Day #4: New accounts
Feb. 5th, 2010 01:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
somethingnewDay #4 - Set up two new accounts.
Yes, two new things today. But they're related, so I'll talk about them both.
I work on a university campus. One of the many tools available to both students and employees is to put money on your campus ID, which you can then use at the various dining and vending locations around campus. With the added benefit of 5% off those purchases. My main staple on days that I don't remember to pack a lunch (most days) is a 99-cent side salad. I couldn't make a salad with lettuce, carrots, cherry tomatoes and comes with a dressing packet for that amount. (I've tried.) It's just over a dollar with tax, so I make a point of keep $1.06 in my desk for such days.
By putting $20.00 on my card I've set aside some money for those days that I don't bring a lunch and I've instituted a budgeting measure. I've only got $20 for the month of February. So I could, on some days, get more than just my side salad, but not many. And, for the rest of the month, if I want to buy lunch it has to be something I can get with that card.
The other thing I did was set up a credit union account. This is my first time at a credit union, I've always been with banks before this. But I now have a second account where I'm sending $50 from each paycheck. $50 may not seem like much, but it's a starting point. Since this is a 'touch only when necessary' fund, it's forcing me to use $50 less dollars every two weeks. It's going to make me think a lot harder about budgeting, especially if I push that amount up a bit in a few months like I plan.
Yes, two new things today. But they're related, so I'll talk about them both.
I work on a university campus. One of the many tools available to both students and employees is to put money on your campus ID, which you can then use at the various dining and vending locations around campus. With the added benefit of 5% off those purchases. My main staple on days that I don't remember to pack a lunch (most days) is a 99-cent side salad. I couldn't make a salad with lettuce, carrots, cherry tomatoes and comes with a dressing packet for that amount. (I've tried.) It's just over a dollar with tax, so I make a point of keep $1.06 in my desk for such days.
By putting $20.00 on my card I've set aside some money for those days that I don't bring a lunch and I've instituted a budgeting measure. I've only got $20 for the month of February. So I could, on some days, get more than just my side salad, but not many. And, for the rest of the month, if I want to buy lunch it has to be something I can get with that card.
The other thing I did was set up a credit union account. This is my first time at a credit union, I've always been with banks before this. But I now have a second account where I'm sending $50 from each paycheck. $50 may not seem like much, but it's a starting point. Since this is a 'touch only when necessary' fund, it's forcing me to use $50 less dollars every two weeks. It's going to make me think a lot harder about budgeting, especially if I push that amount up a bit in a few months like I plan.
