Getting There: Budget

Those of you who have followed the blog since the beginning know that I just recently switched my tagline to, "enjoy getting there."With a new goal of inspiring and informing each of you lovely readers, I thought it would be a good idea to write a series called Getting There. I'll share my tips and tricks for living as a twenty-something and (I hope!) you'll share yours too. I decided to kick off this series with topic of budgeting because I think everyone could probably spend their money more wisely. Well, here goes!

I don't have to pay for my education but I pay for most everything else. I work a job during the school year, have a summer job, and more recently have been bringing in a little extra income with blogging. My budget strategy is fairly simple and revolves around four steps:

1. Tithe: As a Christian, I believe that my money is not my own. The first thing I do when I get a paycheck is give ten percent to my church.

2. Pay: I don't have any bills besides my credit card bill (I'll try to touch on credit cards in another Getting There post.) I pay that off so that I'm never charged any fees or interest.

3. Save: I look at what's left after tithing and paying my bill and try to put  between forty and fifty percent into my savings account. I don't touch my savings account often. I only make withdrawals for big purchases that I've thought about and researched for a while.

4. Spend: The fun part! I use whatever is left to buy clothes, go out to dinner, and to generally treat myself.

This is by no means a one size fits all approach. It's what works for me and I'd love to hear what budget tactics you use to help you enjoy getting there.

Share the love,

Taylor


P.S. Did you enter the summer soiree giveaway with Angelorian Traditions?