Money is Mine in 2009 - and can be yours!

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So did some math today and it looks like if all goes as planned I will be debt free in 2009 or Money will be all mine in 2009! Ok what does that have to do with you and with turning green?? Lots! Let me tell ya - freeing up your money allows you to do some really great things for yourself and the environment. It has been a really long hard row to hoe for me - it has taken about 4 years to do this and I've learned some valuable lessons along the way.
1st thing you DO NOT need all that crap! Oh I mean priceless treasures :) it's easy when you are oh say in college or otherwise and you go to the grocery store and if you see a cool DVD or video game or if it's Target or Wal-Mart and you see a new shirt or new electronic thingamajiggy that you just HAVE to have RIGHT NOW and you have a shiny piece of plastic that can take care of it to just charge it. You went in there for groceries and came out with groceries and a new shirt and a new DVD or some cleaning stuff or makeup you "forgot" you needed. SOOOO easy to do that because using plastic takes away the pain of spending cash.
In some instances it is handy and can be useful to use plastic. In my case the majority of my debt was charged while I was in college and needed books and didn't have the $600 - $700 I needed up front for books every semester (I was a Biology Major), and I went to school for 6 years (I really loved school - big nerd I know).
By the time I graduated I had lots of unsecured debt but no school loans (thank you for paying for my schooling gov't!) still not sure if that's a good or bad thing but it is what it is. There was of course the small things that were bad purchases while in school - we were all poor college kids and every now and then it was nice to go out to eat a nice meal - guess where that went? on the card... yep and of course the scenario above I mentioned happened a couple times too.
However the one smart thing I did was always pay more than the minimum balance and keep my balance well below my limit. I do have a particularly vile ex to thank for finding my path to financial freedom. Shortly after graduation the ex decided to steal my credit card and charge up $2,000 on it (yes we were together at the time although not for long), I tried to fight it because I was out of town on business at the time so obviously couldn't charge anything since I haven't mastered time travel yet, but the credit card company fought back and unfortunately I didn't know then what I know now and they won. This sent the rest of my bills into a tailspin of higher and higher % rates and higher and higher payments - for those in similar situations or even just dealing with this - never fear there is help! MSN Money has TONS of info on finance, investing, credit cards, and can help you become financially free too. I started doing my research and started digging myself out of my hole.
Soooo here I am 4 years later almost free and with LOADS of knowledge on these things. Here are 5 tips..
1. Budget, Budget, Budget - no it's a not a dirty word and one of your budget categories can be FUN MONEY! to do with as you please - it will take a while to get it right but keep trying - my personal favorite is the 60% solution.
2. Manage your Food - this means ONLY shop off a list, go once a week, plan your meals and give yourself a specified $$ amount per week for eating out and get that money in cash - when it's gone no more eating out that week. Taking lunches from home and cooking dinner not only tastes better but is healthier, $$ friendly, and fun.
3. Keep a checkbook register and update daily (takes 5 min). This is how your grandma did it and guess what? She was right - checking your balance online is fine but it doesn't help you when you've paid bills or made purchases that haven't posted yet and you will think you have more money than you really have. Need help? talk to your bank about it they can show you how.
4. Schedule weekly money hour- once a week sit down with your checkbook register and set a date or two to pay bills, I do it the 1st and 15th, pay any bills that need to be paid, make menus and a grocery list for that week, recheck your budget see where you need to tighten up or loosen up, and work on your savings plan (retirement, debt payoff, investments, emergency funds). Taking an hour once a week for money management can put years of life back in you - imagine how stress free you would be if things were planned and you were debt free or at least working on getting there!
5. MOST IMPORTANT!! :O) Consider the environment - replace bulbs with CFCs, install programmable thermostats, turn off lights when not in room. Use environmentally friendly dish soap to clean not just dishes but floors, table tops, counters or earth friendly multi - purpose cleaner for kitchens, bathrooms, and elsewhere. Use only cold water to wash clothes (yes whites still come out clean - I do wash this way now), turn down your water heater temp. Recycle, Re-use, Reduce - LESS IS MORE people!! less waste = more $$$ in your pocket. That's the main point of it all - turning green can give you more green in your pocket to do more things with and give you a peaceful state of mind too! Have a great day - catch ya next time
Peace
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