Not that one. (I don’t use that b-word unless I’m belting Alanis Morisette.)

B as in Budgeting. (Or B as in Bleh.)

How am I going to save $1,000 by Sept. 1?

I have 6 paychecks between now and Labor Day. I can afford to put away $100 from each paycheck. That’s $600. I’ll have to make up the other $400 through minimizing costs.

Thanks to Mint.com, I know that most of my disposable income (excluding rent, utilities and student loans) goes toward food and shopping.

PLAN

Food:

• Eat in.
• Eat out with coupons (I ♥ Scoutmob.)
• Food share with my three housemates.
• Consume less meat.
• Use herbs and tomatoes from my (first!) garden.
• Take full advantage of free food opportunities (leftovers from office lunches, dinner with the grandparents, events with food)

Shopping:

• Make gifts rather than buying them (an etsy.com addict should be able to start crafting, yes?)
• Do not buy clothes. Repeat: Do NOT buy clothes.

Whatever money I don’t spend (i.e. $10 when I take lunch to work rather than eating out), I’ll deposit that amount in a dedicated ING Orange Savings Account (if you let me refer you, we’ll both get a cash reward). I’m using Mint.com to track my savings goal.

There it is. While not exactly a Budget per se, it is a plan.

Do you have any savings tips or tricks? I’d love your help getting started!