$ 700 Budget

A friend told me that $700 could last him and his girlfriend for months. Of course, this doesn't include rent, and maybe transportation.

Makes me wonder how they do it. $700 doesn't take you very far these days, at least for me. I do watch what I buy, I consider hard when it comes to big purchases. That explains why my Kitchen Aid mixer is still sitting somewhere in some shop. They are thrifty folks, they make me feel like such a spendthrift!

I am so very curious, I will go on on an experiment to see how long it will last me! I will exclude bills. Since monthy bills take half of $700 already. Of course transport expenses will also be excluded.

To make $700 last, it does mean I have to cut down on some stuff that aren't really necessities. Like magazines, books, movies, coffee and meals with friends and buying barang barang that I do not need. I have given this $700 thing a bit of thought. As much as I want to make it last as long as I can, I will not totally deprive myself. What is life, if you can enjoy it?

SO, I will buy just 2 magazines a month, I will buy books only with the 20% Kinokuniya sale. The last sale just ended, I just bought 2 books. TWO! That is some kind of record for me. I haven't really been to the movies as often this year. Nothing new to attract me. But I will cut down on popcorn. ARGH! Or sneak in my own snacks. I will watch movies on weekdays and none after Friday.

Meals and coffee with friends. Now that is a tricky one. I can't keep turning down friends can I? I love my friends, so that couldn't be avoided. I meet up with 2 of my friends regularly - almost weekly. Thank goodness they can eat cheap! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Usually, we over order, so , it isn't exactly cheap.

The Husband loves hanging out. I love to hang out together with him too, but if we could just hang in more, could save us a little bit.

I think the hardest to cut will be grocery. No fancy vinegar, no nice breads, must buy house brands. No wines, no beers, no umeshu. No expensive cereals. Nothing indulgent. Like that how to live!

Thank goodness I am not much of a shopper! I will die from my own curiosity.

I will almost always buy something over to my parents' whenever I visit. Will my siblings kill me if I stopped buying? Somehow, this is something that I cannot save on. I love indulging them, and that indulgence will have to continue. It doesn't cost me that much anyway.

I will try to cook in more often too. So much for dinner dates. Maybe just one dinner date a week. I pity the man who has to eat what I cook.

How am I going to buy lens? I need my prime lens! I will buy maybe mid year, not now.

I will start this thing tomorrow. First day of a new year. I doubt the $700 will survive past February, considering that there is a wedding on the 3rd. Then there is Chinese New Year, how to save?

This is very motivating indeed.