Actively Awesome

In normal Aries fashion…  I love starting a hundred projects and maybe half get done when I want them to.   So as I embark on my final year of my twenties, I have made it a goal to learn to focus on a few tasks at a time and not to start something new until I have completed something.  

My goal for April is to finally get a handle on making and sticking to my budget.  I was introduced to Mint, but wasn’t using it often enough to really get an accurate gauge on my spending. Finally the last few months I have been learning a lot about how make a budget and track it correctly.  

Here are some tips to help get spending under control:

- The last week of the month, I start looking at what I have going on the next month. (bills, special engagements and other things that might cause unusual spending)

- Make a list of your bills and what needs to be set aside for that.  (I make a spreadsheet with amount and dates so I always have it and it is easy to follow) 

- Estimate money spent on food, gas and other necessities. 

- Anything left over can be budgeted for entertainment and savings.  (I automatically include savings in my budget so I can start building my saving instead of just using what is left)

-  Check budget and recalculate often…  (I check Mint almost as often as I check my bank account.   I make sure things are categorized were I instead for them to be and that I am on track with my spending) 

With all my do-diligence I am going to end my month on a high note and in the green instead of the red.  Now that I got my budgets all set-up and accurately tracking how I would like them to, I can start focusing some of my attention on the next thing I want to accomplish.