Okay… So, after finding that I’ve earned well over 6000 for the 2009-10 financial year, and finding that I have less than what I had at the beginning of the that financial year, I got thinking… “Where the hell does my money go?!?!?” If my spending habits continue as they are at the moment… I have no idea how I’ll have enough money to go to Japan after I complete High School… So, I thought I’d begin by doing some New Financial Year Resolutions… See if they’ll work… (They probably won’t… but optimism…?)

But first, some statistics that I cry over:
Ever since I began this blog, (I started working a few months after the creation) I have earnt a good amount over $10000, of which, I only currently have a very small fraction of that amount, as hard cash. Of my total earnings;

— 50% has been spent on Consumer Electronics
|- 30% of which has been spent on imaging related products
|- 35% on audio related products (mp3s and headphones)
|- 15% on computer parts and peripherals.

— 15% on Anime, and Anime related Merchandise
|- 30% of which is on Figurines
|- 25% on Artbooks

Which leaves about 35% of my money expenditure on general crap. I’d guestimate that something only another 15% has been spent on things I can physically prove are mine…

Anyway, onto the plans!

What WILL be bought this financial year:
Kanon DVD Set – $60
Domain Name Renewal – $100+
A new phone – $800 thereabouts. (Looking at Windows Mobile 7 Phone options, namely, the Dell Lighting, but it’s early days)
A laptop that I actually want – $1200 thereabouts. (A tablet convertible would be nice)

What is LIKELY to be bought:
Zune HD – $260~
An un-metered amount of Anime merch – $100~ per month…???
Sound Card – $100-200
Graphics Card – $100-200
New Processor of some sort – $300+

In addition to who knows what I might take an interest to in the future…

What am I going to do about it?
The idea is, I’ll be enforcing various ‘rules’, requiring me to follow certain conditions before I make the decision to purchase something… (I’ve been pressing “Checkout” and “Confirm Order” a few too many times…) These “rules” will be:

1. At least 25% of each weeks earnings will go towards the Trip to Japan fund, as well as a general sort of “better future” fund.
2. A maximum expenditure of $10 per week on general expenses. (i.e. Junk foods and such)
3. No purchases over $100 until I’ve spent at least a week to confirm the necessity of such purchase. (Pre-orders excluded)
4. No purchases of items totaling value of $100 or more unless I have at least $500 as (excluding the Trip to Japan fund)

Those are my current ‘rules’… Not sure how well they’ll be followed… But they don’t sound overly restricting do they…? And it doesn’t really, actually help me save my money/reduce my general expenditure…