Not So Mad Money

In the past, whenever I have looked in-depth at finances, I have always felt stressed and overwhelmed. This month has really made me feel the most organized and in control of my money that I have ever experienced.  Several items from my to-do list have finally been crossed off, after months of procrastinating.  Not spending money on things other than food was not as hard as I thought it would be. That said- Yay, October! I can spend money again!  I hope to move forward and *gasp!* regularly use my budget to help me make more decisions about purchases.

And speaking of October, my resolution for next month is all about our dogs- I’d plan to “wag more, bark less.”

Lunch Date, Anyone?

Nordstrom is having their Triple Points Reward event this week (Wednesday through Sunday), which their cardholders (me!) get 3x the points on purchases. However, I won’t be buying any clothes or shoes this week.

Luckily, Nordstrom Cafe is one of my favorite places to eat too!

September Confession

Yes, I’m saving lots of money (every category in our budget on mint.com is “green” -vs. yellow or red). Yes, I’m checking off several financial tasks off my to do list.

But is it bad that I have a list of things going in my head that I will buy October 1st?

Fail!

Last night, I went into CVS and walked out with new mascara. Sitting in my car, I suddenly remembered this month’s resolution. Doh!
It seems that my darling husband does read these posts after all. When I told him I would love to get a pedicure, he reminded me that pedicures are hard to consume. Doh!

Worth A Mint

Mint.com has been a miracle tool for organizing our finances for over a year and half. The downside to using Mint is the initial idea of putting all of your log-in information into one place.  Even though it appears they have adequate security safe-guarding your personal information, it still made me quite nervous at first. The upsides for using this resource for me are numerous: one place to look at all of our accounts, reminders for bills, the ability to make financial goals and track my progress, and of course, tracking our budget and getting reminders about when we have overspent in any of our budget categories.  If you have difficulty keeping track of where your money goes, I highly recommend it.

P.S. My Challenge

I completely forgot to mention something very important in my last post. I’m not buying anything this month that I can’t consume, which in my opinion means that I can’t buy clothes, shoes, Target “must-haves,” etc.

So, today I tried on clothes at the Banana Republic and did not buy them. Of course, they fit well and I actually *liked* how they looked. But unless I can eat it, I am not buying.

$$$$

Inspired by a friend who recently addressed her finances, as well as a nagging need to ‘get my ducks in a row,’ this month I will be tackling my financial world head-on.

I’ll give you a topic- the Industwial Wevolution was neitha industrwial nor a wevolution.  Discuss.

No, really- what resources or strategies help you stay on top financially?