Need help saving

[kevinb]

Well I doubt I'll find anyone that supports declawing but I'm still doing it I told you the stipulations of having it at my girlfriends house, I'm not paying all of it either because it's half hers to. I can't tell her to get rid of something thats half hers. I do all my vaccines myself as well. I trust the techs and vets here whole heartily. I even picked the ones I wanted to do the procedures. Anyways can we get off the cat now?

I didn't make this to argue over what's right and what's wrong in terms of my cat. I simply stated that it was an impending expense. I did just call off my tattoo appointment which would have cost way more than me and my girlfriends cat. With that saved money comes 4 new tires.

Any other non cat advice please be free to share. Thanks again.

[Mike41793]

Wow. Im actually rather shocked reading all this. My family was never poor growing up but we certainly were not rich either. I guess me and my brother kind of just developed our saving habits at a young age. When i was young i asked for savings bonds from my grandparents instead of bday gifts, i guess you could say i was just a saver from a young age lol. When i stop to get gas i almost never get any snacks or drinks. When i go shopping i make a mental list of the few things i need, or write down a list if its alot and rarely do i not stick to it. Idk, i guess its just my nature.

I second the envelope method Cecil suggested, i know people who do that and it works. Although if you have all that cash in front of you would you be tempted to spend it? If yes, then dont do that. I honestly, and im not saying this to be mean at all kevin, cannot believe someone would even consider putting tattoos before bills. That just sounds absurd to me, not to mention sorta selfish if your gf is having to help you out with money. I would sit down and talk things over with her seriously and develop a good saving strategy. Once you have that plan written down put it somewhere you can see it everyday. Im not trying to slam you or anything but i would be crapping myself and very worried if i ever saw my bank accounts get that low. Talk with your gf and get your priorities straightened out bro. You dont wanna lose someone you love over bad habits. Dont ever hesitate to PM if you have questions or just need to talk dude. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.

[Skittles1101]

Welcome to being an adult.

I just joined the military and sacrificed time with my child so I could secure our future. You're complaining about saving money yet you're wasting it on expenses like declawing a cat. If its a "stipulation" for your girlfriends parents then maybe they should pay for it. Do they want you living there forever? Sorry, I've just been out on my own with my child since I was 18 with little financial help from my parents. It's tough, but you need to make sacrifices. I have no tattoos, I don't go out to eat. The only money I have in savings is for emergencies for my son or my reptiles. I don't go on vacation.

If your job isn't paying enough then look for a second job. Like I said, I joined the military. Oh the joys of being an adult

[Orenshi]

A nifty tool I like to use is Mint.com

I never had a job or worked a day in my life until I was 19. So when I started working, I didn't really know how to manage money. Got overwhelmed trying to keep track of bills, different accounts, loans, budgets, etc. Mint.com made all of that easier to manage. You even have the option to get notifications (email or text) when you are reaching/over your budget.

When you get a chance, check out Mint.com!



Collection
0.1 Cinnamon Spider "Cinnabun"
1.0 Mojave Enchi "Mochiko"
0.1 Mystic "Misty"

[Libby]

OK, here goes...

For banking and financial basics, try handsonbanking.org.

To save money, start by packing your own lunch to work and bringing your own coffee. Fast food and Starbucks will make your money disappear. If you are working lots of hours or more than one job, it's especially important to plan ahead, because otherwise you'll end up grabbing something on the go.

If you are living with your girlfriend's family, you may not be doing your own grocery shopping and cooking, but if you are, then learn some meal planning and couponing skills. The coupon websites I use regularly are TrueCouponing.com (this one has a Christian approach, but frankly I just ignore it and the site has very good guides for how to start saving when shopping) and CouponMom.com (you have to sign up and get some spam in your inbox, but the match ups are more extensive/accurate.) Don't pay for a coupon/deal match website, there are plenty of free ones.

You don't have to go all extreme couponing like the TV shows, either, just become aware of what's in season and on sale and plan accordingly. Even if you don't coupon at all, just checking the circulars and picking up 3 or 4 shampoos/deodorants/razors when they are buy one/get one free will add up quickly.

