Although I do realize that I need to focus my efforts on making more money, I also realize that I need to stop spending money as well. Recently, I've been keeping an eye on my spending habits. Unfortunately, I've come to realize that they haven't been pretty lately. So, me being the Queen of Plans lately, I've devised a nice little plan to help me stop spending and start saving more money.
First of all, I'll be cutting out my problem expense that I don't really need.
- Problem Expense: Dinner Out With the Family
Lately, I've been going out with my family for dinner more than I have in the past few years. There's a couple reasons for this. First of all, since I work at home, it's nice to get out of the house once in a while. Also, it's so much easier and quicker than planning and making dinner at home.
Although it's fun and quick, do I really need to be paying for those dinners out? My solution? Eat full dinners out less often. Instead, settle for desert out every once in awhile. As for the time factor, I can start letting other people around the house help more often. Too often I don't take advantage of offers of help from T and the kids.
- Problem Expense: Impulse Buys
Before taking a good look at my spending, I prided myself in being able to resist impulse buys. Nope, I wasn't the gullible type that fell for proper shelf placement or sweet advertisement. Not me! Wrong... Lately, I've found out that even I can fall prey to the wonderful world of marketing's power.
My solution? Stop spending money on stupid little things that I simply don't need. If I see something that I think I have to have, my plan is simple. Wait. That's right - just wait. I'll give it a day - or two. If I still need said impulse buy, I'll wait one more day. If I haven't forgotten about it and still need it after that amount of time, then I must really need it, and I may allow myself to buy it.
- Problem Expense: Books
Yes, I'll admit it - I have a problem. A big problem. About ten big shelves worth of a problem. I am a book fiend! If I see a book I might find interesting, I buy it. The other day, in fact, I bought two particularly interesting books. Wanna know what they were? Well, I'll tell you. One was Cost Accounting: Traditions and Innovations, one was Genetics: Analysis of Genes and Genomes 7TH EDITION
, and the third was Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Edition. I can't make this up. I actually bought these books. I have no idea why - probably because they had nice shiny covers and really complex titles that would look great on my bookshelf.
Of course, I did buy them used and only paid $2 for each of them, but that's no excuse! I still bought them. That was $6 that could have gone into my new Big Person account.
This is a tough one, and I'd like to say there is no solution. That it is what it is - a terrible addiction gone bad. However, I am a big enough person to admit my own weaknesses. Books - in all their glory and evilness - are my weakness. I'll approach books like I approach impulse buys, because ultimately that's what they are. Questions to ask myself before buying books: do I enjoy the subject? Will I read it - soon? Do I even know what the book is about?? If I answer "no" to any of these questions, I will not buy the book, and put the money in my Big Person account instead.
- Problem Expense: Cigarettes
Yes. I am one of those uncool, stinky people that still smokes, even though I know it's not the "cool" thing to do anymore. I'm so ashamed (I say as I light another). Go ahead, yell at me and try to make me feel bad. It won't work, so keep wasting your breath.
I like smoking. I enjoy it. It's like sanity in a tubular, smoky form for me. I'm only going to quit smoking for a damn good reason! Of course, it's going to kill me and my kids want me to quit. They keep telling me I'm going to DIE! That I should just not do it anymore. Ya know what? They're 5 and 8, and they're smarter than me when it comes to this. Not to mention, it's a very expensive habit, even with $30 a carton reservation cigarettes.
My solution? Ummmm...... Well, I suppose it's really time to quit this time. This one's going to be the hardest one of all. I suppose I should gradually step down, so I don't kill or possibly maim anyone close to me. At this very moment, I'm going to say that I smoke roughly a pack a day - which is really rounding up, but I'm going to give myself some breathing *cough* room *hack* on this one. This will be a new goal for me: stop spending money on cigarettes, and start saving it!
What about you? What can you stop spending money on?
No comments:
Post a Comment