Posted by Meri-Tuuli on May 5, 2007, at 8:20:15
In reply to Anybody else have problems with money?, posted by TexasChic on May 4, 2007, at 19:59:48
Hello
I'm no saint when it comes to cash but I do try and I think I'm fairly on top of things most of the time (which is good enough I suppose!)
Okay so what you want to do is make a budget.
Work out how much goes out in a month in terms of bills and rent etc
Then work out how much you're going to have in a week to spend on food and bits and bobs and I guess, as you have a car, fuel.
Then take out the said amount each week from your bank in cash (i like thursdays coz then you've got the weekend) and that is your weekly allowance for everything. Then you can see how much literally in front of you what you have for the week. And it helps coz you're doing everything in cash (which I assume is possible in the states?)
Voila. You're not spending more than you should at the begining of the month because its weekly thing still. And when I'd go to the shops, I'd just take the cash and leave the bank cards at home. then you can't spend more than your budget and you're not tempted to put anything on any cards.
I also went through a phase of having a credit card in my wallet (for emergencies, what emergencies I don't know!) but having several turns of sticky tape wound round it. So I couldn't suddenly use it without thinking about my purchases. I've heard that someone put the card in a beaker of water, then put it int he freezer - it'd freeze so you couldn't use it easily, and by the time it had defrosted you'd have come to your senses and you wouldn't need it anymore!
And do online banking. I find that helps LOADS. You can see everything onscreen etc etc.
I also think that managing money etc should be taught in schools.
Kind regards
Meri
poster:Meri-Tuuli
thread:755883
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20070502/msgs/755986.html