Zero Money to Hero Money

I can’t stick to a budget! New strategy time

Over the past couple of years I’ve tried everything for budgets, limiting how much I would spend, removing money from one account to another, breaking everything down in spreadsheets etc etc.  None of it ever seems to work, I’ll write down what I buy every time I buy it, then miss a day, or a weekend, and suddenly I just give up on that.  Or I’ll examine my quicken at the end of the month and it will blow my mind that I spent $800 on dining in one month, or on drinks.

I have a few vices, namely Golf, and eating out.  Previously I had the gear itch with photography, but I have a reasonably good set up that works really well for me, and have managed to resist and not really had the urge for at least a year to purchase more gear.

So back to my new strategy, when I say that I’m terrible with budgets and money, I really mean it.  I have good intentions but they never work.  Usually when I think I’ve done well for the month, I look at my credit card bill and realise I just put everything on there instead of paying for it.

The new strategy, I’m going to leave my credit cards at home, take out my budgeted money for the next week on payday, and see if I can make it till the end of the week on what I allotted.  I get paid this Friday so I’m going to try it out.  I’ve allotted myself $50 for gas, and $20/day for groceries & entertainment (which unfortunately includes golf).  So this Friday to next Friday I have $190, if I can come out with even 10 cents left over, I’ll be really excited.