Money talk.

In general, I like to consider myself a pretty responsible person. I try to be as punctual as possible and follow through on commitments. There is one area of my life where I could be way more responsible, though, and that's with my finances.

I feel like I have made some very responsible financial decisions. Since I started working full time, every pay day, a portion of my paycheck goes directly into my savings account. I'm totally used to not having that money, so I don't miss it when every other week it's just not in my checking account. When I check in on my savings once every few months, I'm always happily surprised at how it's grown! That's not to say I haven't dipped into it on occasion, but that's what it's there for, when big unexpected things come up (or when I have the opportunity to fly across the country to see of Montreal...). Sometimes I like to imagine what I'm saving up for and that makes me more eager to save - lately it's been dreams of a house. I feel like another responsible thing I did was pay off my student loans as fast as I could. That interest is a killer!!! I don't have the crazy expenses some of my peers have (children, weddings, a house, etc.) and I'm fortunate to have a good job in my field, so I spent as much as I could on student loans to just get rid of them. It SUCKED. For 3 years, 75% of my awesome tax return checks went to them. But I'm so glad now that I don't have to worry about them!!

Here's where my irresponsibility comes in. As probably all of you know, I am NOT the neatest person on the block. When I get change back at the store (1 dollar bills and coins) I usually just stuff it in my pocket or my bag and don't bother putting it back in my wallet. I almost always use my debit card, but sometimes I have cash. Every once in a great while I clean out my pockets and bags I take to work. EVERY TIME I take out wads of dollar bills. The change bugs me cuz it's loud, so I take that out more often but it only ends up on my washing machine or on my kitchen table or somewhere else strewn all over my apartment. At one point, I was tired of just seeing change all over the place, and I decided: any change that I don't immediately put in my change jar and find just sitting around is going into my HOBY donation jar. I thought hey, this will make me be more responsible! I'll be sick of so much spare change going somewhere else and not into my epic change jar (even though it was going to a great place!) I'll start being responsible and putting my change away immediately! How did that work, you ask? Not well. I mean, it worked out pretty decently for HOBY Oregon. I extended the rule to dollar bills I'd find wadded up in the bottom of my bag or laying on the ground after taking it out of my pockets to do laundry or folded up in my backpack after far away hiking adventures. I figured, I didn't notice it was gone, I learned to live without that extra money so to say, so I didn't NEED it back. It would be better off helping somebody else. I really thoroughly cleaned my apartment last spring and found about $50. What the heck is my problem?! Who just LOSES $50 throughout a 900 square foot apartment?! I realized I had problem. A $10 bill that fell under my bed. Two handfuls of change that I just kept randomly emptying out in my little mail holder. It made me a lot more conscious and responsible about my "loose change." For the most part. I still kinda like finding a random quarter and putting it in my donation jar but it's so much more rare now that sometimes I make the decision to put my change into my donation jar instead of my personal change jug. (Un)Fortunately my donation jar would be pretty empty if I didn't!

I also am about to try something new. I feel like sometimes I just don't pay attention to my bank account or budget money. If I feel like buying something I just buy it. That can be a very dangerous. I need to do a better job of recognizing and allotting allowances for specific things. One thing I tend to always do on a whim is buy concert tickets. I'm going to make a MUCH more conscious effort at NOT doing this. I decided and announced that whenever I buy a concert ticket, I will also spend that amount of money on a charity or cause I believe in. That way it kind of forces me to make sure I can afford it and have money available, and benefits a needy organization! I don't donate enough money as it is, and I certainly can afford to donate more, so this helps in both of those areas. I will be trying to find good organizations to donate to, so if you have ideas or organizations, let me know!

I feel like I need to apologize here. I'm sorry if you read this thinking "hey I'm gonna get great money saving tips here!" because this contained none of those. A bit of me thinking out loud, organizing my thoughts, announcing my intentions so I can be held accountable, and just some things I've done to try and maybe not save more money but become more financially responsible! It's all about what works for you :)