I am really turning over new leafs, I started a diet plan and one of these days I am going to join that new fabulous gym and start swimming. Baby steps. So as you already know I am living in a gorgeous home (my personal opinion) with the love of life, living the social dream of dining, chatting, happy houring with my best girls, my sister and her hubby, great couples and even a few rando family members thrown in there here and there. Loving the life I live!! Well this life is a lot more expensive than I thought it was. I am by no means a frivolous spender, most of my stylish wardrobe stems from vintage Nordstrom rack (yes last season can be vintage if I want it to) and Couture Target…they have real designers now and sometimes I believe I got the very last and only sweater dress that was ever made, lay off me. The point is, I clip coupons for groceries and I don’t spend money that I don’t have…until a HH or restaurant date comes along, then I go on what appears to be a food and beverage spending spree. I.HAD.NO.IDEA. I have gotten out of control!!
And I wonder why I am 30lbs overweight.
How did I come to this analysis? This epiphany? This shocking truth? Well, I am obsessed with balancing my checkbook so I honestly thought that I knew where all my money was going down to the very last penny. A gal pal at work noticed and wanted to know why I wasn’t using any financial tools to help me. I know, for many of you what I just said took us on a one way train to Nerdville, but it is actually in line with what I do at the job I hate so hear me out, I promise you will love this. The site is http://www.mint.com/ and let me tell you after I had the initial anxiety induced panic attack I came to realize I am going to love this AND it is going to help me lose weight. It’s like Momma just doubled-down in a game of Texas Hold’em! Mint.com takes all your finances (banks, credit cards, loans, mortgage, etc.) and puts it into one very pretty system and then categorizes your spending. It is 100% secure! Trust me, I would not share my information if I had not done the foot work to know that it is secured! It is sponsored by big companies like AMEX/Discover/Cap One because they all offer services that can help dig you out of debt, consolidate or finance…but you don’t need to buy those services to use the website. Ok nerd glasses off, back to why I love it. So I import my bank, my car, my credit card. Step 1 complete. I review the Transactions log and make sure everything is categorized correctly. Step 2 complete. I go to review the stats from last month for trending and BOOM! Fell out of my G.D. chair! I spent $767 on Food and Beverage last month. WTF! WTF! Seriously?? I mean I know it was the last month of summer and I was out of town like every weekend but SERIOUSLY?!?!?! I AM A GORDO! That is disgusting! How did this happen? Well I will break it down for you and you will see how easy it is to rack ‘em stack ‘em…$322 Restaurants, $122 Bars, $242 Groceries, $36 Fast Food, $34 Coffee and bringing up the rear $8.69 in “Other”. Don’t ask, because I don’t know and literally my eyes are popping at the big numbers so I could care less about a measly $8.69. So I set up budgets and threw in a few goals. No more playing games, I am going to limit myself in each category to reasonable limits AND I am going to enable the text message alerts to tell me when I have almost reached my budget in said categories.
This sounds fantastic right? It is, except for one little tinsy, winsy issue for September. According to my new rules and budget limits I only have $20 left to spend at the grocery and $8 left to spend at restaurants! I am going to starve and possible die of boredom on the weekends for the rest of the month!! What is a Chunky Socialite to do?!? $28 for 15 more days? I can do it. I know I can. I can do this.
Fabulous body and plentiful bank account, YESSIR!!!…Look out folks, cause there is a new Sherriff in town.
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