This may be the one time in my life I really want to get bills. It is difficult to prepare a budget without an accurate estimate of what water and electricity will cost. I'm really eager to jump right in to my spreadsheet program and get going on PearBudget. Without a plan in place and a commitment to track my expenses, my spending may get out of hand. I know this summer I spent quite a bit more than I intended to.
I unexpectedly got a summer internship doing an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates funded by the NSF) which allowed me to get paid to do work I planned on doing for my honors thesis anyway. It was great experience, and my savings got a nice boost as a result. However, between the unexpected income and the interest from a c.d. that matured this summer I felt fairly rich. I splurged on lots of dinners out with friends, movies, nothing that in and of itself cost enough to make much of a dent in my bank balance, but looking back it did add up. To be perfectly candid, I think if I had it to do over again I probably would, but it isn't a life style I could comfortably sustain throughout the year. If I can determine that I have X dollars to play with each month without dipping into the principal of my savings, then I'll both feel less guilty about spending on frivolous things and be more responsible.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment