credit card bills (that I always pay off at the end of the month). But what’s on those bills? Ugh. This needs to stop.

After Christmas, I’m determined to save every other paycheck. Especially since in 2009, I will most likely be getting my own place, whether it be an apartment or a house. I’m hoping to have a roommate, and I’ll find out in April, but if not, I still need to move out. I need to be on my own. I need to start thriving. And I need to stop spending and START SAVING.