As I was digging through my piles (and piles) of books last night, I came across Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today? Its premise is similar to what I do in my weekly Daily Dollars posts except author Kate Bingaman Burt sketches one thing she’s purchased every day. In the introduction, Kate mentions that she struggled, as I did, with documenting all of her purchases for fear of being judged or changing her habits based on those judgments. We both clearly got over it.

I find it very interesting where people spend their money and I think it says a lot about how they prioritize their life so I found the book to be insightful and very meta. It’s also kind of inspiring if you’re interested in getting a hold on your finances. I know that documenting my spending habits has been a real eye-opener and helped me to identify when and where I was wasting money (not that I still don’t on occasion).

She hasn’t updated her blog in several months, but I think the Kate and I would get along smashingly.

Do you document your spending habits? Either in a general budget or a more detailed ledger?

Just some random thoughts after reading a slue of personal finance blogs over the past few days. Thoughts?

There are certain assumptions that some people make when they learn that others live paycheck to paycheck. These are some of my observations and some of the judgments I’ve felt.

• they are financially irresponsible
• they are uneducated
• they work a menial job
• they don’t save
• they spend frivolously
• they don’t know how to budget

I live paycheck to paycheck and I don’t consider myself any of those things.

• I know where every penny of my money is spent
• I have a master’s degree from a Big 10 University (and the student loans to prove it)
• I have a professional career
• I have an emergency account and pay myself first every payday
• I consider purchases carefully
• I’d argue that I’m much more budget conscious than those with money out of sheer necessity

Do you live paycheck to paycheck? (No judgment, obviously.) Do you have a rebuttal? Do you get defensive, (admittedly) as I do? Do you get the same vibe? Do you feel that these are lessening or getting worse as more and more people are living paycheck to paycheck?

Lost or stolen, there are financial repercussions when an item goes missing. Whether it’s a laptop, a phone, or a library book; the cost of replacement is going to impact your budget.

But I’ve noticed a trend – people losing things and saying they have been stolen.

Someone says their laptop was stolen but it was really left on a plane. Someone says their iPhone was stolen but it was really left in a grocery cart. Just because something hasn’t been returned to you doesn’t mean it’s not sitting in a lost and found somewhere. Do we really think that poorly of people? Does it makes us feel better to lay the blame on someone else?

And I won’t even mention the Twitter storm when someone leaves something someplace and blames the retailer/airline/restaurant for its disappearance.

In the words of Kris Humphries (yes, I’m quoting Kim Kardashian’s estranged husband): You shouldn’t own anything you can’t afford to lose.

And I’d add: Or would accuse someone of stealing if lost.

Thoughts?

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You know how whenever you move into a new apartment or house you always need something? No matter how fully stocked and functional your last home was there’s always a closet that needs a shelf, a bathroom that needs a rug, or a light fixture that needs a bulb in a different wattage. Well, my divorce is final and my (ex) husband moved out last weekend and I’ve noticed that I’m severely lacking some necessities and want to do some redecorating for a fresh start.

Since money isn’t exactly plentiful, I’ve separated my list into things I’ve purchased, need, and want.

Things I’ve Purchased:

• new bedding – sheets, pillows, bedspread
• silverware

Things I Need:

• towels
• lamps – bedroom and living room
• mattress topper

Things I Want:

• area rug
• bedroom curtains
• kitchen curtains
• artwork for kitchen and living room
• living room television
• living room furniture

What was on your list of priorities the last time you moved (or got divorced)?

I’m broke. Way broke. Definitely broker than a spoke.

So, I’m going all war-time with a new personal mantra to get me through. I even found a blogger, The Non-Consumer Advocate, who uses the snappy little saying as the theme to her entire blog.

What gets you through the tough times? Do you have an inspirational quote or saying that you focus on?

Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or do without!

