Tuesday, December 29, 2009

New Habits

With the New Year comes the need for new habits. This year is no different. I was reading different ways to change habits and they all recommend not trying to do too much too soon.
So with this in mind. I want to change two habits. one is to have a better handle on my money and reduce my unsecured debit, and to get into better shape.

In order to get a better handle on my money and my sending habits, I have created a budget. This budget is just an idea of where I think my money is going each month. I broke down that budget into two parts, since I get paid twice a month. I'm going to post a copy of this on my computer at home where I'll see it every day. The second thing is to track when and what I spend money on. Some of that will be easy. I use Quicken to keep track of my accounts so if I use my ATM card I'll know where and what I spent it on. I will be aware of what and where I spend and I will also be aware of why I sent. Was it something I needed? wanted? Was I responding to the moment? Was this a binge spend? At the end of 30 days I'll have an idea of two things, how realistic the budget was and my feelings about money for the month. For the second month I'll continue to track my spending and adjust the budget as needed.

I'm posting this here because when you post as publicly as possible that you are trying to change a habit it's about accountability. So I'll be posting here to let you know about my progress.

2 comments:

  1. Good luck to you, if you get it figured out, please share, I have a horrible time accounting for money!

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  2. You rock, Fiber Floozie! You inspire me. Although it's been 5 years since I used a credit card and can happily say I don't miss using them, I still struggle with keeping track of expenses and a spending plan. I'll be following you and working to improve my own. Your blog is really cool! From your friend at SSK, Knitter Mama.

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