This is a personal log entry for my 30-day budget challenge. You can also keep me honest by tracking my current activity page.
We're just into Phase 3 of the Budget Challenge. First off, an apology — I had the lack of foresight to schedule this challenge while I'd be out of town for 10 days. I'm used to working from the road, but this was already a working holiday, many beers were bought for me, and the rest of the trip was spent travelling with my 1-year-old (those parts did not crossover with the beer parts, so please don't call social services).
I actually behaved myself.
This has been a strange challenge, because it's the first challenge I'm not really doing for me. I wanted to practice what I preached with the e-book, but the simple truth is that I've been down this road before. I do stupid, impulsive things, to be sure, but my money habits are decent.
Oddly, behaving was almost easier on the trip. Our daughter is one, so she doesn't ask us to buy anything, and she keeps us too busy to buy things for ourselves. I was also at an industry conference where I know a ton of people, so I realized after 4 days that the only thing I had paid for was a cab ride. Budget Tip: It's good to be famous ;)
Habit-building really works.
I think the lesson in this challenge, for myself, is that money is one area where the habits I've built really do work. I'm used to counting in "real dollars", for example, and I don't make big purchases without thinking about what else I could do with the money. I'm not saying my decisions are 100% practical and mature, but I stop and think about it, and that makes a huge difference.
The good news, and the advice I'd really like to get across in this challenge, is that while these changes can be really tough at first, they get easier. Build the habits one at a time — even if they don't stick in 30 days, pick one or two and go back and keep trying. Once something is a habit, it's a lot easier, and you'll find yourself making better decisions automatically.
We're officially in Phase 3.
In a way, I think this last phase is the easiest and maybe even the most fun. I want you to start taking charge of your financial decisions, and that means picking a priority and a big goal. The goal could be something you really want, like a dream vacation. This isn't about deprivation — it's about motivation.
If you're still with me, let me know how it's going in the comments.
