personal financial review

sebelumnya, gue udah bikin review diri dalam hal kesehatan. nah sekarang mau coba review urusan duit.

good financial habits:
- punya tujuan finansial yang jelas dan terperinci (merinci tujuan itu menyenangkan buat gue, bisa mengkhayaaaaal sampai sedetil-detilnya)
- bikin budgeting sampai detil (semoga gak kejadian lagi ada pengeluaran yang gak bisa diidentifikasi, karena itu sama halnya dengan kebocoran yang tidak terdeteksi)
- segera mendistribusi uang ke pos-pos rekening dan amplop begitu gaji masuk.
- gak gitu demen belanja yg mahal-mahal kecuali perlu (barang yang buat gue masuk kategori "mahal dan gak perlu" itu semacam elektronik, gadgets, dan... makeup? :P)
- gak punya cicilan yang gak perlu (lagi-lagi semacam barang elektronik dan gadgets).


sementara itu,
bad financial habits:
- kadang masih suka ngebobol pos lain untuk menutupi kekurangan budget di satu atau dua pos tertentu. pos yang suka exceeded itu antara lain pos weekend dan makan keluarga. see, we haven't changed our money-spending habits :(( pengeluaran terbesar tetap di urusan makan.
- sifat gue yang impulsif membuat gue menjadi emotional buyer. yes i am. is there an "impulsive-buyer anonymous"? kalo gue lagi suntuk, atau merely unhappy about life, pelariannya belanja (kalo punya duit. kalo gak punya duit ya bengong-bengong aja sambil setel ulang Modern Family atau Big Bang Theory). i realized the other day, that sometimes what i need is the sensation i get from buying stuff, not the stuff at all. i really need to restrain myself from this bad habit.


challenges/resolutions:
1. how to live frugally. 
sepertinya gue harus memetakan lebih detil pos mana aja yang bisa dihemat. sekarang sih kita udah (sedang) gak pakai jasa pembantu rumah tangga. kalau weekend, gue dan adit bahu-membahu beresin rumah, and so far we enjoy it. ternyata lumayan juga bisa menghemat pengeluaran gaji pembantu, uangnya bisa dialihkan ke dana tabungan untuk liburan :P gue juga ingin mengalihkan kegiatan weekend yang hampir selalu berujung di mall ke tempat-tempat yang lebih outdoorsy dan memberikan pengalaman baru instead of barang baru hehe. 

2. mendalami ilmu personal finances. 
pengen deh ikut QMPC.
3. cari cara membesarkan net worth.


keinginan untuk bisa menerapkan disiplin pada household budgeting membawa gue ke artikel di bawah ini. menurut gue saran-sarannya realistis, dan emang diperlukan untuk gue sebagai pelaku financial controlling amatir.  

Instructions on how to get self discipline in budgeting from http://www.ehow.com/how_11402678_selfdiscipline-budgeting-money.html

1. Create a monthly budget using your projected income and expenses. After allocating money for all of your monthly bills and expenses (such as groceries and gas), divide the money left over between savings and discretionary spending. DONE.
2. Destroy credit cards if you do not think you have enough self-discipline to avoid using them. Another alternative is to place your credit cards in an out-of-the-way spot where you will not be able to use them easily. Making your credit cards more difficult to access may give you enough time to consider using them more carefully and decide not to spend with credit. DONE. CC Adit yang aktif tinggal 2 bijik.
3. Differentiate between needs and wants. The difference can be subtle sometimes, depending on how you look at a situation. While you may need to spend money on new shoes for the kids, you can avoid overspending on expensive brands and purchase basic brands instead.
4. Avoid impulse spending. Thanks to the variety of ways to shop, the urge to spend money impulsively can grab you at not only the mall and the grocery store, but you might need to fight it at home on your computer, too. Make yourself consider all expenditures carefully before you hand over your money or click the "Pay Now" button on a website.
5. Look for support for spending carefully and living within a budget. Well-known financial coach Dave Ramsey has a website that features an online support forum. Another website with financial information and support, SavingAdvice.com features a forum with a variety of separate areas where you may glean information and receive support to live within a budget. Ha! This is what i meant,  ada gak ya di sini?
6. Remind yourself of your financial goals often to bolster your self-discipline. Tape a picture of something you are saving money for onto your refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Every time you stick to your budget, congratulate yourself for using self-discipline. This is interesting. Gue mau pasang foto dapur idaman di dompet ah....

Tips & Warnings:

• Replace some discretionary spending with free alternatives to make your budget more pleasant. Use the library for reading and watching movies. Purchase gently used items at a thrift store or auction website instead of purchasing items brand new.