Investigative Blogging: clawing my way back on the wagon

onfession: I've really struggled to keep on top of things these last few weeks, pretty much ever since I came back from the Mini-Break. Essentially, the issue comes down to the fact that I let my guard down while I was on holiday. I had always intended to spend some of the money that I put aside in my savings account but all that extra spending power made me lax! I spent money on food and coffee like it was going out of fashion! I was crazy caffeine driven Disaster Tourist woman!

I wrote before that I found it strangely hard to spend money on other things - clothes and such like. This is true, but apparently I found it very easy to eat until I was a woman with a sexy swollen buddha belly.

And unfortunately, I seem to have bought my food obsession home with me. I have drunk SO much extra espresso, which is especially crazy given that there is always delicious coffee at work and at home. I have spent nearly everyday drooling at the fresh bread section of Moore Wilsons, the section I normally avoid like the plague because I can spend so much on pastry and boutiquey rolls. Also (and most fatally) I have been overcommitting myself. OH. NOES.

But. I know the best thing I can possibly do is to reinspire myself, and get back INTO it, beginning with but not isolated to, writing a list of things that I find helpful to keep me going.

♥ Rediscovering Heaps, which describes itself as "a personal financial management service". I started using it when it first went live throught the Kiwibank internet banking website, but got pretty frustrated. I'm stoked that I've given it another go though! The site has really improved - not intuitive unfortunately, but once I'd figured out what was going on I was really pleased with it. Mostly I like the visualisations of my goals. Thus, the Debt Unicorn looks like this, when expressed as a line graph:

 

Not quite as exciting to look at as the Unicorn, but I didn't have to plot the damn thing, and that makes me happy.

♥ Reading other blogs: not just financial or money blogs, but also blogs that talk about simpler lifestyles and self empowerment (normally I would say urgh). I've made a note of some good series or individual items, but to be honest I think the most useful thing is just to keep the commentary rolling in. There's nothing like a pep talk!

• Gala Darling talks about money in her series Mo' Money Mo' Problems (part three I think was the best one).
• Holly at Shopaholly did an excellent series about fixing your finances - I have part four bookmarked in my reader, I think because I liked the idea of daily tracking.
• She also did a nice interview with Alexandra Franzen at Unicorns for Socialism.
• I generally love this article from the Happiness Project - I think the main part that's applicable to the money situation is where she discusses "Letting yourself off the hook" - if I've had a bit of a Fail week with money, the best thing I think I can do is to get right back on the bandwagon again.
• This piece by Sarah Wilson discusses shopping and how good it feels NOT to shop. 
• Miss Minimalist writes 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life. I strongly associate my money situation with simplifying my life, and I feel more inclined to keep saving and on top of my money when I'm actively simplifying.*
• I really liked this New York Times article about spending less to find happiness.
• Another newspaper article: Top 10 Money Myths on Stuff.
• Greer McDonald is writing a blog about getting on top of her finances as well. Mostly good commentary!

♥ Finally, and most importantly: talking to others. The Boy is especially fab in this regard as he's happy to listen to me prattle about money, and he tells me that he's proud of me *squee*. I also find that telling my mum how much I've paid of my credit card is an instant enthusiasm booster. The interviews that I've been doing have been really helpful - I was flagging a bit before I talked to Nat a few weeks ago, but the conversation we had made me feel ten times more enthusiastic about keeping on top of things.

In the same vein, I'd like to finish with a quote from the Ever Fab Katherine:

But you know, I think sometimes one has to fall off the wagon in order to appreciate how good it feels to be on the wagon, riding high with the wind in your hair. *gallops*

*in saying that, I don't think I could ever live an entirely Minimalist lifestyle. The Stuff that I like, I really like.