All this holiday talk already! I’m super excited about the holidays this year – I’ll be traveling back home to Chicago for Thanksgiving and my family is visiting Austin from Chicago and New York for Christmas. I can’t wait to start decorating and baking and it’s never too early to start thinking of ways to save money. Here are ten tips to make your holiday planning budget friendly:

1. There’s only 12 weeks until Christmas – which means only 6 paychecks for most of us. Make your holiday budget early and set aside cold hard cash to pay for things like gifts, party supplies, and travel. The  more thorough you are with your planning, the more likely you are to stick to your budget.

2. One of the highlights of the holidays is the (over) abundance of baked goods. If you’re doing the baking this Christmas, remember that bulk ingredients and finished baked goods freeze like a dream. You’ll save money by buying in larger quantities and be able to start your baking earlier knowing that your famous sugar cookies will taste just as good as the day on Christmas day as on the day you baked them.

3. Order your Storkie Christmas cards early (I aim to have mine ready to address by Thanksgiving) so that you can address one or two whenever you have a free minute. They’ll be ready to mail before you know it and your holiday greetings will arrive before the snow melts. Place your order with Strokie now, and you’ll have your customized cards before Halloween. Now that’s planning ahead.

4. You’re bound to stumble across some great sales throughout the year, so stash those purchases in your trunk or the back of your closet. Whether you’re buying gifts, decorations, or supplies for your big holiday gathering, you’ll avoid sticker shock come November if you spread your purchases out throughout the year.

5. If you’re shopping online, be sure to order early to avoid rush shipping charges!

6. Make your holiday dinners pot-luck! Have everyone bring their specialty and you’ll cut your budget and the stress of having to cook every dish at the table. All it takes is a festive email a few weeks in advance and a little ego stroking to get your great aunt to bring her famous egg nog.

7. Personalize your holiday cards with a handwritten message and a family photo. It’s a cheap and easy way to amp up the holiday cheer and show family and friends that you care. Storkie has a great collection of photo Christmas cards to customize for less than the price of a store-bought greeting card. Holy Swirls is my favorite – it’s modern and festive without being too Christmas-y.

8. Do your research. I know most people don’t recommend using credit around the holidays (heck, I recommended using cash only in this very post) but if you have a credit card with a great cash back program or airline mileage rewards and you have the cash on hand to pay the bill in full (that’s the key!) then definitely take advantage of those savings!

9. Decide who you truly want/need to buy gifts for. Buying for everyone and their brother isn’t budget-friendly nor do the gifts mean as much to you or the recipient.

10. Stock up on gift cards – especially if you can get them at a discount by purchasing online or in packs of 3 or more. If you’re anything like me, you’ll mistakenly overlook someone important and gift cards to a great last minute present to have on hand. Who doesn’t like gift cards?

How do you plan ahead for the holiday season? Are you excited to start planning this year?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy with any questions.

Oh boy. Those financial goals I laid out in January are really coming back to haunt me. In April, I gave an optimistic Q1 update. In July, the Q2 update was peppered with a reality check. And here we are headed into the home stretch.

Just like the previous quarters, they’ll be some adjustments going forward. The divorce is almost final, finances are 90% separated, and October is the first month that I’m back to a single paycheck (and an ex-husband that hopefully fulfills his commitment to helping me pay down our joint debt).

Here’s what I had planned for July, August, and September:

• Pay car loan (Corolla) in full
• Pay Chase (1 of 3) in full
• Continue regular contributions to 401k
• Hold emergency fund steady at $2,000
• Begin separating finances and saving independently

Here’s what I accomplished.

• Car loan ( Corolla) paid in full
• Maximized 401k contributions (4% annually with company matching)
• Increased emergency fund to $3,000
• Finances 90% separated

Things have definitely improved on several fronts, but there are still some big goals left to tackle in Q4:

• Pay Chase (1 of 3) down by 50%
• Continue regular contributions to 401k
• Increase emergency fund to $4,000

And if I happen to win the lottery before the end of the year:

• Max out year Roth IRA contribution
• Pay Chase (1 of 3) in full

So, how have you done reaching your financial goals this year? Do you have any goals for the rest of the year?