MLEstyle

A Mint That’s Really Refreshing!

Okay, I’m totally not a financial guru, but I do know some things about spending–and saving–money. Of course, when we really want that new dress in Neiman’s at full retail price, we instinctively tear the dress off the, “Dolce & Gabbanna,” garment rack and race towards the register armed with our American Express. And before the sweet lady swipes your shiny card through her machine, after she asks you which address in the system is yours–I list all of them so I get mail at each home – a light bulb should go off in our head’s. Do we really need to ask ourselves the dreaded and much avoided questions like, “What else do I need to pay for this month? Have I budgeted for this dress? Can I pay off this dress after all my expenses this month so I don’t damage my credit score?”

You get the point. Asking yourself those questions can sometimes feel like stepping on the scale and facing that diet-breaking brownie sundae that you ate the night before; you want so badly to avoid knowing the truth….”You mean, we have to wait three months to buy this dress??? (Cue mascara running down perfectly made up face). I can’t (sob sob) just put it on my credit card?”

Girlfriend, amidst the fake nails, fake hair, and fake tata’s, we could use some reality. Really.

So, instead of getting caught in a sticky situation, why not plan for what we can afford, instead of react to what we did afford. Or even better, why not let this free and secure website do it all for us? www.mint.com.

This website is like a fun babysitter watching over us in our most impulsive and vulnerable states. Like, hello, we all know, shopping alone is like eating in front of the TV; when no one’s watching, we want more, more, more! Well now, we won’t ever have to shop alone! Which if you think about it, is a great thing. A free babysitter that helps you budget for that dress you’re dying to have? A shopper’s nirvana. We all like to hear, “Yes! You can buy it!”…even if we do have to wait a while for that to happen.

Now, I don’t own a credit card, but I would sure know how to use one if I did. So remember, I’m not an expert on budgeting–by any means–but I am a woman that almost always finds a way to get something that I really want…even if I have to wait. The exact reason why I love this site so much!

In my particular case, there are several things that I am saving up for this year; things that are larger ticket items, one-time purchases, etc. It only takes ten minutes to enter all the personal information into Mint.com’s website and before you know it, you’re able to review all of your spending habits. The website even breaks down your personal budgets, just for you, based on your past spending: Shopping, Groceries, Gas, Medical, Pets, Spa, etc. I promise you, I really detest the words, “finance,” and, “budgeting,” but mint.com has semi-brainwashed me with their colorful pie charts and spending buttons.

If you haven’t made your New Year’s resolution yet, now’s the perfect time! Embrace the personal budget. Buy that dress! After all, it’s free and fun. Give it a shot.

Happy New Year! …To your health, wealth, and happiness. xoxo

Tags: Finance

This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 11:09 am and is filed under Motivation, Self Help. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.