More Spending Update
I paid $88 on my Cingular bill. For whatever reason, perhaps bad habit of being broke, I carry a past due balance on my cell phone bill. I used to carry this balance because I was always broke. Lately I have been carrying it because I am lazy and “forget” to pay my bill. I also just don’t like parting from my money. Since I theoreticaly have money to pay these bills off, I have paid that one off. Great.
I canceled this service I used to use for keeping track of my weight loss. LOL. I don’t know why I joined, maybe it was free, but I never log in and use the service yet they charge me roughly 25 bucks a month so I can chart my weight loss and get some ole recipes. Canceled. Plus I can use Dr. Ian’s site for free. And he is cuter.
I have a $120 parking ticket to pay from my school. Plus the $70 ticket to pay from the city. My car gets me in THE MOST trouble. I paid $1100 this year in parking/moving violations alone.
Speaking of The Ride, I have been exploring public transportation options. In LA, it’s not an option unless you live in the boondocks AND your job is near a subway stop. Otherwise, it’s useless. It would take me 1 hr 20 minutes to get to work, when I could drive for 40-50 minutes. I am annoyed. This why the city has smog, it doesn’t pay to go on the bus or subway unless you are poor and cannot afford to buy a car. I have reached my 30K mark on the mileage, and must fork over $250 for my service checkin. Pooh.
I was bad today and spent 10 bucks on lunch, when I have plenty of food at home to bring and eat. Tomorrow I will do better.
I may not be able to go on a super budget binge until mid-October or November.
on September 19, 2007 on 2:12 pm
Please do not fall into the FinAid syndrome. I suffered from it many a times. All of a sudden you have this nice fat check and your mind goes into splurge mode. You have been deprived of your “wants” so long now your in spending mode. Don’t spend the money you just received on things you do not need. The trip to the Spa could have waited a bit longer. get your stuff str8t first before you splurge. I am not saying you can’t splurge but do it after you have done all you can with your debt. I know form experience that little things like a $64 dollar Spa trip can add it. And the parking/moving violations??? You know what $1100+ could have done to your debt. Can you just imagine? Your car doesn’t get you in trouble. The person parking it illegally does. Financial empowerment doesn’t happen with just being wise in your finances but being wise in all aspects.
You have taken the first step in conquering your debt and getting your financial life in order. Keep going. Don’t back slide and bury yourself in lil mistakes. These things add up. No one is perfect. Sometimes you are going to fall down. When it does happen just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on the path to financial empowerment.
As far as the budget, I think you should create one now. Or at least create a plan on what to do with the FinAid check you just got and see it out. Waiting till mid-October or November give you about a month, month and a half with $4100 just lying around. I would hate for you to get this opportunity to kill of some of this debt and wind up in a bigger hole then you are now. (I did this same thing last year. Worst thing I could have done to myself).