2008 is going to be the year I learn how to budget. Anyone who knows me is laughing their a**es off right now at that statement but I am determined that this is going to be the year that I succeed. It's not a New Year's resolution because as one of my friends likes to remind me, a resolution is a recipe for guilt and failure. And basically, I don't like to feel guilty about anything. So I'm just going to take it one day at a time.
To that end, I spent a good hour today looking at quicken online. I was reading reviews and comparing it with... well nothing really. Just looking. But then I got to thinking, do I really want to know how I'm spending my money? I mean, that whole guilt thing might rear its ugly head. So I had to reconsider the computer approach to budgeting.
In the mean time, I've set myself the goal of reviewing all the items I'm "researching" online. Today, it was books from Barnes and Noble, underbed storage from the container store, and plane tix for a fun weekend in NY. I am relieved to report, I've purchased nothing so far, but the night is still young...
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3 comments:
if you find a magical budgeting tool, please let me know. I've never been good at it- I figure I met get hit by a bus so I might as well enjoy the money now, but that isn't really much of a long term plan. certainly my fiscally responsible husband doesn't think so!
I'll let you know. Does it count if you just stop shopping?
Carole, I did not know you had a blog, and about budgeting of all things!! Diego and I budget by giving ourselves weekly allowances and use this to pay for anything that is not a fixed expense or related to vacations (neither of us believe in being on a budget while on vacation).
We've been doing this for years. Diego does not like it as much as I do, since he feels it can sometimes make him spend more than he otherwise might. For me, it works like a charm. Since I spend most of the money I use over the weekend, I take out my allowance on Fridays. If there's any leftover, I may set it aside for bigger purchases (I got Diego a bike for his bday a few years ago and paid for it like this!).
We also put money from our allowances in a jar where we also save our coins, and use that as spending money on trips.
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