I’ve been a very naughty ninja lately. I’m breaking one of my most important PF rules: Manage your money. For the first time, in a long freaking time, I don’t have a handle on my financial situation. It’s a very odd/disturbing/uncomfortable feeling….but kind of freeing too. I just need to set aside a few hours to check my bank accounts, do a little Mint reconciling, and spend some time with my TI-83. Then I should be back to normal.
Typically, I’m totally obsessed with knowing where my money is going, and when it is going there. This means if I have $5,000 in my checking account and $2,000 in charges on my credit card bill, I would immediately transfer $2,000 to my online savings account so that money can start earning a higher yield than my checking account. This would leave $3,000 in my checking. I’d eventually send $2,000 to my credit card, to pay that bill in full when it came due, which leaves me with my reserve $1,000 for emergencies.
But I’ve been a bad boy, and haven’t initiated any bank transfers lately. I know I have a redonkulous balance on my credit card (travel, travel, and more travel) and an even more redonkulous sum of money in my checking account (approaching $10,000 I think). I know that my checking exceeds my credit card statement, but I don’t know by how much.
Right now, I’m the perfect example of WHAT NOT TO DO when it comes to managing your money. Tomorrow, I’m buckling down and figuring all this mess out so I can ease the financial anxiety I’ve been feeling these last couple weeks.
Am I going to PF hell for letting my finances get away from me? Do even you BUDGET NAZIS get a little lazy sometimes? How do you keep your money moving, even when you don’t have the time to sit down and tell it where to go? What software/method do you use? Slap some sense in to me will ya?!
I know many of you will suggest establishing automatic payments, but auto payments are not my thing…they freak me out.
My favorite nail yesterday (be warned vegetarians): https://manteresting.com/nail/83980
