Why a Money Diet?

I am a spend-aholic. This goes beyond shopaholic. I like to spend money and I do so frivolously. I don't even go to the mall once a week as I did as a child. In fact I haven't been to the mall since mid January. No, this goes beyond buying clothes. This includes being at Target or Wal-Mart and deciding "yeah, I can afford that." This includes going out with my friends to a restaurant and/or bar and running a tab with no thoughts to the consequences. 

There is absolutely no reason for me to be living paycheck to paycheck. I mean sure I don't make that much money but I make enough and I don't have that many domestic expenses (Thanks, Mom and Dad). I've often wondered how someone on my salary could pay rent, make a car payment and all that those thing entail plus eat and then still have a good time. Credit Cards. Bad idea. Very bad idea. I won't discuss the details but I'm in a situation now where I must live within my means and SAVE money. 

I need to be a responsible adult if for no one else for me. I need to do this. I need to change my lifestyle. As a 31 year old woman I should not be so dependent upon parents. 

The plan entails paying cash for everything I can. Check card will only be used for gas (pay at the pump) and hotel rooms. Checks are only for paying utilities and I may start doing that online (saves 44 cents a bill/3 bills/a month = $15.84/year). We'll see. Back to the plan... Budget! Must budget. I get paid on a weekly bases so I figure I must assign a certain amount for each monthly expense. Also I've splurged on a Metro pass, if I've figured correctly this should save me about $500 a year. And I've set a special goal for myself, if I save $100 for the next 25 weeks that will be $2500 right around my birthday and the gift to myself will be a money-market account that will yield a higher interest on a daily basis. 

I can do this. I will do this.