The Non-Definitive Guide To Life

If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with rain" - Dolly Parton

Posts for saving money

Committing to the Dream…

ADVENTURES - September 26, 2014

I’m a dreamer and a doer. I know to accomplish what you set out to achieve takes hard work and dedication. But I tend to have commitment issues. I go for the easy more attainable goals first, and then let the big ones hang out against the wall. They can hang out for years, waiting for some TLC. Next week I start my road trip across the country, a big dream of mine that took more than just a few years to get to.

My family was all about road trip vacations, going to Palm Springs and Mammoth. Sometimes we’d jump in the car and head out on the road in the middle of the night. Aside from my terrible motion sickness, I loved being in the car on a trip. I’d stare out the window wondering about the people who lived in the houses, imagine epic tales that took place on the terrain, stop at the road side stands for fresh jerky and dates. Listening to my own walkman radio I’d imagine what road trips I’d go on as an adult, picking songs that I’d put on the soundtrack of my road trip.

The road trip day dreaming turned into an actual dream for my life, and for years I’d tell people how I’d want to travel the country collecting stories. Then about 3 years ago I finally decided I was going to do it. I was going to save money and drive across the country for 6 months, just to do it. Now this is where my dreams tend to get too big for my own britches. I was planning on saving enough money for 6 months on the road in just a year, without even having an actual goal on how much to save each month, just a rough idea of how much money I should have.

And as each month passed, the invisible savings of mine never grew. I met this great guy, and wasn’t sure if  I would want to leave him behind. I felt it would have been rude to leave my job after only being there a year. I made excuses, and I wasn’t putting forth the effort to make it real. I let the day to day, get in the way of making my dream a reality. I let myself down and it felt awful. By the time I would have left for my trip; I was ready to quit my job, the boy and I were strong, and I didn’t have any money to make it happen. So I let it go, and continued to have it just be this dream. A dream I always have, but never get any closer to…until now.

thewallmap

The thermometer was at $100 for a over year, and the card saying October 2014 is covering May 2012.

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Bank of Bekka

SNAIL MAIL - January 24, 2012

From the time until I was about 16 I would never spend money. I would go to the mall with my girlfriends, walk around Forever 21 and see lots of things I wanted. But I could never bring myself to buying anything. Constantly I would be looking at a necklace or pair of earrings going to is so cute, my friends would be like “how much is it?”

“ Oh it’s $4, I’m not going to buy it…”

Nothing could sway my stingy pockets, I would never spend a dime. Now I have the hardest time not spending money. Last week I took myself to Beauty and the Beast 3D, my favorite Disney princess; smart, sassy, weird , and kind. I could not pass up the chance to watch this movie again in the theaters, so I spent $12 on a ticket, which isn’t where I went wrong on my spending.  It was the small soda and the nachos which cost $10 that put me back, followed by a tall can of PBR later that night at a bar for $6 + $1 tip.

What does my Friday night total? Thirty Dollars! That is a full tank of gas! That is 4 hours of drive time, in my road trip spent on a MOVIE NIGHT (by myself).  I need to go back to the ways of the Bank of Bekka, back to the days of when my family would come to me for a $40 dollar loan. I was like a damn ATM machine, should have charged interest.

 

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