I FIGURED OUT THE TRICK TO BUDGETING!

It's so simple.

When you want to know how much money you have, look at your budget, not your bank account!

Of course, this requires that you write what you intend to spend and then what you actually spend. But that way I can keep using Mint.com, and using my debit card to track purchases.

Here is the spreadsheet I made to track budget (zero base where every dollar has a job, even if that job is vague, "entertainment").

	BARE MINIMUM	BUDGETED	ACTUAL
TOTAL	$0	$0	-$XXX
Mortgage
Cell phones	$10	$145
Electric		$100	$57
Natural Gas		$32	$32
Water/Sewer		$60
Garbage ($40 every 2 months)		$20	$40
Internet		$50
House supplies/ toiletries
Disability Insurance		$97
Food	$300	$400
Oil Changes ($50*4/year)	$17	$25
Car Insurance	$107	$107	$107
Gas		$80	$15+$15
Wellness plan puppy		$28	$28
Pet insurance		$28	$28
Dog Food
CSA
Credit Card
Clothing/shoes/accessories
Entertainment	$40	$50
Spotify	$5	$5
Shopping
Savings off the top		$300	$300 plus remaining
Savings - online account for Xmas		$25	$25
PAYCHECK		$XXXX

Early Retirement, I want it!

I have to figure out how bad I want it, how much I am willing to live like no one else so that later I can live like no one else!

The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement, from Mr. Money Mustache
Starting from assumption of zero assets, starting today (+31)

Savings Rate - Years 'til Retirement
5% - 66 years (age 97)
   6% my current plus 6% matching (matching doesn't count, it's bonus)
10% - 51 years (age 82)
15% - 43 years (age 74) Goal for 2015
20% - 37 years (age 68) Goal for 2016
25% - 32 years (age 63) Goal for 2017
30% - 28 years (age 59)
35% - 25 years (age 56)
40% - 22 years (age 53)
45% - 19 years (age 50)
50% - 17 years (age 48 - based on 5% pay raise every year and keeping current spending, I could afford to do 50% savings at age 43)

Now, I'm not starting at 0, but I might as well look at it that way if  really want to kick things up a notch!


Spending Less is more important than earning more.

Oh man how I wish I knew this so many years ago when I was making good money and living exactly at my means. I don't have that many things I can reduce spending on, namely:

1. Cell phone (planning to switch to Republic Wireless next month) 
2. Food (set a budget of $400, typically have been spending closer to $600-700/mo)
3. Shopping (I don't always do a lot of shopping, some months more than others - looking at more DIY and also just a minimalism approach. I don't need more stuff!)

Basic rules of growing wealth I heard on a madfientist podtcast today:

1. Avoid Debt
2. Live on less than you earn
3. Invest the surplus

It's that simple.