Sometimes I get the feeling that there’s something more I should be doing to achieve my goals faster. (Obviously if I had more money I wouldn’t be writing this.) I read my favorite personal finance sites every day (andthenwesaved, mint, learnvest, dailyworth, moneyning) to see if there are any new tips I haven’t heard before but alas, no. I mean, sure, there are things I could do but let’s be honest, I don’t really want to:
- Get a second job. My current job is already crazy and with unpredictable hours, so this just doesn’t seem feasible.
- End all subscriptions. magazines, nytimes.com, Netflix, Spotify. I really can’t break up with the last three because I use them every single day and they bring me such pleasure.
- Don’t eat out anymore. It’s hard enough already sticking to $200/month (I’m currently at $195 and there are still 10 days left this month). Also I think Dennis would break up with me.
- Quit the gym. I count this as a health necessity and plus it’s still too damn cold and icy outside to work out.
However, there are some things I have been thinking about doing but haven’t gotten around to yet:
- Cancel cable. Dennis and I would function totally fine with the free network channels, supplemented by Netflix, Hulu, and access to my parents’ HBOGo. The last time I tried to cancel cable, the Time Warner rep talked me into a cheaper package…perhaps this next time around I will be brave, stand my ground, and just say no to cable.
- End some magazine subscriptions. I currently subscribe to Glamour, Women’s Health, SELF, and The New Yorker. I’ve already decided to cut Glamour because the last few issues just haven’t been doing anything for me. I think I’ve also become hypersensitive to non-essential spending and that magazine has just become less and less appealing. I only need to subscribe to one women’s fitness magazine but I’m having a hard time choosing. I hate SELF’s attempt to sound cool by throwing in phrases like “totes” and “seshes” but I like the layout, the workout tips, and the recipes. I like WH’s no-nonsense tips but am not crazy about the layout…decisions, decisions. Finally, I love The New Yorker but since I started checking out books from the library on my Kindle, I’ve found that the issues are piling up on my kitchen table. The library books can only be checked out for two weeks so they are more pressing than the magazines. My 6-month subscription is up for renewal in a few weeks so I think I might pull the plug.
- Clean out my closet and sell stuff. I’ve definitely made $100+ selling clothes in the past to places like Crossroads and Buffalo Exchange but I haven’t gotten around to doing this in Brooklyn yet. I really don’t have any reasons why I’m putting this off.
What else could I realistically be doing?
LIVE.SPEND.SAVE 