Fretting... but at least I have Audrey Hepburn stamps.

[flexagon]

So, continuing my investigations of why I'm saving way too much and thus harshing my vibe more than I'd like, I did some math. I figured out that after savings, rent, tae kwon do and utilities, I'm leaving myself about $800/month to actually live on... which still sounded like plenty to me at first. Going through my last bank statement I found that I had a (very low) $400 Visa bill and (this is the part that shocked me) $400 in ATM cash withdrawals. What the fuck?, said I, there's the 800, but what am I spending that much cash on, aside from my combo pass? I've never been much of a cash spender before, so at some point I must have totally stopped worrying about it entirely. Argh... <gnashes teeth> ...it's so annoying. I checked my current bank/Visa situations online today, and the bank says I withdrew $60 on Monday, which I believe. Today I have $1 in my wallet, and I can only account for $20 of that off the top of my head, so I guess that's proof of bad behavior.

Needless to say, this can stop happening now. :b There's no reason I can't get by on one $60 withdrawal a week; that's plenty for breakfast bagels and so forth, and it's more than I used to spend. And the bank says I did in fact go 13 days between withdrawals before Monday, apparently without pain, so basically, I'm confused. Maybe it's not that bad, and I just need to start being aware of it for things to change. The bad news is that even on a successful cash diet, I'll only be able to have a $540 Visa bill each month, max... again, that can be done and I've been doing it, but it doesn't allow for much flexibility when random things come up. A lot of my bills have been much higher in the last year. Poo, poo, poo... I don't want to save less. I want my raise.

I'd be curious to hear anyone else's "living on" number if anyone knows it. I think I used to leave myself more like $1000 a couple of years ago, but back then all the numbers were different and I can't remember well enough to easily reconstruct what I was doing.

I mailed lots of things at the post office this morning--six more invitations, some (mercifully low) utility bills, and M's bridesmaid dress. Oh, and I bought some Audrey Hepburn stamps. I like the post office... it's so orderly and filled with paper, and I get to use little stickers with my address on them. Ah, the simple pleasures in life. :)

We've decided not to do anything at all special for the 4th tomorrow. Think I'll sit around in a tube top reading a huge chunk of The Skeptical Environmentalist and then actively resisting an urge I've been having. I know it's not the right thing, and I know it's not the good thing, but kinda I want to.... kinda I want to. I am indulging the mood, but it's pretty clear I won't really do it. Part of me is saying damn.

Comments

Hmm

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

Theoretically I give myself $100/week for entertainment or whatever, $350/month for food, but I usually spend more than that between occassional splurges on clothes or say a bike or whatever. It varies a lot.

I'm extremely impressed with how much you've saved so far.

BTW, so what is this thing you are resisting?

Re: Hmm

[flexagon]

Eh, it's just pigheadedness. :) Food is so hard to budget now that I share grocery expenditures. It's done far more than double since I was going it alone... it was just easier to plan that way.

As for the other, if you really wanna know, it's time to switch forums.