The vanishing money syndrome

Ever wonder where all the money went? I had 40.00 dollars, where did it go? I fought with this for years, the vanishing money syndrome. The only thing that cured this was creating a budget. I allow myself some cash every week to buy items if I wish; I keep it minimal to $20.00 a week.

I will admit I am still not great at creating a budget and it is an on going learning process, but knowing where your money is going seems to create more of it! I also learned that I was the one in my wallet. All kind of impulse buys on junk such as pop and trinkets that I didn’t need, and from fundraisers my kids were always peddling from the school. I have had to learn to just say no!

How do I do this without feeling guilty?

• I give to organizations that I support, so I can say no. Sorry.

• I also remind myself that buying pizza or candy at an over inflated price does nothing good for my wallet or waistline.

• I throw away sale flyers, catalogs, and junk mail. I was a “good deal” buyer and these sale flyers always made me spend more. There is always a good deal somewhere.

And finally if you really need the $5.00 candy, you can use your weekly cash allowance!