Dollars at work

Ahhhhh money. I never have enough of it, can't seem to manage it and it keeps disappearing from my account faster that Tim Tebow is going to disappear into the NFL.

Just when I think I have a little extra, some unforseen (and usually unpleasant) expense inevitably swoops in to claim it. I mean, life is expensive enough without all this extra random crap that seems so intent on sucking my savings dry......

... and I KNOW you feel me on this. Just recently I left the dentist suffering from some pretty acute anxiety over the bill I was racking up there and my engine light came on. There are out of town weddings to attend, medical expenses, and let's not EVEN talk about how badly my carpet needs to be shampooed or my couch needs to be re-covered.

ugh.

I want a savings account. I want to be able to buy a house before I'm 50. I want to sign up for a 401-K but still be able to put food on my table. I want to be able to buy name-brand tampons without being racked with guilt at the expense.

UGH.

So often enough I think to myself: "what can I do to make my money situation better?"

I've written often enough in this blog about ways I'm trying to improve myself and my life. I'm tackling health, fitness and relationships, so why not work on developing smart money habits too. For starters, I did what I always do when I want to tackle a problem:

I Googled it.

You know, Google is really only helpful if you either need something really specific, really general, or a photo of Justin Bieber (why is that name in my head?).... so onto plan B.

I wrote down my super grown-up financial goals (yeah me!):

• Pay off credit card debt
• Have a reserve for unforseen expenses
• Have a savings account that I contribute to each month
• Sign up for a 401-K
• Save for a down payment on a house
• Be able to afford vacations, friends' weddings and other extra yet significant expenses without going on a diet that consists exclusively of Wonderbread and Ramen.

Ok, so the amount of money that goes into my account each month is pretty much the same every time. On occasion, I'll have the opportunity to make something extra, but not regularly enough that I can rely on that as part of my income. So my spidey sense is telling me that something's gonna have to give.

What can I cut back on? Hmmmm

• I can bring more lunches to work. I usually end up eating lunch out, which adds up.
• Maybe, just maybe I don't need 6 different kinds of shampoo in my shower...
• Nickel and dime expenses - like lattes, iTunes, etc.... a dollar here and there adds up.
• Quit buying stuff I don't really need - even if it's on sale.

I dunno. This list was harder than the first. I'm not sure where my money goes, so I'm going to write down every dollar I spend for the next month and see if anything stands out. In a lot of ways I live very cheaply, but I know there are some things that I do with my money that aren't terribly brilliant. The first step I think, is to acknowledge what my bad tendencies are and try and change them. It's kind of like going on a diet I think.

But I guess the thing about sacrifices is, they allow for bigger and better things in the long run. As a whole, our country has nurtured a culture of greed and overspending.... and now look where we are. I don't want to fall any further into that rabbit hole of thinking that I can have anything I want, because I can't. No, that's not what my credit card is for. Used properly, it is a valuable survival tool, not a means to get those designer jeans I've been wanting oh-so-much.

Ok stay tuned. This is not gonna be fun - but sometimes worthwhile things aren't.

Like The Little Engine That Could said: I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can.... I think I can....