20 Ways I Blow My Budget
1. Ordering Appetizer and Entre’ - I never finish them and they just make me fat and uncomfortably full.
2. Drinking Out - It’s fun to go out with friends, but so so not worth it right now. I can have some friends over and talk them into bringing the beer because its MY house.
3. Going To Movies - $10 a ticket! This is getting ridiculous! There’s no excuse for that when we have a dollar theater down the road.
4. Cable TV - But man I love me some American Idol! And I got a good deal from Direct TV.
5. Clothes - I tend to rip holes in just about ever piece of clothing I ever own. Done it ever since I was a kid…I don’t know what the heck happens.
6. Having Debt - Oh! But not for long! It’s been a good thing that I had the available credit when starting a business, but it starts to get to you before too long.
7. Bottled Water - I really really really like water. Always have, Always will. I just don’t like tap water. luckily, I just bought a really nice water purifier, so that expense should stop.
8. Starbucks - This would be the one and only way my wife blows the budget. She really is very good with money, but LOVES some coffee.
9. Text Messaging - Somehow I get to the end of the month and I’m like “WHAT? How did I send 1200 text messages??”
10. Gas - My wife has a bit of a Gas Guzzler, and her car is better than mine so we always take it places. Plus, it has about 80K less miles on it.
11. The Expensive Dog Food - Turns out, unless your pup is in a dog show, the difference will be unnoticeable and expensive.
11. The Expensive Shampoo - Same reason…you’re not going to enter a dog show, are you?
13. Buying Books - the library is always free! and if you can’t find it there, there’s always BooksPrice.com.
14. Ordering Coke or Beer at Restaurants - A Coke is like $2.50 now! Beers are worse, but I have this place called
15. The Carwash - I would wash my car at home, but I live in Georgia and there’s practically NO water. So it’s illegal to wash my car and my only options are to have a dirty dirty car or to go pay to have washed somewhere that recycles and reuses their water.
16. “Wasting Time” Shopping - Or shopping for fun. This used to be a favorite pastime for my wife and I. We would go to the mall or Target or PetSmart and blow cash.
17. Starbucks - I don’t drink coffee and for some reason, the idea of $4 for a little cup is ridiculous to me.
18. Overdraft Fees - Oh Boy! One time, a check cleared about 2 days before it normally does, and I used me debit card 10 TIMES! That’s $350 in overdraft fees.
19. Amazon.com - This is the same as shopping for fun for me. I like to know what new books and gadget are out there. I’ll see something cool and add it to my cart just to see how much it would all cost…then I talk myself into buying it all.
20. Cigars - I ran a cigar shop for about a year and I really do love to sit on my back porch with a cigar and a beer to wind down or hang out with buddies. Nothing beats it, and really not ALL THAT expensive for hours of enjoyment and socializing.
What is your ONE BIG expense that seems to get you all the time? What is your Budget Buster?
Did You Like This Post? Subscribe Here and join me on my journey!
February 25th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I found you on Small Business Trends. I am in my early thirties and trying to eliminate debt too. My husband and I are the worst impulse spenders. Your #16 applies to us big time especially in the Pennsylvania winters when there is nothing else to do. Eating out for us is a big expense too. Over the past 6 months, we have made huge improvements. Stick with it, it gets easier but just takes time. It’s faster to build debt than it is to pay it off. Good luck!
February 25th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Hey Amanda,
Thanks for coming by. It’s nice to meet other people in my same boat! With my own business, my income is going up and we’ve cut our lifestyle and expenses significantly. Also, I’m not much of a worrier so life is good and getting better!
March 5th, 2008 at 10:10 am
[...] my post on the 20 Ways I Blow My Budget I talked briefly about how easy it is to waste money when eating out. Since I’ve bought my [...]