In the Month of March

Once again, at the beginning of each month I choose a different "area of life" to focus on. For March I will use my positive energy towards....

MONEY!!

Still pretty new to living on my own, trying to be responsible for myself financially, and all the stress that comes with it there is no surprise that this is the biggest stress in my life. I really need to work on budgeting on a monthly paycheck (yes, teachers are paid once a month, not twice) and making it last while creating a savings and paying off debt. This month will be my journey with trying to figure out if that's even possible and the steps I will be taking to make it happen. In addition to my usual goals I will be doing the following:

On the amazing Pinterest I found the 23 Days of Frugal Living blog that takes the idea of living frugally and turning into goals and tasks. It looks like a great way to split up very stressful tasks. I will be starting this tomorrow.

I will also be reading a few books that is on my Book Challenge list regarding money. I will start off with Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover (finally). I want to take his ideas of using cash to see your money actually disappear, and combine it with another Pinterest idea of putting all $5 bill into a savings jar. Another book is On Her Own Two Feet, which is how to be finally stable as a woman. The last one is a book from the 30's called Bubbly on Your Budget, it's old school but still has some good ideas. Might have some humor too, considering one chapter is about if you can afford a husband! Haha.

Now, for my guidelines for MONEY will be:

1. Savings:
- save $5 bills
- loose change into piggy bank for the year
- at least $100 to saving each month
- $25-$50 to Vacation Money and Girls Night Out piggy banks
2. Spendings:
- pay with cash
- budget for fun
- no online browsing

- self-control, mandatory spending
3. Making:
- get a 2nd, part-time, job
- sell unneeded items on Ebay/FB
- further my education = pay increase
- sell books on Amazon/Hastings
4. Tracking:
- log bills
- check bank statement weekly
- keep receipts
- use bill calendar to pay on time
5. Ridding:
- pay more than minimum amount
- focus on one card at a time
- do not use cards on new payments
- on time = less late fees


Little bit of happiness: Today is my parent's 26th Anniversary! Love them both, how much they have done to make me the person I am, and showing me it is possible to find a true love.

Daily quote: Money is a good servant but a bad master.  

Cheers to Happiness,

Audra