Out with the old...

One of my favorite topics to read and learn about is personal finance. By no means have I mastered the ins and outs of budgeting, I'm actually pretty terrible at most of it. But after some personal events a few years back that led me to take charge of my money and owe up to a lot of some poor decisions, I found a passion for learning to best use what I was given.

Over the years I've tried a few different systems for tracking my spending and keeping up with bills. This fall I took it back old school, Dave Ramsey style, and went to almost all cash. I had a goal in mind, and I saw this as my way to keep myself honest.


Enter what we lovingly refer to as "The Green Monster".




















And the contents of its belly.



















Every payday I would saunter into my bank, armed with a post-it (another great love of mine), on it scribbled how much cash went in each section for the next two weeks. The magic of payday. I felt so rich. Full tank of gas? Yes please! Groceries? Load up my cart! Dinners out? Table for two!

Ok, so I wasn't making it rain or anything, but I did learn over those months how quickly cash goes. Watching the money leave The Monster was a lot more painful than the simple swipe of a debit card. Monday would rear its ugly head, and The Monster was notably less full than before. By payday, it was downright anemic. It sure made decisions quick and made me prioritize my spending on to things I really wanted and needed. After 6 months with him, I met my goal. I celebrated with champagne, bought with cash.

Enter another monster, a beast for non-math PR majors like me, dual income. Yes, its double the money, its also double the math. I felt it was time to part with The Monster and start dealing with something a little less archaic and a little more user friendly for two people.


To be continued...