Recently, I heard a news segment that said the average household is not prepared for an emergency expense. In fact, most people polled said that they fell in the paycheck to paycheck cycle. I found this to be interesting and began to wonder; Am I prepared? If something were to happen, would I be ready? Where does it all go? This year instead of a New Year’s Resolution, I decided to experiment and do a little investigating into my own finances.
CHALLENGE RULES:
- Pay living expenses.
- Take out estimated amount needed for two weeks.
- No additional withdrawals! No Credit Cards! No Debit Cards! Cash ONLY!!!!
- Keep all receipts for daily tracking.
- Any overage at the end of each week MUST be deposited directly into Savings.
I’m not going to lie the first couple weeks; it was hard to cut out those impulse buys from McDonald’s, vending machines, even the occasional $0.99 digital book or DVD rental. After the first couple weeks, I could see those dollars really add up. Instead I watched what I already owned, re-read a book I remembered enjoying and chewed A LOT of gum. Here we are in the beginning of February and I am pleased to announce that I have been pretty successful.
So far, my savings has increased by about $100 and I have enough in cash to get me through the end of the month. My husband was so impressed by the 3rd week, he has agreed to try it this month! I’m going to keep going as well and I would encourage you to give it a try. It’s a lesson in spending habits and answers that question that we all sometimes ask ourselves, ”Where does it all go?”
January is already gone, but it’s not too late to start your year off on the right foot. Apprisen has been in service for more than 60 years. Our agency prides itself on our commitment to assisting our clients at all stages of their financial lives. If you are interested in finding out how to get back on track with your money or take yourself to the next level, just give us a call.
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