Change #3

This is probably the most important of my goals. My financial goals. Right now, I pay my bills, and then I spend. It's like, if I have any extra, I think of what I can buy with it, and then it's gone. Every two weeks, this cycle repeats. So then, if things come up, or I absolutely have to have something, I use credit. Well, this is not working for me anymore. It's irresponsible, and almost embarrassing. So, there a number of things that I am going to accomplish starting now!

1. I have 8 credit cards that I need to pay off, I will pay of at least 5 of them next year. I had NO IDEA how much credit card debt I had, until I sat down and added everything up last week.

2. I will only pay cash for things I purchase. If I can't pay cash, I will not purchase. This is another one of those things, I do well, I think I've figured it out, and then I start using credit again. And before I know it, it spirals out of control. I am too old to keep making the same mistakes.

3. I will save $25 dollars a month that I do not touch for any reason. I need to build up some type of emergency fund. When things come up now, I use credit to deal with it. I need to get to a point where I don't have to use credit for anything. I know $25 isn't much, but with paying off credit cards, it's what I can afford.

I have created an excel spreadsheet with my monthly bills and have created a budget. It is going to be tough, but I have to do this. I cannot keep living check to check. My finances have gotten to the point that I'm stressing about them, and that is not ok.