September 2009 Weddings
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
SF: Starbucks
OK, so as many know, I live for my payday Fridays because that's the day I allow myself to spend money on Starbucks. Of course, there may be times in between this 2-week period that I might want me a skinny vanilla latte, so I have allowed myself $20 to spend every 2 weeks for Starbucks. I also have a Starbucks card which I have registered for rewards, and I will reload this card every payday so I have my SBux budget. So far, this has been working for me - when the money is gone, it's gone, and I don't wanna spend money on SBux if I can't get rewards for it. And I doing right by this, or am I just so delusional when it comes to coffee that I'm wasting my money?
Re: SF: Starbucks
I think that if you work in the $20 to your budget, and it works for you, thats fine. Everyone has something that they like to splurge a little on, depriving yourself of EVERYTHING unless its absolutely necessary, doesnt work in the long run.
I also think that because you have set boundaries for yourself and stuck to them, thats the way to do it.
We did something similar after Christmas because our CC's were higher than normal. We each got $50 every two weeks and the only things that went on the CC were food and gas. I realize Christmas was only six weeks away, but we paid off the CC so we abandoned that haha.
I don't think there's anything wrong with budgeting a little treat. However, if you're trying to stop spending so much money, maybe challenge yourself to make the $20 last all month rather than just 2 weeks. Depending on what you get, works out to be around 1 trip per week. maybe 5 for the month.
That way it's kind of win-win. You get your Sbux fix and a treat, and you're still cutting back on your spending.
I do something similar to what you do with the card MB but with $20 bills. My spending/consumption of DD and lunch out was getting out of control so I put myself on a $20/week budget. On Monday mornings I get a $20 out of the ATM and that is my budget for coffee on the run and eating out for lunch during the week. Come Friday whatever I haven't spent goes into our savings jug which is where we put all of our spare change and small monetary gifts (ie the $10 Jay's grandma sends us for every holiday). This way I'm free to treat myself but if I don't I know the money is still going to something fun (our savings jug is what we usually cash in for vacation spending).
I've saved over $250 since I start this little $20/week in September...and that doesn't include our spare change and the other money.