Mark's Blog

Let's say you find something you like which you don't buy often anyway, and you buy it on sale or a coupon or something. Is that still saving money? You're still SPENDING money to save..? I think it would make more sense to have coupons for things you often buy like food or toilet paper or things like that.

This $20 challenge still confuses the heck out of me haha =]

Just counting up the costs of this month

Gas: 91.98
Starbucks: 7.50
Versace belt: 85.00
Dining out: 51.80
Personal care: 22.00
Parking ticket: 40.00
Business costs: 23.00
Health products: 146.49
=
471.85 (minus bills)

This month wasn't my most frugal month.. I'll work at it this June

I've read that the more goals you make and achieve, the easier the bigger goals become. So here is my list for this month's goals:

1. Run for Director at the company I work for.
2. Buy Salvatore Ferragamo shoes.
- To earn well, you must live well
3. Reach 125+ pounds. (Hopefully in muscle)
- I'm gaining it by the way...
4. Work out on a consistent basis. Maybe 3-5 times a week.
5. Maybe get a gym membership? Comments on if I should please :]

I'll edit this on a later date as soon as I think of more goals to achieve.

I've had my debt for quite some time now and as I do the numbers, with my current income and interest rates, it seems like I'll just make a scratch into my credit card debt. I've known this for a while now and have been looking for solutions and I've found it :]

Just today, my mom and I just talked and we agreed to co-app on one of her new cards to take advantage of her low APR. If you guys knew what my APR is, you would seriously faint. It's practically double or maybe even triple those of normal rates. So as soon as the paper work is done, I'll have less mental strain and less worry about current bills. Even though my debt is still there, I know this has soften the blow by a LOT.

Either the challenge doesn't make sense or I'm just stupid . How is the $20 challenge supposed to work?

It's been a little over a week since I've last posted but a lot of things have happened. So far, I have just been taking care of my grandma throughout the week (which has proven to be a harder task I previously believed) but only at times. Most of the time I'm around the house doing unproductive things.. (which is hard NOT to do =/) like I started playing World of Warcraft, the anti-productive anti-social phenomenon.

But some things has gotten better! Always look at the positive right? Well, since I'm home most of the time now, I spend a lot less money than if I were working elsewhere. That's gas and food money. One of my mentors, who is a millionaire, said most people spend 30% of their income on food. There's a reason why the US has a high obesity population and high debt..

But to the point of why I wrote today! I was reading a post and it mentioned the decisions we make on a daily basis to either make and save or spend money. In the people of this community, we like to do all right? =D. But to keep what you make is often a hard task. So when I read how when you want to drive somewhere, you have to set aside 5 dollars to your savings or whenever you want to drink soda, you have to drink a glass of water first (I LOVE this one), that clicked for me.

Why don't we all play games with ourselves to save money? People say, games are for kids, but who made that a rule? Adults don't need to be emotionless zombies with no lives. So here's a trick my mentor tought me. Keep a 100 dollar bill in your wallet and never spend it. This builds the mental muscles and teaches you to be stronger than your urges. And lets say, if you keep it there for a month, you can treat yourself out to something you love (but not something expensive!). So there's my post for the day Take care everyone.