Live within my budget

just be able to know where my money is going and have control of how much i spend.

I used to earn less then half of what I am earning now and live off $50 a week (after rent, bills and groceries) now that I am earning more I can’t live off any budget. I can’t resist to buy things no matter how guilt ridden I may be when I buy them. It isn’t that I am buying things for myself, it is for other people. Nice surprises be it a special treat to add to dinner, or something that I’ve seen them wanting but not needing. I also find myself buying drinks for everyone when we go out. When it is someone elses turn to buy drinks I never let them buy it for me… I have a small debt I could pay off in a matter of a month if I were to live off my $50 budget but everytime I try I seem to spend more… It is almost like a compulsion! My goal this pay week (week starting next wednesday) will be to set myself a $50 budget for the week. At the end of that week (following Wednesday) I will come back to report on how I went. I am not sure how making it public like this will help but… nothing else has so far.

Thing is, I have trouble buying only the things I need. For example, I go to the mall and see LaSenza. I can’t stop myself from going in…and then buying. It happened again last Saturday. I bought three pairs of underwear that I did not need. So maybe for now, my goal should really be to buy the things I only really need. adds goal

My husband is a phd student and I’m an artist, so money is always…limited…if we could get free from the burden of flipping out at the end of each month when we run out of money, life would be so much more peaceful!

is allowing me to save about 50 dollars a week. This comes to around 200 dollars a month and with the way gas prices are going I am going to need that money to break even. I am trying to buy fewer frivolous items and keep my spending to necessities with an occasional splurge. I am learning it is bad to keep cash on me because I can’t keep up with where it all goes.

I need to set up some system either using Quicken or something so I know where EACH dollar goes. I stop at the store so many times for just a snack and a Gatorade! I could probably be within my budget if I actually made one and stuck to it! I hate having 20 dollars in my pocket and then having it disappear. Especially when I can’t even tell where a single dollar has gone!

I would like to live within my means & be happy doing so. As to not end up in as tragic of situations as others I have seen who could not do this.

I am so BAD at this! I have got to get this one under control!