23 Skiddoo

Although the jury is out, some put the meaning of the phrase 23-Skiddoo as a popular slang phrase of the 1920's meaning to "get out while the getting's good." Well I am not getting out of here, but the 23rd day has been reached, and there are just seven days remaining to make it 30 days without grocery shopping except for perishables. I did happen to go to a Cardinals ball game again last night, but instead of buying a $6.00 soda with supper, I just settled for a $6.25 nachos (ouch!). That, and a hurried breakfast on the run (overslept a bit) had my spending at $9.53 for the day and brought my savings for this period down to $119.37. Still over $100 and more than I would have if no effort was made. See how the little things add up?

One chapter of my upcoming eBook is on saving by keeping accurate records. Without a map, (or as some might say GPS) it is hard to know where you are, much less how you are going to get to where you are going. One of the most difficult things is to develop the habit of keeping track of every little thing that you spend your money on. It really doesn't matter how you keep track, it could be on a pocket notebook, a laptop, a printed budget form...whatever. The important thing is to keep a record. Having taught Excel at a local college for a semester made it easy for a spreadsheet to be set up. Now, there is a budget set up on which I track every cent that comes in, and every cent that goes out.

A casual asking on where your money goes will often result in the shrugging of your shoulders. Not any more. When you are determined to eliminate your credit card debt, it is imperative that you know exactly where your money is going. As has been mentioned before, there are many sources for assistance with this including mint.com or typing "personal finance worksheet" into Google and coming up with a result like this. If you need help, help is there.

Here's to eliminating your credit card debt and to your financial success!