Okay, so it’s a little late to be making resolutions. Actually, I’ve already made this one — it just took me awhile to blog about it.
I’m going to try to get a better handle on my finances this year. Specifically, I want to reduce my debt. Those credit card bills are just too high. I don’t have any problems paying them off; in fact, I usually pay more than the minimum to help pay off the balance quicker. But I can’t seem to get ahead.
One of the things I’m doing is tracking every expense $5.00 or over. I started tracking all the books I read, so why not track expenses? This will allow me to see where I’m spending money over time. And give me some kind of data so maybe next year I can actually plan a budget. The odd thing is that I used to be a project manager. I managed an $8 million project and came in under budget. So I know how to do it. It just seems like work — and that’s the thing, it is work. But imagine the downsides if you don’t do it.
I’m also going to start selling items on eBay. I’ve got a collection of miscellaneous stuff all over the house. I’ve started to collect it in one room so I can catalog it. Probably won’t make a huge dent. But at the very least it will help declutter the house a bit.
I’m hoping that writing about this will help me stick to my resolution.
Good luck on reducing your debt. That’s hard to do, but so important. I don’t keep a budget any more, but I know just how much I can afford to spend in a month. We’ve worked hard and are debt free now except for bills that are paid each month.
Good luck with the budgeting…my husband and I cleaned out and organized the closet in our office/craft room this weekend and as we were cleaning I started noticing how many knitting books, craft supplies, etc. I had forgotten about. It made me think that if I was able to forget about these things so easily then did I really need to have them in the first place? So my resolution is to really think about an item before I purchase it. I tend to be a bit of an impulse buyer and I am going to do my best to break the habit. Or at least decrease the frequency of the habit
I have similar goals for 2008 too, my finances are in a mess at the moment. I’m planning to sell some stuff on ebay, spend less and earn more. Easy peasy, right?
Lynne — Congrats! If I ever get to a place where my credit card bills are paid off each month, I won’t ask for much else.
Kirsten — I totally understand. My greatest weakness is makeup, usually lip gloss. I figure I’m just buying drugstore brands, so I’m not spending much at any one time. But boy it sure adds up. Definitely an impulse I need to check.
PJ — I know — it sounds so simple. But it really isn’t, is it? I think that’s why we tend to avoid it.
Very brave of you! I’m trying to do the same, but could not commit to it in writing on the blog. Good luck!