Breaking a budget is easier than ever, and I’m as guilty as anyone. In my inglorious youth, I spent my student loan checks on useless items like fog machines and keytaurs. After I graduated and the loan money dried up, I came to the harsh realization that I could no longer afford this extravagant lifestyle. Living on an intern’s salary while starting to actually pay off these loans, I’ve had to closely watch my purchases. After a few overdraft snafus, I limited my spending to only $15 each week. Now I mull over every purchase, as even a $5 lunch makes a big dent in my weekly budget. I’ve enabled myself to do this by reverting to only using cash. I’ll take out my set amount every week, and have a physical reminder of how much I can actually spend. The credit and debit cards stay at home. It’s too easy for every $3 purchase to not seem like much when you don’t see the money leave your wallet. Recently I was promoted to a full-time, Big Kid job at brass. Even though I’ll be making more money, I’ll still have thriftiness embedded in my brain. Any extra money will be put away for a rainy day, or invested wisely to give me more cash for that deluxe fog machine I’ve had my eye on. I challenge you to live my miserly existence for a week. $15 might seem low (granted, my roommates Ma and Pa cover food and rent), but the idea is to take a look at your spending habits and eliminate what you don’t need.

--Cody