be financially responsible

Alright, here we go again. 400 for play, and a current savings balance of 900. The goal is 3,500+ by the end of November, plus a paid ticket home.

So, with 8 pay periods of approximately 900 each, I can easily do it, if I can cut back on my little pleasures. If I manage to complete this by 75% I’ll be happy. I’ll just have to see how things go.

The men in my family are traditionally terrible with money, and I’m certainly no different. I nickel and dime my big beautiful paycheck every two weeks, and I have absolutely no idea where it goes anymore. WIthin the next year I’ll be out of a job, and I’m out of the country too. I’d like to go home for Christmas (another of my 43 things), and I need to save the cash for a ticket.

I started well this month, with 900 towards a 1200 ticket… I just don’t know what happened. I’m paid tomorrow and I managed to hang on to 300 bucks! Not only that, but this month I thought I cut down pretty well on my frivolous expenses. Obviously, I have more budget trimming to do. I will admit pulling 200 out for my girlfriend’s birthday present. That I do not regret. :)

Ah well, I’ll give it my all! I know other items on my list will come with a greater ease if I can set myself straight on this one thing. Here’s hoping!

Of course I know that I need to asave money. And yet I buy dumb things and turn down extra work. In defense of myself, I am very busy with school. However, I do need to be honest with myself and prioritize better.

It’s been not quite a year since I set myself on the path to becoming debt free once and for all. Obviously, that entailed becoming more responsible and accountable to myself for the way I handle money. I’m glad that I’ve been able to continue this after clearing my debt, and not just drop back into my old patterns.

I parked in the parking garage again today. It was a beautiful day and the commuter lot was definitely an opiton. But, I started thinking about heavy my books would be. I even drove through the cheaper parking garage but that 1/2 block walk even seemed overwhelming. So, I parked in the close parking garage. I fed the meter but my paper took 6 hours instead of 2 hours. So, once again, I owe a $10 parking ticket.

I balanced my checkbook
I finished my taxes
I figured out what people owe me.

WOOT WOOT

I paid my parking tickets. $50 because I am too damn lazy and disorganized to make it to school on time to ride the bus from the commuter lot. Or, egads, actually walk. What a concept. Must mull over the sad state of being that would want to pay $50 for nothing. Could have had a massage; or a pedicure; or a decent dinner out. Hmmm- thinking about that now.

1. Prepare my taxes
2. Pay my parking tickets
3. Balance my checkbook
4. Figure out how much money I have owed to me
5. Start writing the commuter bus and stop parking in the expense metered lot.

Um.. closer? kind of. I’m still having problems realizing that I can’t just ignore my finances. Now at least I have gotten everything in order so I can keep track of it all.

I’d like to work this out before I’m in serious debt.. in about a year before my student loans attack me with papercuts and final notices of doom.