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Monday, February 7, 2011

Benjamin Franklin, you smug bastard.

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Ew; another broken record.


OO! PRETTY! Another leaf! I wanna turn it over…

Fine…I’m almost embarrassed to say it. Here goes: Finances (*looks quickly over shoulder…is anyone watching?). Your guess is correct: I’m at it again…re-vamping, that is. Re-inventing, Re-learning, Rah-Rah-Rah-ing, and all that dissonant jazz.

I took a finance course last year that rocked my world. I loved it. You may remember that I blogged about it. I got preachy. I wrote guest articles on a local website about how to manage your finances, based on the things I was learning. And then…and then. The course ended and I turned into a whiny baby with Spending Impulses as frighteningly overwhelming as 11th grade math. And just like I did back in highschool when I was faced with a difficult equation, I gave up. I spent the whole year giving up, in fact, and if there were a prize for how heartily a person could Give Up!, I would probably win first prize (okay, maybe I’d get the bronze). Fast forward one year, and I’m back at it.

Back at what, you ask…the course? The mad dash toward supposed financial freedom? Both, actually. Including, but not limited to, weird, self-imposed money rules that affect my social life. My current imposition is titled No Spend February. Anita cleverly pointed out that No Spend February and iNSufficient Funds have the same initials. Poetic irony? I think so.

Just as the title implies, I’m not spending money all month unless it’s on food, and by food I mean groceries, and by groceries I mean products that are actually legitimately counted as groceries (there’s a little side goal where I hope to pay off a wee plastic card, but that one’s a bit harder to do so I’m keeping it to myself).

Can I just say it? …UGH. My friend Victoria, over at the Fine Art of Frugality, kicked patooty in January with her financial goals, spurring us on to betterment and coolness. While I haven’t spent a dollar outside my ideal budget (in a whole week), I am waning on my desire to continue. I mean, I am going to continue. But I am going to be running my mouth off on occasion to relieve the pressure on my brain (tea’s done!...oh no wait, it’s Ashley’s head).

I go for my second class (of 13) tonight. Good timing; I need a swift kick to the rear.


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5 comments:

Mama said...

Just a short while ago, your Dad pulled out the Financial CD you loaned us saying we need to get at this with me agreeing. And no, in the Give Up catagory, you would only get, maybe, second prize as Yours Truly wins by a landslide. Arg.

Julia Haiste said...

I think that saving money and having a budget (and actually sticking to it)is one of greatest trials for a large amount of people. However, especially for people with a negative brain like myself, I am constantly reminding myself that those people have other struggles. Grr. Just not money struggles. Not that I am taking away from what you said, because believe me, I am on the warpath right behind you . . . I wonder what those "others" have that I don't. Hmm. I should look into this! :) I thoroughly enjoyed this post!

Colleen McCubbin said...

I made great strides towards financial freedom last year (and watched a lot of Til Death Do Us Part) ... but I tell you, I'm sure relieved to have a husband who is (a) a good provider and (b) a decent financial manager ... and I love the phrase "do it together." I don't long for the days of(mis)managing money on my own.

Anonymous said...

Have you ever tried a 'goal contract'? Where you make a contract with a friend, like 'if I buy anything in February than I have to give you 10x the money I spent'. Then you have to think alot more about what you're actually doing if you have graver consequences.
Would that help or hinder you?

-R

Victoria said...

YOu are going to ROCK this! Don't give up!