Read over some of my journal articles. Without the journal, if someone would have asked me, I would have said same ole ole. I've done quite of financial manuevering without really realizing it.

But really, my life is a bit on the routine side. Weekdays are coffee, work and work with lunch in between, then a walk up 7 blocks of downtown Seattle, then a 40 minute bus ride, surfing the net, then sleep, then repeat. Weekends are a bit looser, with sleeping late, errands, groceries, cooking meals to last the week for the DH and me, and a bit of shopping.

I think a routine is my secret weapon for saving money. If you have a physical routine, you also probably have a mental routine, and with those two its got to be much easier to have a spending routine, and then with a spending routine, its a whole lot easier (and more pleasant) to figure out your budget. It also means that if I have to save even more money, I can figure out an even cheaper way to go through my routine. (Lunch, sad to say, would be the first to go).

If I'm shopping, I can keep an eye on the price of something and come back next week. Just the thought that I will be back next Saturday to get that item means that I eliminate the "I gotta get it, I won't be back again" spending. If I want the item, I can think about whether I can really use it all week. When I go back, its either still there and probably on sale. If its not there, I've dodged a spending bullet.

Spending log - $1.75 coffee + 9 lunch (I've got a punch card from this place, next one's free)
Saving log - $4.00 tip box