Returning to the Challenge

Some recent changes in my life have prompted me to start this lil' old blog up again. I'm not broke, but need to make some changes. Don't ever think I'm saying I'm broke. Rather, I want to put myself in a position where I am less likely to become broke.

I had finally gotten to a point where I was slightly more than comfortable. My income was greater than my monthly bills and I had room to spend. So I would spend. I stopped keeping track of what I was spending, and while I never overspent necessarily, I didn't save.

Now, my career situation has changed and I won't be as comfortable. I don't want to rely on credit cards again and I don't want to sacrifice contributions to my retirement account so that I can make monthly expenses. I've taken on a second job and am willing to fight the good fight.

My style is one of accountability and owning up. I don't hide my spending habits. I don't complain about being broke as an excuse not to do things. It's all open. Anyone can search a database to see my salary and I never pretend to make or less than I do. I don't buy a lot of extra "stuff" like I once did, but that doesn't mean I completely deny myself any pleasure out of life.

BUT.

There are some things I want better control and accountability over. Last time I did this blog, it helped. Sharing ALL my financial choices meant I had to back them up. If I felt defensive about something, it helped me evaluate WHY I was feeling that way and make changes. If I felt sick to my stomach writing about something, there was cause to reconsider.

So, here I go again.