Re: How do you save money...
I did the notebook thing, and was able to pare my expenses down to the bare minimum by analysing my spending habits.
Weekly, I deposit all my money, leave enough in my primary account to cover mortgage, preauthorized debits like cc, hydro and strata and any upcoming expenses I know of like travel or a course. I leave a bit for food and unexpecteds, and move the rest into my ING savings account.
Re: How do you save money...
When I was dancing full time, I worked up a budget which had X dollars per week for taxes, X dollars a week for mortgage and car loans, X dollars a week for food, utilities and other bills, and X dollars per week for savings and investment. As the week progressed, I would shove the cash I earned into progressive envelopes, and would not spend dollar one on anything frivolous until all of the envelopes were filled. This definitely provided me a strong incentive to dance as many nights per week as I needed to in order to fill all of the envelopes, and then have some money left over to "squander".
Re: How do you save money...
Simple for me. I do phone sex, ALL that money goes into savings, i do private dances, ALL that money goes into savings, and i will club dance when i want, ALL that money goes into savings, as well as sending out personal snailmail letters to men with a few (not nude) pictures, ALL that goes to savings too.
I work a regular job (hospital) that gets direct deposit into my checking, that pays the bills!
I pay my taxes when due out of savings.
Pamela
Re: How do you save money...
I try to put it in places I can't touch it, like additional mortgage payments and my IRA. I have some in a money market too for emergencies.
Re: How do you save money...
Envelope system works for me. But I don't put equal amounts in each envelope. Things like rent and untilies get emptied out each month, so I put the most in those till they're full. I have envelope's for everything. For instance, there's a $400 coach bag that I want. That's my last envelope to fill. Sometimes nothing or twentybucks goes in, sometimes a fifty. The rule is that other than the shopping envelope, once the money is in, it only comes out to pay whatever it was for.
Re: How do you save money...
I do the money separation thing too, but another way that I save (when spending) is by buying things in bulk. Like shopping at costco. Instead of buying things like shaving cream at the grocery store every week for $3, I buy a package of shaving cream at costco for $6 which lasts me for about 2 months! If you add it up, by the end of the year, I'm saving $120 dollars just on shaving cream. Do that with your groceries and other stuff, you'll be amazed at how much you're actually saving.
Also, for things like cleaning supplies (where you won't be embarassed if it doesn't have a brand name; as long as it gets the job done), go to the dollar store. Why by window cleaner for $5 when you can get it for $1?
Re: How do you save money...
damn, you use a lot of shaving cream!