Manage my money better

Well I could probably cross this off the list. I’ve learned to MANAGE my money beautifully. Between new-found mint.com (SIGN UP, it’s amazing) and my homegrown spreadsheet and never missing payments anymore and never charging on my credit cards anymore and taking charge by closing my useless .01% interest savings account to open a 1.65% savings account and opening my first 401(k) soon & understanding what it is, I’ve become terribly good at this, and I’m more than a little proud of myself. Still I feel my finances are in too much of a shambles—well-managed, but in a shambles!—to feel right saying I’ve done this.

I can still feel capable and proud about it, though, and I do.

I’m getting better, but I don’t know that my habits are cemented well enough to cross this off my list yet.

At the moment, I’m just hoarding money. Depositing whole paychecks into my savings account feels fabulous.

I keep a spreadsheet of my monthly expenses. I’m in the habit of updating it as soon as I pay/schedule bills.

I know my darling Suze Orman would tell me to establish a 6+month emergency fund before I do anything, especially in this economy, especially as I’m trying to get a new job and move, but I just cannot stand to let the credit card debt sit and accumulate – against her advice, I’m tackling that first.

I will try to keep $1500 in the bank and above that shove every cent I have at my credit cards.

Once they’re paid off I can start over and really manage my money properly. But they have to go. I want them gone. I’ll never touch them again. Never.

I’m on board. I outlined a very simple, doable budget about a month ago, but I need to stick to it. I will pay $400 to my credit cards monthly and have them back to zero in a couple months. I will stop wildly buying books and DVDs when I’ve got tons just sitting around already. And I will absolutely stop eating out so much. Actually, that’s a related but separate goal for me. goes and does something

I really admire you for putting yourself on a strict budget. Give yourself rewards to lighten the load, and take note of milestones, too: 10% reduction in debt, 1/4 the way there &c… if you can create enough it won’t be so disheartening. You’ll see that you’re making real progress and you’ll stay jazzed to keep paying it down. I know I will need your advice when my real debt kicks in!!