I gave up soda this year, and started carting a bottle of water around with me that I fill up at home, so I'm not buying bottled water when I'm out. If you are drinking soda, then pick it up sale at the grocery store or in bulk at a Sam's Club or Costco, then keep some in a cooler in your car.

The most important thing is to PLAN AHEAD. When you shop, make a list and stick to it. No impulse purchases and STICK TO THE LIST.

You've already made a good start by writing down some of your larger expenses and evaluating whether they are wants or needs, just start keeping track of the smaller ones, too, and you should start to feel more in control of your budget.

I wish I had started paying more attention to this kind of thing when I was younger. Sounds like your girlfriend has a good head on her shoulders and is trying to point you in the right direction. Good luck to both of you!

[Skittles1101]

Orenshi I just checked out that mint.com, how cool!!! Thank you, they even have an iPhone app

[olstyn]

How often do you and your GF go out to dinner? It costs a LOT more to go out than to cook for yourself. When you do go out, drink WATER - soda, beer, and mixed drinks are pure profit for restaurants. It is not worth $2.50 for a glass of soda or $5+ for a beer.

Gas is expensive - make sure your tires are properly inflated and that you're not carrying any unnecessary weight in your car and you'll use less of it.

Cigarettes are expensive - if you smoke, quit. Not only will you save money, you'll cough less, smell better, and not get lung cancer/emphysema. (Assuming $5/pack and 1 pack/day habit, quitting saves you $1825/year!)

Alcohol is expensive - if you drink a lot and/or you go out to bars, reduce the amount you drink and quit going out to bars. For the price of a beer at a bar, you can get a 6-pack to drink at home.

Basically, it amounts to figuring out what you really NEED, and what you just WANT. Cut the budget down to only the needs, see what's left, money-wise, and then assess which of the wants you can and can't afford while still saving at least a little bit of money. Even if you're only putting away $50-100/month, it'll add up quickly. (Good on you for postponing the tat until you can actually afford it, BTW.)

[Mike41793]

How often do you and your GF go out to dinner? It costs a LOT more to go out than to cook for yourself. When you do go out, drink WATER - soda, beer, and mixed drinks are pure profit for restaurants. It is not worth $2.50 for a glass of soda or $5+ for a beer.

Gas is expensive - make sure your tires are properly inflated and that you're not carrying any unnecessary weight in your car and you'll use less of it.

Cigarettes are expensive - if you smoke, quit. Not only will you save money, you'll cough less, smell better, and not get lung cancer/emphysema. (Assuming $5/pack and 1 pack/day habit, quitting saves you $1825/year!)

Alcohol is expensive - if you drink a lot and/or you go out to bars, reduce the amount you drink and quit going out to bars. For the price of a beer at a bar, you can get a 6-pack to drink at home.

Basically, it amounts to figuring out what you really NEED, and what you just WANT. Cut the budget down to only the needs, see what's left, money-wise, and then assess which of the wants you can and can't afford while still saving at least a little bit of money. Even if you're only putting away $50-100/month, it'll add up quickly. (Good on you for postponing the tat until you can actually afford it, BTW.)

Good points. Also idk about other states but the CHEAP cigarettes in CT are like $7 a pack. Newports are like almost $9 a pack i think lol.

[olstyn]

Good points. Also idk about other states but the CHEAP cigarettes in CT are like $7 a pack. Newports are like almost $9 a pack i think lol.

Fair enough - I don't smoke, so I was just throwing out some numbers to make a point. Apparently it's an even stronger point than I realized.

[mainbutter]

Didn't read the thread.. Just read the OP. Here's my response:

Just stop impulsively buying things. Set a budget for how much you can spend on food, and spend only that. Never eat out. Never spend money on a credit card you don't intend to pay off immediately (i.e. use credit cards only as a quick means to pay for something using money you already have, not as an actual line of credit).

It's not hard, but it is simple. After losing my job in 2009, spending too many months unemployed and looking for work, and now having worked a low pay job for a year, I've gotta say that it became easy to do the above because of the stress of spending.

A simple tool to use to put stuff away into savings, if your job has it, is direct deposit. Get your place of employment to deposit a set % of every paycheck into your savings.

It's not easy depending on how compulsively you spend, but it is simple. There are no easy solutions, and the simplest but hard solutions to hard problems are often the only ones that will work.