Is this the secret to hunting more?

[ArmyGrunt]

I found this article last week, and it really made me think.

http://www.instyle.com/news/financial-journalist-no-spend-year-experiment-helped-save-money

I've had the fever, like most of us on here, since I returned from SA two years ago to make return trip. It was my first safari, and honestly my first actual hunting trip. I had a blast both literally and figuratively. I've got three heads and three back skins in my home reminding me of the fun I had. My PH sends me a text message every few weeks just to say hello, @Bushwacksafaris.
My biggest problem against getting another trip lies in the fact that I work in EMS. That's emergency medical services for those who don't know. I'm a full time paramedic on an ambulance. I love my job, but we're underappreciated, misunderstood (many think we are "ambulance drivers"), and grossly underpaid. A new nurse makes a solid $7 /hour more than a new medic, yet I do far more and have more responsibility than a nurse. I have to think on my feet, live in a truck, work long hours (frequently over shift end), and rarely get a thanks from management for the extra effort.
On top of that I'm a full time college student trying for a bachelor's degree. It's been long enough that I'm not add good at retaining info as I was in high school. I've got mostly no time, and obviously money doesn't come as easily as I'd like. Add in the last factor of two kids, and my boo boo is complete!

Back to the article, this woman spent money on nothing but the necessities. She only bought groceries and paid the revolving bills. Rode a bike to work, wore through her clothes, and saved $23,000 in a year. Holy crap! I didn't think this was very plausible for me to do. I don't really squander money, but I buy things when I want them, and often on a whim instead of thinking it over a lot. Credit card, anyone? Anyway, it just happens that I keep a spreadsheet to track all the money in and out of my checking, savings, and credit cards to a lesser extent (only logging the monthly balance/amount paid). It turns out, if I'd been frugal last year I'd have saved $18,000, not including fast food/restaurant purchases.

I never thought it possible! I've now set my sights on that goal. Squish the remaining credit card debt, cover the rest of my suppressor purchases, since the government insists I pay $200 extra on both, and then focus on saving for that hippo that's calling me.

How do YOU manage to fund your own habit? I'm curious to see...

 

[BRICKBURN]

Funny how consumerism eats awake up quite quickly.
Share the result of your experience at this effort.
Good luck

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Thanks. It'll be a true challenge. I don't have a delayed gratification gene. I typically just get what I want, but this time what I want REQUIRES the delay.

It's a conundrum!

 

[ActionBob]

Hey Grunt,
Yea go for it, but within reason. Don't lose your family over being a tightwad

I commend you for tracking your expenses, I suspect you are already ahead of many if not most in that regard. It should be quite easy to expand your accounting into entering the line items off the credit card statement, or from the receipts. With this information, you can categorize your expenses and then develop a budget with that information. Obviously the first thing to do is stop throwing any money away in the form of high interest rates paid to credit card companies. They are great tools, as long as you pay them in full and on time each month.

I have the fortunate (mostly) position of being able to observe many employees and know their earnings. It always is interesting (and sometimes frustrating) to observe how some people are always broke and living pay check to pay check, while others seem to have no problem living within their means and have money to spare. Sometimes the higher paid people seem to have more money problems. It really is about controlling your costs... And then investing well Patience is not one of my virtues either, but perhaps tenacity can overcome?

 

[Pheroze]

The expression "it's not what you earn, it's what you spend" does have some validity. I eat out a lot as it is a hazard of my profession. Also, I cook like crap. But, to to pay for my next trip I realized the savings by just that extra effort it takes to bring lunch to work and ensure I eat at home. Also, no more $5 coffees. It's actually shocking how much that saves. I wish I was a smoker so I could give it up and put that money towards stuff!

I agree with @ActionBob and I don't think you have to become a miser because it is hard to obtain a goal when you are miserable. You work a lot so reward your family a little in the short term too. But good luck with the project and we should form a support group lol.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I also eat like crap. My schedule doesn't afford a lot of cooking time, and peer pressure at work often has me relenting into food purchase.
I started tracking money closely a few years ago when the new baby took precedence over the wife doing bills. Things got shut off, do I said no more.

Incidentally, after I got rid of her, I paid things down AND saved a couple thousand. Tithe myself each check helped, now I just need to start doing that again, and reduce the waste...

 

[enysse]

I feel your pain, EMS staff get paid like crap, I went to college with a number of them, when I was training to be a nurse a few years back. EMS staff were super great to work with and made terrific nurse. It is a different mindset though some struggled with the whole care plan and calling doctors for orders and administered meds with tight standards, but the money is well worth it.

As far as spending money. I'm very tight with my money. I don't like to spend on food or drinks. All of my clothing is bought at Goodwill and my shoes for nursing are bought from a store than carries discontinued shoes that are still new. I hate spending money on anything that doesn't last. My vehicle is 10+ years old and I do most of the maintenance. Most of my other hobbies don't cost too much money.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I'm shooting for physician assistant now. The Army wouldn't let me in their program because of my extensive time in service, so I'm going at it the expensive way. I look forward to getting finished, licensed and getting triple or more the income.
That'll open hunt money for sure!

 

[enysse]

Physician assistant is where the real money is, I just don't have the time or $$$ to do it. Bravo for you though, that is SMART and WISE decision, you should be congratulated for such a good choice.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I figured I may as well get paid well for the rewarding work I enjoy. I may even keep the medic cert and do that for giggles. This job can have really exciting encounters

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Not quite lion charge exciting, but when you give a drug that turns of the opiate effect, and the guy comes up combative, necessitating a tranquilizer drug, the adrenaline goes up.

Or when a heart stops in the back of the truck and you're all alone, save for your partner who's driving, yowza! Stuff gets real fast, real serious, but usually end up as well orchestrated chaos