Stale Green Light

The beginning is here.  It is now 2011 and it is time to start on that New Years resolution we talked about before.

The holidays are completely over, the eating must be controlled, schedules put back in order, and spending patterns back to frugality.  This all happens now that the new year has started and we need to start off on the right foot.

We now have several months before we need to start spending money on vacations and tuition so take this all important time to safely put away that paycheck every two weeks.  Schedules will help you curb your insane holiday spending sprees at the mall.

Now that vacation is over, everyday you will be at work and school, and for one month you will be at the gym a lot.  All that free time that you had for the past two weeks is long gone, which is actually a good thing – for your bank account at least.

Now you can get back to regular eating patterns and mundane schedules, where you keep track of everything you do and need to do.  Structure and stability are the key to financial success.

Put your money in the bank and let the interest add up in your savings account.  Keep track of you budget and stick to it!  You will appreciate  your frugality in a few months when you saved up enough to go to Cabo with your friends this summer.

The holidays are in full swing and that means that a lot of cash is being thrown down on presents, food, and travel costs.  The expenses add up really fast, and before you know it your savings account is drained in only two months time.

It is stressful and you wonder how you will recover and prepare for the next big things on the calendar; like tuition, summer plans, and and everything else that is just around the bend.  Well that is what New Years resolutions are for.

Make the commitment to cut back on spending and put your money away in a safe place every paycheck.   The expenses will slow down after the new year, and there should be no reason why you can’t build back up your savings in a few short months.

You just have to be safe and smart.  Take it day by day, and try to resist those little splurges while you are out running errands.

You probably don’t need those new shoes, and your can kids definitely wait for that $50 video game.  Christmas was the time for those things, but after the holidays pass you need to buckle down and look towards the future.

Budget your money wisely and try to put as much as you can into the bank every month.  If you can, put a large chunk into an interest bearing savings account so you are making money while doing nothing.

If you plan and take control, you can build your savings back up and get back to happy place where you are not completely stressed out about money.

Summer means a lot of different things for people.  It can mean vacationing, summer camps, relaxing poolside, barbecuing, or internships.

No matter what you are doing, the chances are your expenses go up a bit when the warm weather hits.  This means you probably need to brace yourself.

Whether you go on vacation, send your kids to camp, or you are a student yourself taking an internship in the big city, you have to pay for some kind of food and housing.

Before you commit to anything, you should check the costs involved.  With summer camps you pretty much pay a one time fee, ship the kids off, and don’t have to worry about it.

For vacations though, you need to figure in the cost of getting there, hotel accommodations, food, shopping, and transportation while there.  This stuff can add up fast so it is better to crunch the number before you get there.

With internships, paid or not, you most likely will need to figure out housing for a couple of months, food, transportation, and entertainment costs on the weekend.  For a student that can be lot.

Go online and look for deals on apartments and motels, and if you can find someone to share a place with so you can split the costs.  You should also check out public transit costs because driving in a big city is a nightmare, especially if you are not familiar with the area.

You should plan out a budget months before you go so you can start saving right away.  Make sure you round up on expenses and leave yourself a good cushion just in case something unexpected comes up.

Planning is the key to good budgeting.