make a budget and stick to it

But now, I have a bi-weekly budget that is bomb! I have enough for what I want and need.

Of course, a crucial part of the budgetting was quitting smoking- um, DONE!

I moved to an apartment with a workout center so I don’t have to pay for a gym membership. Best part- there’s cable in the workout room, which (since I don’t have or need cable) is extra incentive to work out and be healthy!

I save 200 a month, and if I miss a payment, I owe it (I’m $1600 in debt to my SAVINGS ACCOUNT – which is an okay way to be in debt)

I’ve paid off my credit card. I can only use it if I have a payment plan decided.

I now live closer to work, so I save on gas. I have $20 a week for gas. $40 to spend. If I get behind on payments, I cut back to $20 to spend- which buys essentials.

Overall, I’ve got it! My life is pulling itself together!!

First thing’s first:

I wrote myself a schedule for paying my bills and used that to calculate my weekly allowance: $30 to spend, $30 for gas.

Paying my savings account is a bill for me now. On the 15th of every month, I pay $350 to Savings. Any left over money from paying off my credit card bill is also destined to be saved.

Then, I froze my Debit Cards and Credit Cards. Yes, they are now sitting in a block of ice in my freezer. Couldn’t use them if I tried.

I went to the bank and pulled out enough gas and spending money for the next two weeks (enough to stretch between pay periods). I put next week’s money in a sealed envelope. This week’s spending money is in my wallet and this week’s gas money is in a seperat envelope (that isn’t sealed, so I can reuse it. I may make myself a “gas wallet” and keep it in my car so I can be sure not to spend gas money on stuff that’s not gas.

Yesterday, I had $30, today I have $10. I don’t quite know how that happened… :) But here’s the plan:

I’m sure I can make it through the rest of the week on $10. No prob. If I run out, I have a little money in my Piggy Bank. Yes. Piggy Bank: I use it as a “slush fund”. So, next week, I’m doing the classic “write down everything I spend” trick. Just to see where I’m messing up.

I can already kind of figure out how I blew through $20 in a day:

Taco Bell $4
Cigarettes $8
Starbucks $3

That’s all but $5. Not to mention, there was change on all those purchases- probably adds up to $2. So there’s only 3 dollars that are unaccounted for last night- shrug amazing how fast it goes, huh?