She Works Hard For The Money

Summer is expensive.

Nice weather means so many more things to do, places to go and people to see, all of which cost money. Whether it be buying extra food to bring to a backyard barbecue or taking a spontaneous trip, I always tend to spend more during the three months of summer than I do any other time of year (with the exception being Christmas). This year I realized more than ever that I was constantly on the go which is fantastic because I have so many summer memories, but I have to remind myself to keep an eye on my bank account and make sure I don't spend frivolously, which is something I do need to improve on. Now that summer is winding down, I plan on focusing more on creating a personal budget to reflect my life. 

My Budgeting Goals:

• Have a Bill Calendar- I'm guilty of charging things to my credit cards to get certain deals or gain points and then later forgetting all about it until the bill arrives at my door 4 weeks later. Now I plan on writing down these purchases in my calendar or planner to remind myself to set money aside so I'm not shocked or unprepared when the bill comes. 
• Continue to Save- I put a portion of my paycheck directly into my savings account every two weeks. I'm hoping that as the years continue and I (hopefully) move myself up the workforce ladder I can continue to put money away.
• Create a Travel Fund- something I've been considering for awhile is creating a second "savings account" solely for travel expenses. This will allow me to place any extra cash (as little as $10) away at any given time to cover any future travel expenses. These past two years I have been doing a lot more traveling and plane tickets/hotels can be expensive so this little fund can help ease expenses when they arrive.
• Budget Long and Short-Term- I've gotten better at this but I want to make smarter choices with my money. Sometimes I get a little trigger happy when my paycheck arrives and I immediately am tempted to head to the mall but by writing down my short and long term expenses I can better curb these temptations. 

What are your budgeting tips?

xoxo