I know I said the next post would be about cooking; I will get to it! But right now I want to focus on money. One of my most crucial goals is to be secure financially. I know that I won't be truly secure until I have a career with a salary, but I can get myself to a "safe zone" until then. Simply speaking, I have been living a lie for the past few years. I have been pretending I could afford things that in reality I couldn't. I wanted to live a certain lifestyle that I simply couldn't afford. Was I being extravagant? No, but I definitely was spending a bit too freely. Suze Orman says you need to live below your means but above your needs. I will say that this month I have been good about not spending money on clothes. That has definitely been a downfall before, but I haven't bought a single item of clothing this month. I also have only used my credit card for gas and Nick's birthday dinner (which I'll get to), rather than using is to pay for things I can't afford. But I have been no saint!
It's only January 26, but here is the analysis of my spending so far:
Dining Out: $293 (ouch!)
- this includes Starbucks, along with things like Panera, Baja Fresh, etc
- it also includes $165 for Nick's birthday dinner. Under normal circumstances, this would be totally unacceptable, but it was his 30th birthday! I felt the extra expense was justified. Without this b-day dinner, dining out spending goes down to $128. This is a little less painful, but still ridiculous, especially when you consider...
Groceries: $98
- this is not communal groceries, this is money spent on extra things I got at whole foods, etc.
- clearly, I like spending money on food! So if I am spending so much on groceries, why I am also spending so much on dining out? This is definitely my biggest weakness.
Home goods: $25
- those necessary expenses (a new mop, cleaning stuff, etc) that Nick and I split. Not much to do with this one, we do a good job overall I think.
Transportation: $4
- parking at the library, valet,... again, not much to do with this.
Entertainment: $18.25
- Nick and I went to the movies. A worthwhile expense, but half of that was food! If we are going to go the movies, we need to make more of an effort to bring our own snacks, or at least get them cheaper from Rite Aid
And of course, the elusive "etc": $91.25
- $30 of this was on magazine subscriptions. Again, I consider this a worthwhile expense when you break that down month to month. I know I would buy them on the newsstand anyway, and at least this way I'm saving a significant amount.
- I spent $24 at Jo-Ann. Yes, I want to learn to sew and pursue that hobby...but did I need to go buy those things right now? Nope. A fail on this one.
- that leaves about $40 spent at target. Another downfall. Some of it was needed, like a new moisturizer, things for the book club, etc. But I'm pretty sure there was a good amount that I could have done without.
And that's what it comes down to, realizing that there are things I can do without. I know it's healthier to bring my own food, and obviously cheaper. I don't need that green tea latte, it's just so tempting. Or I'm bored. Or trying to fill time. I need to make sure I always have a book with me, some tea, and my ipod. I need to ask myself, can I do without this? I need to think about the trips I want to take, and the stress I feel when I'm worried about paying the bills. I do think this month was better than I've been in the past, but I know that there is absolutely room for improvement.
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