Days 2-5

So here I am Day 5 plugging numbers into my spreadsheet. So Sunday after attempting to run 16 miles and only completing 14 I really wanted a Subway sandwich and GIANT Diet Coke plus I found a ten dollar bill in the laundry and decided that would cover my splurge. That $10 paid for one $5 footlong, two large Diet Cokes and a cookie. Sure, logically, I could have bought a case of Diet Coke for about $6 but at the time I wasn't feeling too logical and couldn't brave Wal-Mart. Not only that, that was a free $10 (my friend let me keep the return from the beer pitcher he paid the deposit on) so I don't feel bad. I also spent Sunday evening liking my "Usual Suspects" on Facebook and signing up for their newsletters in hopes of acquiring more coupons. I don't want coupons to dictate what I buy and end up buying things I usually wouldn't so I thought about the things I buy/use on a regular basis i.e. my Usual Suspects: like Loreal face wash, Aveeno body wash, Superfloss, Skippy peanut butter, etc.
Daily Total: $10.00

Monday: the usual $10 is transferred out of my checking account to my Mastercard account.
Daily Total: $10.00

Tuesday: I just manage to get to work with the fuel light on the whole way. I stop after work on the West Side (cheaper) and fill up. At $3.09/gallon that cost me almost $40 on my check card. However this may be the last time I buy gas for a while because next week I start taking the Metro.
Daily Total: $38.45 (including 1 DC)

Wednesday: It's my best friend's 32nd birthday. He gets to eat at Denny's for FREE. At my kind of joking suggestion we end up going. After running 4 miles I try to be somewhat healthy and order the Tilapia Ranchero with a salad and mash potatoes plus I, of course have Diet Coke to drink. Total (just for me, J's soda and the tip): $19.35. I pay cash and pocket the 65 cents to buy a soda from the machine tomorrow. (That reminds me... major downfall Diet Coke. I've already bought 3 cans from the vending machine this week. That's $1.50.) So the roomie wants the 'Gotta Have It' from Cold Stone Creamery. I ask him if they have a birthday special he says, "I don't know. Ask her." But I'm too afraid they'll just break out in song and not get a discount so I don't ask (I hate that place with their schticky singing and whatnot). I, myself, feel it's his birthday and I ate well at dinner so I get the 'Like It'. Total: $9.66 (out of cash so use the check card - Dang it!). J suggest we buy a lottery ticket and since my right hand has been itching all day I agree even though I spent my last single on a soda out of a machine. Stop at Moto Mart buy two bottles of Diet Coke (2 for $2.50) and one Powerball ticket (potentially $155 million) $1.00. Total: $3.68 on the check card.
Daily Total: $34.34

So far I've learned... if I'm going to pay cash for everything I need to carry more cash. That will be a hard habit to get into. Also I really need to cut back on the DC or at the very least buy it more wisely. Like buy a case and take a couple of cans to work instead of spending $.50 - 1.00 every day.

I'm not being too hard on myself this week because one, this is new and I'm still figuring things out and two, it is my best friend's birthday so I splurged on a week day when I normally wouldn't have. I feel confident that March will be better.

Today I'm going to try and not spend any money.

Day One

Just got back from the grocery store. I had $100 in cash, a list, four coupons and a calculator. I really only wanted to spend $80 but I took a little extra for my first foray out like this. I carefully looked at the price of everything and discovered a new brand called Valutime which is cheaper than the store brand. Woot. I bought whole onions and whole peppers even though I preferred the pre-chopped variety (that stuff is so expensive). Absolutely NO frozen dinners I will be making dinners big enough to eat leftovers throughout the week. Canned vegetables as opposed to those individualized frozen geniuses. Oh, did I forget to mention that I've been on some form of food diet for the past 16 years. Whatever I'm hoping the Money Diet might be able to help with that situation as well.

I write down the price of everything next to it on the list. Sure I feel a little awkward standing in the aisle punching numbers into the calculator but it's worth it. Calculator says: $107 (tax included). Oh no! I have to put something back. Okay the face wash can wait until next week, there's still some in the bottle and there's a small bottle in my travel bag too. I put that back. So I know I'll be under $100.

I watch the total with bated breath, 5 twenties in my hand. TOTAL: $79.50. What? Awesome. I'll have to get a better hand on my figuring but I feel great. I CAN do this. I WILL do this.

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.