WYTI Links: 10.16.2007

Some links for your Tuesday:

• Do We Spend More When We Swipe Plastic? (via Poorer Than You) I've heard this claim over the past several years (of course, it hasn't exactly kept me from using our debit card instead of cash). PTY doesn't set out to disprove the claim, only to verify or validate its source. Officially, there is no firm conclusion. However, I tend to agree with PTY's assessment that it depends on personality rather than monetary medium.

• What Is Your Status Symbol? (via ChristianPF)

• 8 Personal Finance Lessons I Learned from Monopoly (via Blueprint for Financial Prosperity)

• Getting to Now: How to Beat the Procrastination Habit (via Get Rich Slowly) I've had this stored away in my unposted links folder for almost a month now...never could get around to posting it ;)
  

Our August Goals

Amanda and I took some steps backward financially when we made the move from our apartment into the church-owned house last month. For us, August will be an opportunity to get back on track and essentially re-build some things:


1. Use only cash for purchases. Exceptions include: gas (card), contribution (check), and bills (online and checks). We have done this before with success; the emotional connection to cash helps us make much better decisions.

2. Keep track of every single penny spent. This is something we have attempted to do on several occasions, but have not completed it to satisfaction. Our regular expenditures have changed some with the move, so we need to re-evaluate what all is currently going out.

3. "Pay ourselves" $50 a week. We have a long way to go with our savings goals. It has been several months since we have saved like we are capable (and need to).