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In college, I aced finance.  I was the only marketing major who got excited about test day. I was also the only marketing major who was kicking the finance majors’ butts in that class.

Unfortunately, my “expertise” in annuities, perpetuities and stock valuation has done nothing for me in the real world. Maybe I should have taken Personal Finance.

Until now, the “budget” that my parents have so lovingly encouraged me to create consisted of buying necessities first and then emptying the rest of my bank account (and then some) on whatever satisfied me.

Where did that get me? Based on the information given, (hint hint: I spent more money than I had) you can probably assume that after following this budget for 4 years, the results were less than desirable.

And so this week I created a budget!

I estimated what I expect to spend in groceries, gas, bills, dining out, entertainment and even beauty. If all goes well, there will still be money at the end of the month!

Money at the end of the month could mean vacations at the end of the year or a few new pairs of jeans (10 pounds from now).

My first month’s budgeting failures and successes will have their big debut on Feb 1st!

In the meantime, share your money-saving strategies and secrets. Please!