Mega Saver Mode

Be it homesickness, general disappointment in my company, boredom, or a combination of all three, I am ready to come back to the United States. If it were possible I would be on the flight with Ben when he leaves here in the middle of September. Then the dreaded being a grown up thing kicks in and I realize I wouldn't have as much money as I would like saved up to come back with and if I did come back I would need to get a job ASAP and be dirt poor for a while. No thanks.

Instead, I will stay here until the first part of next year and come home with somewhere between $7000 and $10,000, depending on what the exchange rate is at the time and whether or not I go to Australia on the way back home (Ben check your email!). So now I am in Mega Saver Mode.

Historically, money and I have always had a rather fleeting relationship. Basically, I got rid of as much of it as I could as fast as I could. I like to spend money, I am not going to lie. If I get stressed or depressed, the first thing I want to do is go shopping. I am not sure why because I know that anything I would buy would probably not help my emotions at the time but still, I like to shop. I also have rather expensive tastes in things and that doesn't help. Over the past few years though, I have gotten much better with money. Yeah, I still like my toys but I also know how important it is to save as well. So this last month, I made it a goal to save the Japanese equivalent of $1000 from my last paycheck and...I DID IT!!!

I get paid on Tuesday and as of this very moment, I have $1002.50 in my checking account. The next step is to have a bit more than $2000 in there this time next month. Despite my Mt. Fuji trip and some other expenses that need attending, I think I should be able to do it or at least come very close. The goal for September is $3000 but I am not sure if that will fly or not. With Ben coming, I will be spending a bit more than I will have been over the past couple of months but it is for a good reason and it will be fun. After Ben leaves, it is back into hardcore saving mode until I leave. By the time I am ready to leave, the money I have saved plus my bonus and the money from selling all of my stuff again, I should be able to easily meet my goal.

I have never had good luck saving up and so I am pretty proud of hitting my goal for the month. I learned that the way to get myself to save up is to turn it into a game. I am constantly challenging myself to see how I can save money on trains and shopping and I am not buying very much extra stuff. It is actually kind of fun, though today and tomorrow will be pretty tight. I think I have about $10 to last me the two days and I need some stuff for dinner so by the time I go to the ATM machine on Tuesday, I am going to be pretty much cashless. That is okay though because I met my goal.


(*^_^*) Me = Happy! d(^_^)b