"Money Games"

I like to play games with my money. Not in some twisted way like gambling or betting with my friends that so and so will be late to work... nor anything crazy like that, but rather little games with rules that help me save money without even noticing that i am. I also kind of get a thrill from it because i think i'm kind of sneaky so its fun for me and and heck, i like feeling clever.

Apparently i'm not alone... countless people in the world write articles and blogs about their own quirky money saving secrets.

Some people save colored money when it falls in their hands if its a $5.00 bill... or older money with the smaller faces on it... or weird currency.... I read on a blog that a married couple put a dollar into a box every time they were intimate and used it to fund a get-a-way vacation... They just set up some little rule, and they stuck to it.

With my debt almost wiped out, i'm getting excited about the money games i have in mind for some small saving adventures. Some i've mentioned here before, and other's i've done in the past... but I want to smile when i think about what i'm doing with my dollars and cents...

I shouldn't need a game for my Retirement account because as long as I max out my Roth Ira every year, starting next year when they increase contribution levels to $5,000 a year, i'll be contributing/devoting 12.5% -16% of my gross income... well as long as i gross under $40,000... so for now, i won't be playing any money games with this one.

Braces/invisiline: ya, this is a no brainer... my unbudgeted $200.00 a month will go here and most likely all my overtime... so this too doesn't need any money games because it already has a plan... and might be helped along by large amounts of reinburtment in the world of tuition grants..

Special Day: I hope i get to have one day... and while i'm not engaged nor anywhere close to that mildstone marker in my life... I think it would be fun to kind of think about it. Talk about a way to make your future hubby happy before the nuptuals... lol.... while my first attempt at this didn't work out so well... i'll just need to be more creative. Lets see... it needs to be something i can stick to... but also something that has to deal with my boyfriend... hmm???

• Everytime we go out to dinner or lunch solo... i'll take $5.00 and save it. We don't really go out much and normally stay in cause were college students after all... but i'll see how it goes.
• I'll also take half my fun money if anything is left over at the end of the month... cause my wedding night will be lots of fun, especially since i'm one of those old fashioned 21 year olds who will earn her right to wear white on her wedding day.

I want a house: more specifically... i want to work on that 20% down... houses in so cal cost at least $350,000!!!!! so the interest i earn from all my accounts at emigrant direct [ efund, auto insurance, dental, tuition, wedding, etc] will be funnled into my house fund. I will match the interest each month.

Emergency fund while this one is also in the budget, the goal is a long way off since i'm braces saving... so, if anything is leftover at the end of the month in my grocery allotment, basic necessity allotment, or my utilites, i'll take 1/2 of it and add it to the efund.

New Car don't worry,.... i'm keeping my camry for life... but i'm also realistic and i should start planning for this right??? so 1/4 of what's left over from gas and auto maint at the end of the month... plus my gas reinburstment checks from my work will go here too.