Mind on My Money

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a goal-lover. It may be the Type A in me, but I really thrive in a goal-oriented environment, even if I have to create that environment for myself. As it is now officially summer, I am in need of a new goal. I won't be loving this objective now, but I know I will thank myself later.

I need to keep a better watch of my budget. There, I said it. I am turning into a spendaholic. Granted, this may be as a result of some of my other goals, such as eating better and being more attentive to my overall health. It seems this may have caused me to shed a few pounds (or few dozen pounds). In order to keep myself looking presentable at work and not like I'm drowning in cotton blend fabrics, I needed to make some more investments in my wardrobe.

I also took a mini-vacation in the end of May. Great HEART Give, while extremely successful this year, was also very stressful. Once the grant was presented, I desperately needed some time away. As the clock struck 4pm that day, I hopped in my car and drove about seven hours to Bowling Green, KY. I visited with my boyfriend for about two days, and having time to unwind and explore a new city distracted my mind from work. We then took a road trip to St. Louis, MO for a Cubs/Cards baseball game and some more quality time together. It turned into a five-day break from scheduling, working, and creating. The mini-vacation gave me time to refresh and come back to work ready to begin the next project.

This mini-vacation also made me ready to get some more money in my bank account. Between tanks of gas, going out for dinner, grabbing drinks at night, baseball tickets, and more, the cost piled up. With my best friend's wedding coming up in August–meaning wedding showers, bachelorette parties, and bridesmaid dress purchases coming sooner than that–it's time to take a better look at my spendings.

When I first graduated, I downloaded the Mint app. It helps you create a budget, see your weekly spendings, and create goals for your finances. Over time, I may have stopped checking it as often as I should. Oops. Now, I have re-downloaded the app (I got a new phone since graduating), updated my budgets, and hope to keep a more watchful eye on what is going out.