Budget

Those of you that know me know that last time I did not come with a budget in mind at all and when I came home I didn't come in the negative but I didn't come home with as much as I should and could have.

As my "plan" had been to stay at home, work, and save money for when I go back to school I decided that I needed to come to Taiwan also with a plan or budget to helped me succeed.

So this is my budget:
Every month I am paid approximately $900 US, this money is put in a savings account (of which I have a ATM card to and have full access to)--my plan is to leave that untouched for the next 6 months and take it all out at the end and put it into Travelers Checks to take home and put directly into my savings/checking accounts.
This time I will have 6 tutoring jobs every week and from each of those I will receive $300 NT (Taiwan dollars, so about $9.50US). From each $300 I will put:
$30 for Tithing
$100 for any spending that I want to do (includes food, shopping, special supplies that I want for my lessons, etc.)
$100 for any traveling. Andrea and I have talked about going to somewhere in China or somewhere else but before I can do it I want to have most of it put aside in this envelope so that I am not putting out more money than I have.
$50 for savings--my goal is to have enough money between this envelope and what is in the savings account her to pay for 2 semesters of school by the time I go home.
$20 towards paying back my Mom what I owe her.

Last week I went through my desk and found envelopes, I wrote on each of them what they are for and how much I should be putting in each one. Every night after I have received the money from my tutor students before Andrea and I go anywhere I divide the money up and put it in the correct envelopes.

I haven't always been good at saving my money or keeping a budget but I believe that this budget can work for me and I am excited to work towards my goals!