Cha-ching!

I’m a very responsible person when it comes to money, but paying tuition for the past year without taking out any loans has really taken a toll on my financial situation. I feel like I’m constantly behind, always playing catch up. I received a paycheck today, and after taking care of a few necessary bills I realized I’ve really dug myself into a hole. Even with careful planning, it could take me six months to crawl out of it.

However, upon a further careful review of my bank statement, it turns out that maybe I haven’t been being so responsible after all. Since I finished school a few weeks ago it seems like my life has been even crazier than before… but in a good way. I’ve been able to spend time with friends and family and take a ton weekend trips. But as my social life soared, my bank account plunged.

When you’re busy every weekend and in the evenings after work, it’s hard to find time to grocery shop and cook. You meet friends for happy hour and dinner, so you don’t have any leftovers. Which means you buy lunch at work. And after a close examination, I realized that in the past month I’ve donated more than $150 to the restaurant and bar industry. And now, with the fresh taste of high APRs in my mouth, none of it seems worth it.

I’ve simply got to get back on track. I’ve already turned down several lunch and coffee outing offers this week, and I can hear the cha-ching of those dollars dropping into my savings account. And for the first time in far too long, I spent quality time at the grocery store, taking the time to plan out full healthy meals instead of grab and go stuff. On Sunday, I spent an hour chopping up vegetables to mix up and eat with whole grain wraps for lunch this week. Delish.
I think with a little self control, I can definitely nip this in the bud. But yeesh, the world sure is expensive! I recently attended the “complimentary training session” offered to new members at my gym. I got in a decent 15 minute workout with the trainer and was really feeling excited… until she dropped the bomb on me. Personal training at my gym costs $70 a session. That’s $140 an hour! Um… do doctors even get paid that much money?! I resisted the urge to laugh in the trainer’s face and walked away to check the complimentary class schedule.

The nice thing about being on an exercise kick is that it leaves me much less time to be tempted by happy hours and other money sucking social activities. And hey, working out can be done with a buddy, too! So, note to self: Whenever someone presents you with an activity that involves spending unnecessary bucks, throw them a curve ball and offer up a walk around the lake or a Cardio Jam class, followed by a BBQ of yummy food at your place. Cha-ching!