Some of my best (and worst) ideas come while suffering from insomnia.
So. Until the point where by body gives in to the Advil PM and I start to drift towards unconsciousness, I have been pondering.
As one who was never particularly good at fiscal budgeting (I always pay my bills on time, but don't have substantial savings) I have decided that I am going to set a challenge to myself in the realm of financial responsibility, and questionably, extremism. Mainly, just for shits 'n giggles I have decided that over the next 8 weeks, aside from reoccurring bills such as rent, cable bill, cell phone, etc, I will do the following to minimize monetary output:
1: No more joyrides in my car. For the next 8 weeks, I will use it to go to and from work, aside from that, I will only go the gym (3 miles round trip) and to any other previously committed obligations, such as the chorus group. Trips for any list-mandated purchases will be scheduled to or from work to minimize additional fuel consumption. I will fill my tank on Friday, July 24th and track the mileage (to keep me honest).
2: Not spend any money for food outside of groceries (ie, no buying lunch at work, take-out, etc), and limit grocery buying to reasonable and sensible purchases. So, no Kobe beef (DAMMIT).
3: Not take anything to the dry cleaner's (my suit was pressed a couple weeks ago, hasn't been used since, and I don't plan on using it any time soon). I'll be washing and pressing my shirts myself for now
4: Allow myself a per paycheck (bi-weekly) allowance of $20.00 for all things not mentioned on this list. If I want to go to the bar or out with friends it will have to be within that allotment.
5: Only buy the basics to keep a normal personal hygiene. Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner. I don't need any fancy lotions or any other nonsense. I will not smell, but I will not buy needless things (key word: sensible).
6: In conjunction to #1 above, find the cheapest gas that fits in the above criteria (to/from work or gym) via gasbuddy.com.
7: Anything not already on this list that I come up with while not under the influence of Advil PM (it's starting to kick in now)
At the end of the 8 weeks, I'm going to see how much money I have in my savings account. All left-over funds will be transferred on bi-weekly basis. I'm interested to see how much I can save over the course of 4 paychecks while adhering to the rules listed above. I'm curious to see how it will work out, and I'll update periodically.
As one who was never particularly good at fiscal budgeting (I always pay my bills on time, but don't have substantial savings) I have decided that I am going to set a challenge to myself in the realm of financial responsibility, and questionably, extremism. Mainly, just for shits 'n giggles I have decided that over the next 8 weeks, aside from reoccurring bills such as rent, cable bill, cell phone, etc, I will do the following to minimize monetary output:
1: No more joyrides in my car. For the next 8 weeks, I will use it to go to and from work, aside from that, I will only go the gym (3 miles round trip) and to any other previously committed obligations, such as the chorus group. Trips for any list-mandated purchases will be scheduled to or from work to minimize additional fuel consumption. I will fill my tank on Friday, July 24th and track the mileage (to keep me honest).
2: Not spend any money for food outside of groceries (ie, no buying lunch at work, take-out, etc), and limit grocery buying to reasonable and sensible purchases. So, no Kobe beef (DAMMIT).
3: Not take anything to the dry cleaner's (my suit was pressed a couple weeks ago, hasn't been used since, and I don't plan on using it any time soon). I'll be washing and pressing my shirts myself for now
4: Allow myself a per paycheck (bi-weekly) allowance of $20.00 for all things not mentioned on this list. If I want to go to the bar or out with friends it will have to be within that allotment.
5: Only buy the basics to keep a normal personal hygiene. Toothpaste, soap, shampoo, conditioner. I don't need any fancy lotions or any other nonsense. I will not smell, but I will not buy needless things (key word: sensible).
6: In conjunction to #1 above, find the cheapest gas that fits in the above criteria (to/from work or gym) via gasbuddy.com.
7: Anything not already on this list that I come up with while not under the influence of Advil PM (it's starting to kick in now)
At the end of the 8 weeks, I'm going to see how much money I have in my savings account. All left-over funds will be transferred on bi-weekly basis. I'm interested to see how much I can save over the course of 4 paychecks while adhering to the rules listed above. I'm curious to see how it will work out, and I'll update periodically.