At what age did you REALLY start managing your money?

[Night Fly]

I just wonder this sometimes because it seems like I go in phases. I am really good for a couple of months, and then for the next few months I feel like I have money growing on trees and I can just go spend it on whatever. Then...the next few months I spend playing catch up. Most of the time I'm pretty good with it...but sometimes it just gets out of hand.

How did everyone here really learn to start being smart with your money?

 

[Citruscide]

I'm best at managing my money when I have very little... I go without common luxuries. IT's when I have money that I tend to blow it on the latest electronic gizmos... man, If i could return half of this shit I bought... I'd have a couple grand now!

C-ditty

 

[Night Fly]

Are the living expenses and everything else in CA more, less, or about the same as Chicago? I know that Chicago is a very expensive place to live...but have no clue about CA.

 

[toga22]

Good Luck to you Night Fly....


I, for one, have never grasped the fine art of managing money....

I am terrible about paying bills.... And just pretty much gave up and have everything automatically deducted from a "bill account" each month.

I also have always been a spur of the moment shopper...If I see something I like, I buy it...

 

[the People's Champ]

toga-dig the avatar baby!

I am with citruscide on this one. when I have hte least amount of money, I tend to watch where the money is and isn't going. when I DO have cash, I spend it like it is going out of style. but nowadays, since being unemployed for awhile, I really have learned what the value of moeny can be.

catching up on bills SUCKS.

 

[HumorMe]

Learn early how to manage money. Prepare for the future and the unknown. If someone makes $100,000 a year and spends $150,000, that person is pretty bad off. If someone makes $30,000 and spends $20,000, I would rather be that person.

There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to certain things or splurging every now and then. Sometimes you have to decline the temptation and when you do this a few times, it becomes easier.

If you can't pay cash for it on the spot, there is no since in buying something on credit(except for a car or a house). I find it hilarious that people buy things that costs $300 or $400 and finance it. That's absurd IMO. I have a friend that financed a set of tires for goodness sake. That's bad, IMO.

I understand that people have to finance things but it would seem that if after financing something and paying outrageous interests fees, they would learn their lesson and prepare for it in the future...but that is just me.

Good luck NF.

 

[casavant]

I'll tell you when I get there.

 

[The Prick Gook]

when i was 18 and my parents cut me off as soon as i went away to school for college

getting thrusted into a new world with new responsibilities will change any punk high school kid.

 

[b fold the truth]

When I became flat broke...absolutely flat broke...and had to pay for ALL of my own bills.

B True

 

[Warik]

After Uncle Sam fucked me in April I became *REALLY* good with managing my money. I've always been careful in terms of not spending more than I earn, but now I really have everything down in terms of future expenses, etc. I have a budget set all the way to June 2003 and I haven't deviated from it at all - which has resulted in me having more and more extra money each week to spend.

I think I'll reward myself by making some outrageous purchase of some frivolous item.

-Warik