Saving Like A Grown Up

I frequently bemoan being an adult, and all it entails. Not only do I have to do unfun things like pay bills and do laundry, being grownup means that any chance I have of being a child prodigy is now really officially over.

So. Lacking prodigy or millionaire status, my goals now are slightly more modest. My latest one is trying to afford to buy a place before I'm 90.  Of course, as soon as I decided to make that a priority I also started spending money like there was no tomorrow. I'm sure there's some sort of psychological reason, but there you go.

However, I have taken a few solid steps. I've spoken to a lender and a real estate agent. The lender is reassuring and positive. The real estate agent thinks I'm entirely too optimistic about what I can get for my money and that I should come down to earth, it begin a seller's market.  It's a somewhat irritating attitude to deal with when searching for a home, but probably helpful in the long run.

I do wonder how other freelancers managed to buy a home. It's harder to get a loan, harder to anticipate earnings, and harder still to know whether throwing all my savings into one investment is prudent or crazy.  Maybe I should just direct my energies toward inventing a time machine and going back to become a prodigy after all.

Anyway, here are some steps I'm taking to save money:

- Nurse my drinks like a broke college student.
- Pack lunch or eat cheap.
- Put off buying a new pair of shoes. Even though my old pair is fugly as hell at this point.
- Do my best to win my football fantasy league (this is a legit step, right?).

Aaaaand, here are the ways I'm sabotaging myself:

- weekend trips to visit friends in other states
- forgetting to pack lunch. Often.
- Being overly generous with my drink/shot buying.
- Buying summer clothing now that the weather is turning cold, just because they're on sale.  Though that equals future savings, so really, financially prudent.
- And the big one. Not actively canceling my old health insurance after getting a new one, therefore costing myself a shit load of extra money. UGH! Kicking myself for this one.

I need to put myself on an allowance.