Starting the month of Febuary, I will be tracking all my financial transactions and looking for ways to mininimize my expenses. My plan is to avoid unplanned, impulsive spending.

strategies for saving

My lifestyle has not changed much since being a poor college student. I sold my only vehicle in 2013. I decided Madison was easy enough to get around by bus and bike. I estimated I was saving 4 - 6k a year, despite the truck being paid off.

results are in

UW Credit union has some slick reporting features for their online banking.

Monthly Expenses

After calculating my expenses including reimbursements for half the rent and other stuff, my total spending was 1478.99 which is a $1500 decrease from January. Late Christmas gifts and a trip to Florida is mostly responsible for the extreme difference.

what I did right

I communicated my intentions with family and friends. That estabished easy communication when it came to declining invitations without feeling the pangs of guilt one feels when taking a break for themselves.

what I can do to improve

The thing I had noticed is the relationship between stress and impulsive behavior. The key to staying true to long term planning and goals is to minimize stress.