If I ever want to get the net on at my new home - and I'm thinking ADSL2 is the only way to go - then I need to work out a budget and, for once, actually stick to it.

I'm terrible with money. I spend it like it's going out of fashion and then complain when I've got nothing to eat and no money to buy it with. Personally, I blame all the alcohol I drink but shh I didn't say that.

Anyway, anyone have some tips or personal experiences that helped them stick to budgets?

unless you can afford it, faberge eggs are a poor choice for Easter basket stuffers

Put your money in places you can't access it.

I'm sure you can make some arrangement to have x amount of money go to checking acount a, and x amount to savings acount y, and have a specific atm acount etc. Especially with all these banks wanting to have you as a customer.

Thats probably a big part of it. Bigger then you might think. Dad has beaten into me the idea of the "latte factor" that can basically be summarized by saying that little things that you don't really need (such as $4 coffees from starbucks, hense "latte factor") add up fast. Reduce alcohol=more money.

If that doesn't work, buy everything you can with cash, save the change. Change is a pain to carry around, so I never spend it and I have piles under my bed, on my desk, on my shelves, etc. But thats a well known trick. Another saving trick I've found is investing in the stock market. Selling shares (and paying taxes on any earnings) is enough to keep my lazy self from selling... probably ever

Also, I've heard some people have been known to freeze their credit cards and atm cards (literally freeze in water) so they have to thaw them out and thusly prevent impulse spending. Don't know anyone who's done this, so I'm not sure how the cards hold up, but mine have been through the laundry a few times and still work... still might want to investigate should you decide to try it

Just for reference-


Freezing credit cards is, as always, a bad idea. Sure, it cuts down impulse spending, but it also runs the risk of damaging that delicate little magnetic strip and if something comes up, you'll have to need another card shipped out.

Either way, good luck.

Well, ruining your credit card stops spending too

ok, here is what you need to do:

Save your bills for a month.. receipts and everything..

Make out a little list that should look something like this:

Rent: $300
Utilities: $200
Food: $150
Other bills (like cell phones, tv, ectera): $200
Entertainment: $100
Ect


Then figure up how much you are making each month and then subtract all that stuff from your average income.. if it looks like you won't have enough or will have to watch your money way too close.. minimize one of those catergories.

So you say you spend lots of money on booze.. well make a goal to only spend X amount of money per week on that and don't allow yourself to go over that amount. It helps if you can get drinks from people in the room by being cute too. And if you're the guy buying drinks for other people.. don't do that.. perfect your "come hither" stare if needed, but don't waste money on people you just wanna bang if you're running short.

Oh.. and put your money in a bank. You will spend it a heck of a lot faster if you just have it lying around. I think I've blown $200 on random stuff this month just because I -had- the money...

I hope this helped some.

Thanks for the tips so far. I've been trying to keep recipts, but who knows where I've left them all . My friend sent me an excel budget thing he wrote up, so that might help when I have some figures to work with.

Regarding the seperate accounts, that is probably a good idea. I tried that, but the accounts are easily interchangeable with net banking. I need to set it up with different banks so I can't make instant transfers like that when the temptations is greater than my willpower.

Oh and regarding the alcohol thing...yeah I know that's a huge part of my spending. I can blow $50 on just some quiet drinks after work, so imagine what a big weekend for me is. Last weekend I think I spent in excess of $300.

Bad Gavin!

I'm so torn between having fun and being responsible .

Holy crap I have no expenses and that makes me shudder

Holy freaking crap

Beer tastes like pee... how can you spend $300 on it?

LoL it's easier than you think. I'm not talking just alcohol, but cover charges for clubs, snacks, etc. It all adds up really quickly.

If I were a cheap drunk my life would be easier. Some of my friends are plastered after two *sigh*.

Gavin, the obvious answer is to have a freak accident with a razor. With a long line of your hair missing, you'll have no desire to be out at clubs. With the less money spent on clubs, cover charges, and drinks, you'll have more to spend as you become a recluse at home, with an addiction to snacks, and of course, credits for Lusternia.

Besides, the blokes really dig the psychotic, partially shaved head look. Trust me! Would I lie to you?

I pay obscene amounts of money to get my hair done by a lovely girl named Priscilla. Oh and there is a hot Irish guy that flirts with me at the salon. So, no razor! besides, I look like an egg when I have no hair. You wouldn't want me to look like an egg would you, Viravain?

You lie? Never! I dare not even consider such a thing!

Nayl is obviously Viravain.

I think. He said Bloke, after all.

And you could just divide your money into six: Bills, entertainment, rent, food, savings, petrol.

I minus my expenditure from my income, and from it I find that I have £14 a day (= 5 and a half pints). Of that, I usually spend no more than £4 on cheap college food for lunch and supper. Thus leaving me with a tenner for booze, etc. If I've got a night of drunken fun planned for later in the week, I economise. Once drunk, of course, all economy goes out of the window.. but my system more or less works.

Knowing I have X a month just means I spend it all in the first week... but rationing myself day by day, I do a lot better.

I've found that getting rid of my debit card helps me to keep track of my expenses much better. I have to write checks for bills and such, and go to the bank and withdraw money there for the week. It's usually when I have my credit/debit card with me at the bars that I'll rack up obscene amounts of money on alcohol, or end up buying all sorts of random things when I'm shopping.

Gah, I was going to get a credit/debit card in a while and trust myself not to accidentally overdo it but you people are scaring me.

Yup seriously dont have a credit or debit card, its like so easy to go oh look that only costs a tenner so Ill put it on the card only to realse that you dont have any money half way though the month.

With cash you go oh look its only a tenner then look in your purse and go oh crap ive only got 30 pounds for another week better not buy it.

Well, I had no budget for a while, but with the big move out of the parent's house coming up, I've been thinking of the same thing.

My previous budget consisted of: pay student loans, car, insurance, phone, etc. Go out to eat all the time. Buy a few hundred credits.

Now, it's more like: put $300 into savings every two weeks when I get paid (I think of money in credits sometimes, so it pains me to see 2000cr in my savings account ), pay bills, make sure I don't run out of money, and toss a little extra into the checking account if I'm getting close. I never used to know how much I had, because I don't keep a register, but I'm starting to save recipts, and check online every day, so I know how much I have that way, by the ones that haven't cleared.

You know, if I was a little more like you Gavin, and spent money on clothes and hair instead of video games... Dayum, my girlfriend would probably be liking that.

So, I'm starting to think of a -real- budget, something like:
Car insurance - $150
Rent - $300
Food - $100

That kind of stuff. We'll see how it works out, hopefully, I'll still have that $600 a month or so to put into savings, but life is so expensive, ya know? First and last month's rent, plane ticket to New Zealand to meet Sierus, and all that junk. Ah well, it's only money.

...right?

Wow if nayl is LAdy Viravain....that would explain why he never talks to me on msn anymore...
love-mimi

and hun, this is what I do. I have a checking account, and all of my paycheck is auto-depositied in (200$ a month), ask them to put a block on your debit card and checking account, so as you can only use x ammount a day/week/month. Works wonders... I had 700$ in no time...
love-mimi