Downsizing Dinero Dumps!

Hey folks, my ongoing struggle to maintain above-water status in my financial fight has leaped to new heights recently! I'm sure Joel would be proud of me. One of the best things to do when you are looking to save more money and get out of debt is to assess your situation and find out where the money is leaking, also known as "dinero dumping" (I coined that, thank you thank you). Dinero dumping, I've decided, should mean when you are spending more money than you have to and you are literally dumping $$ into the garbage. So far in my assessment, I've come up with a few ways to save.

1) Credit Union : last year, after graduating from college, I made one of the dumbest mistakes of my life. Buying a new car. Oh yes, there was much drooling on that warm sunny summer day, and there still is - only for different reasons. That day last year, I was drooling because I had tossed away the good ole Ford Tempo and bought a shiny new Mazda6 - man it looked good in the light. Now, think of me drooling in a more raving lunatic who is restrained as the likes of Hannibal from Silence of the Lambs...everytime I think of the car payments and what I've done, I get all sweaty and upset. Not such a pretty picture of drooling now is it Dre? All this to say, I am about to refinance my car loan with my company's credit union that I just joined and save tons on the interest rate. It's surely not a huge solution but if I can stop my dinero dumping even in the slightest with this car, I'm gonna do it

2) Auto Insurance - I cannot understand for the life of me why I did not see the light sooner.

Allstate if under 25 years old = $$$ ---> Geico if under 25 years old = $

Any questions? Make sure you are getting the right bang for your buck with auto insurance. Shop around and get enlightened.

I am one with the Gecko now.

3) Dining out - oh yes, those nights out at Outback Steakhouse and PF Chang's are now (for the most part) over. Go out, get some groceries and learn how to cook for corn's sake! (my lovely fiancee says that alot...thanks babe)

Now these three points are by no means revolutionary, just things that worked for me. There are countless other ways to cut down on spending, just look for it. I'll post more when I find more dinero dumping busters!