Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Danielle's Saving Style

So for all six (hooray!) of you who read this blog regularly, you know that I'm going to Paris with my boyfriend in the middle of March. Sure, maybe not the ideal time, but after having lived in Paris for a year, and 9 (okay, maybe eight) of those months were gray and dreary, I am fully prepared for whatever weather Paris decides to throw at me.

However, because we're going to Paris, I need to be on a SERIOUS budget. I will be the first to admit that I spend way too much money. Especially on silly frivolous things that I don't need at all (clothes, Starbucks, makeup that I don't wear, etc.). I have good saving habits, but horrible spending ones. Therefore, I've decided that I need to make a concerted effort to make sure that I actually have some money in the bank at the end of this year.

I joined Mint, a site that helps you manage all of your finances. It's only been a few days, so I can't really say much about the site now, but Mint will send you weekly emails and will keep track of your finances so that you can see just how much you spend a day. It also allows you to keep a budget for the month, with allocations for shopping, entertainment, food, gas, etc. Best of all, it's free! We'll see how well it works.

As for now, I have put myself on a veeery skinny budget. I recently went grocery shopping for food so that I don't have to buy myself daily $10 lunches. I have put myself on a "shopping diet" until I go to France. I will do my own manicures. I also received some very lovely Christmas presents including clothes, books, and a KITCHENAID MIXER {I'd been wanting one for years}, and I'm pretty sure I have some arts and crafts stuff around the apartment. I also have law school applications so really, I don't need to spend any more money.

Also, though this is not a fashion blog (really, this is not a subject-related blog at all), I will be setting up an Ebay shop within the next week or so. I can promise lots of goodies, so stay tuned!

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