This week I’ve decided to give away my weeks discretionary spending.  I spend about $600 a week on coffees, clothing, lunches, dinners, movies, gifts and going out with friends.  I’m on my own “Cash is King” plan where I take $300 out on Sunday night that lasts me until about Thursday and then I take out another $300 for the weekend.  All of my fixed expenses (groceries, housing, car, gas, bills, investment loan payments) come out automatically so I always stay on budget.  I’ve used this system for some time and it really works.  You should try it too!

Someone I know is starting a new brave venture that I really admire and so I decided that it would benefit him 10 fold to get most of my weekly discretionary spending.  Money that I’d just spend on dinners, movies and partying will help him get closer to a dream – and that is totally worth only one week of my down time.  I’ll profit in a better way by giving it up.

I’ve set up a plan to survive this week and here it is below.  I’ll miss you Starbucks and martinis but I’ll see you both soon!

1. Monetize my cupboard — Do you notice that there is always peanut butter,weird tea and canned potatoes in the depths of your cupboard that you never use?  You use keep moving them house to house with you and never eat them.  Well I’ve taken inventory of all of my random foods and I’m going to use the business school lesson of monetizing my inventories.  I’ve pulled everything out and I’m going to eat it all this week to save me money and keep me alive.

2. No Starbucks or eating out — The second thing I’m going to do is to cut out lunches and coffee.  I LOVE coffee and I’m going to cut it out this week.  Luckily for everyone who will have to put up with my mood this week is that I found Starbuck intant coffee samples in the cupboard and I’ll drink down my inventories of camamile and lemon tea that I had randomly found in there.

3. I just bought groceries!  I hate shopping for groceries.  I’m single and eating by myself drives me nuts.  There are barrel laughs when you open my fridge door and only see booze, mix and a Brtita.  I just spend $43.89 on groceries that compliment my inventory and I’ve planned a menu for the week.  Fruit, toast and tea for breakie, soup and sammy’s/ Tuna on salad a for lunches, and I have yummy yet cheap meals in the evening.  I bought a ton of fruit and veggies for snacks and some popcorn and some Mr. Noodles for all the TV watching I’ll be doing.

4. I’ve planned a cost free week of entertainment too.  I have my family coming over for frozen pizza and ceaser salad, lots of TV nights, inviting myself over to friends for dinner (that I haven’t seen in a while and it’ll be so good to catch up!) and I’m going to work the gym and yoga/power crunch glasses that are paid for with my gym membership.  All for free!  Other than the sodium spike because of the Mr. Noodles – I should maybe be in better shape.  Plus, I bought lemons to flavour free water  and I’m only drinking the free tea that I have in my cupboard.  It should make me feel better sans pop or booze.

I’m actually really excited about this plan!  I was first dreading the challenge due to the fact I never go without anything but I’m pumped to do this.  I might even take this plan from a 10 out of 10 to an 11 out of ten by volunteering somewhere to fill an evening.  I bet there will be free treats!

It’s amazing how you can still profit without money for a simple little amount of time.  Have an awesome week – Got to go Mr. Noodles is boiling.
Dave