Update No. 1 (January Results)

So I have not been able to save the $1000-$1500 extra this month. I did put an additional $1,000 towards my credit card and have been saving $100 of every $200 I take from the ATM. Apparently I take a lot of money out of the ATM a month, since I have almost $900 saved in cash in my wooden box. But, hey, savings is savings. Looking at the numbers, I withdrew $1670.85 from the ATM - no wonder I have so much in savings. That's about $200 in cash a week. Most of it goes to lunch at work ($50-$60 a week), cabs and drinks on the weekend. As much as I will try to cut this back, I don't know how realistic it is. The problem with cash is that if I have it, I will spend it. The problem with not having cash is that I am not as aware of what I am spending. The point of this blog is to make me more aware and make my cash more precious, so we will keep an eye on things over the year and see how it progresses.

My big expenses this month were $292.29, which was an engagement present for D, it was kind of an accident and I didn't really mean to pick up the tab for a 6 person dinner in the W. Village. But once it was done, it was done. She did get me a Longchamp bag as a thank you, which means that I don't actually have to buy one, since I have been wanting one forever, but couldn't justify spending over $100 on a bag that I was going to use like a gym bag.

The clothing expenses look higher than they are, at $831.87. But $364.68 was spent at Paris, which was pre-year of living frugally, and $100 was spent on my deposit for my bridesmaid dress for Emilie's wedding. So I spend around $400 on clothes this month. I think a lot of it was before the resolution - thinks I bought between Christmas and NY that did not post until after the new year, because I don't remember buying that much, other than maybe a top at Anthro.

That doesn't mean that I didn't spend money this month - and that there are not some things that I can do to cut back. First, the Hudson Valley trip was about $600 ($200 for B&B; $200 for dinner; $200 for rental car) . MC theoretically owes me for half of the trip, but I don't expect to see that money back any time soon.