Financial Housekeeping

I am a list-making person. Lists not only help me keep track of things I want to do, just making them helps me organize my thoughts and priorities.

Here is my to do list for this week:

1. Take my vacation and clothing cash stash and deposit it in the bank. (DONE)
2. Open ING savings for vacation and clothes funds. (DONE 2/11, only I didn't go with ING)
3. Send $1000 of my tax refund to my first mortgage principal. (DONE)
4. Monthly checkbook balancing. (DONE 2/9)
5. Change my W-2 withholding so I don't get such a huge refund next year. (DONE 2/10)
6. Increase my 403(b) contributions so I can max it out.
7. Start a tracking worksheet for credit card purchases.

Credit card purchases are the rabbit hole of my finances. I pay the balance off every month, but I am often surprised by how much it is. What am I buying, besides gas? How did it get to over $400? I really don't like the tedious process of looking at my spending that closely but if I want to find more money to save then I have to do this.