Where is all my money?

woahisme13 · 08-25-2009, 02:46 PM

Last year I had money all the time. IN the past year I have made many financial changes/ improvements. But now it seems like I have no money. In the past year I have:

- paid off 2 credit cards
- quit smoking
- got 2 roomates- more than halving my rent
- started packing lunch rather than buying it
- cut my bar budget from $60/ night on FRI & Sat down to $20/ night

I estimate a total savings of roughly $865 dollars a month.

However, it seems like I never have money now, I am literally down to single digits in my bank account each week. How does this happen?

Cognitive_Canine · 08-25-2009, 02:54 PM

Do you balance your check book often?

I'd make a month long journal including every single cent you spend. It could be a bunch of little things eating away at your money. 5 dollars here on a magazine, 3 bucks for coffee 3 times a week, 20 bucks for going out once a week, a 10 dollar movie once a week, 15 bucks in soda once a week...it all adds up pretty darn fast.

Cut out the things you don't need and subsitute things for cheaper options (making your own coffee, cutting down the soda, renting rather going to a movie).

Perfection · 08-25-2009, 02:54 PM

not trying to sound like an ass, but you mentioned areas where you cut back but have you kept track of your expenses? maybe that might give you a better picture of what's going on?

thejigsup · 08-25-2009, 03:00 PM

Things have gotten much more expensive in the last year or so. I haven't much money left, either. No one has.

jul-els · 08-25-2009, 03:14 PM

Yep, I'm living on a shoestring too. I'm saving my butt off and putting it all in savings, though. As a suggestion, maybe you could take the money you now have from the things you used to buy and put it into savings. That way there's no way to lose track of it.

pianoguy · 08-25-2009, 06:06 PM

There's really only two possibilities- either a) you're making less money than you did last year or b) you're spending more.

ghost69 · 08-25-2009, 06:24 PM

you are spending somewhere. something somewhere is impeding your balance. you driving a lot more lately? gas money...

08-25-2009, 02:46 PM	#1
woahisme13 Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Plattsburgh, Ny Gender: Male Age: 26 Posts: 146	Where is all my money? Last year I had money all the time. IN the past year I have made many financial changes/ improvements. But now it seems like I have no money. In the past year I have: - paid off 2 credit cards - quit smoking - got 2 roomates- more than halving my rent - started packing lunch rather than buying it - cut my bar budget from $60/ night on FRI & Sat down to $20/ night I estimate a total savings of roughly $865 dollars a month. However, it seems like I never have money now, I am literally down to single digits in my bank account each week. How does this happen? __________________ "Addictions made me smarter, but you can't be high all the time"~ Anthony Green "The Moment that you left the room the album started skipping."

08-25-2009, 02:54 PM	#3
Perfection Offline Silver Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 417	not trying to sound like an ass, but you mentioned areas where you cut back but have you kept track of your expenses? maybe that might give you a better picture of what's going on? __________________ The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. how much you can take and keep moving forward.

08-25-2009, 03:14 PM	#5
jul-els Offline Platinum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: yellow matter custard Gender: Male Posts: 2,117	Yep, I'm living on a shoestring too. I'm saving my butt off and putting it all in savings, though. As a suggestion, maybe you could take the money you now have from the things you used to buy and put it into savings. That way there's no way to lose track of it. __________________ "Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom; Wisdom is not Truth; Truth is not Beauty; Beauty is not Love; Love is not Music; Music is the best." - Frank Zappa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgFL__1rrB4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T4lg8VAjMI&feature=related

08-25-2009, 06:06 PM	#6
pianoguy Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Boston Gender: Male Age: 25 Posts: 1,343	There's really only two possibilities- either a) you're making less money than you did last year or b) you're spending more. __________________ "A productive and happy life is not something you find. It is something you make." Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Be kind. Everyone you meet is engaged in a great struggle." -Plato "I have sad misgivings that I shall never find any consolation in life save in music" - Bela Bartok

08-25-2009, 06:24 PM	#7
ghost69 Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Desert Gender: Male Posts: 33,425	you are spending somewhere. something somewhere is impeding your balance. you driving a lot more lately? gas money... __________________ Not only am I friendly, but I'm invisible too. Too perfect of a relationship is too weird-g69 If you say you are normal, I'd think you are weird-g69 The world can only get better, it depends on how you look at it-g69 'As wicked as you are, you're beautiful to me'-5fingerdeathpunch you cannot control the world, you can only live in it the best you can for you-g69 NooOoOoooOOoOoOoooooo

08-25-2009, 02:54 PM	#2
Cognitive_Canine Online Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Gender: Female Posts: 11,326	Do you balance your check book often? I'd make a month long journal including every single cent you spend. It could be a bunch of little things eating away at your money. 5 dollars here on a magazine, 3 bucks for coffee 3 times a week, 20 bucks for going out once a week, a 10 dollar movie once a week, 15 bucks in soda once a week...it all adds up pretty darn fast. Cut out the things you don't need and subsitute things for cheaper options (making your own coffee, cutting down the soda, renting rather going to a movie).

08-25-2009, 03:00 PM	#4
thejigsup Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Gender: Female Age: 53 Posts: 4,127	Things have gotten much more expensive in the last year or so. I haven't much money left, either. No one has.