Greetings, Geeks!

This is my first blog entry and hopefully I will make it a good one! My original plan was to blog only about gaming (video gaming, PC gaming, card gaming, etc.), but the other thing that is near equal to my passion for games is saving money. Which makes sense when you consider that in order for me to financially support my money-sucking addiction, I'll need to be able to budget (yes, I used the b-word) for the things I want and for the things I need. I have been reading MSN Money articles since I was 19 years old. I am going to be 25 in a couple of months so you would think that after all these years I would have a handle on my finances already. Not true. I allowed many distractions and obstacles get the best of me to the point where I am now staring at my federal tax refund thinking, "Don'tspendityetdon'tspendityetIwannaspenditbutIwon'tjustyet".

I'm not really offering any new basic financial tips, but more like condensing the things I have learned from the various articles I've read. I would also like to add some personal flavor to that advice since most of the examples I've read are barely similar to my personal situation. Now, here's my personal situation: I don't have a college degree yet. I work a near-minimum wage job with low hours (less than 30. More like 26) per week. I work 5 days of week with shifts that vary from 4 hours to 6, sometimes more depending on certain situations. I acquired a kitten back in October, which was completely unexpected since I wasn't planning on having pets until I have my own place. Oh, yeah, I live at home with my dad. A good friend pointed out to me that she would personally rather live with her boyfriend's parents until they make enough money for a place of their own instead of wasting money on rent. I originally planned to move out in a year, but my friend's idea made me re-think mine.

Now there are two financial models that I have come across:

• The 60% solution
• The 50-30-20 split

They basically work the same way, the 50 split is a simpler version of the 60 solution. The former splits your income the following ways: 50% expenses, 30% savings, and 20% wants. The latter splits 60% for expenses and the remaining 40% is divided into four categories: Retirement, Long-Term Savings, Short-Term/Irregular Expenses, and Fun money. Basically, what both methods are saying is to minimize your committed expenses (all bills and things that you feel you need to maintain such as cable tv and a cell phone) to a range somewhere between 50%-60% of your monthly income and if you can't then you're in for some rough times.

Umm...if anyone wants me to talk more about this, let me know. I'd extend this blog longer but I SERIOUSLY need to pack right now. Going on a family trip to Lake Tahoe and the flight leaves freakishly early in the morning, so until next time, laterz!