Big Ballin' (On A Budget) Is My Hobby

Over the past few weeks, I've shared with you my personal path to enlightenment. We've also discovered what it truly means to be bougie. Now all that's left is to answer the one question everyone's been asking me: "What on earth is a budgetista?"

I'll admit, I made this word up (don't judge me), but no other word in the English (or Urban) language could embody who I am and what I'm trying to convey. I live a lifestyle. I love to travel, I love fine dining, I have a passion for fashion, and I need to be able to do it all on an entry-level employee's salary. And I'm sure all of you know how dismal the dollar figure on one of those checks can be. But what we all must internalize from this moment on is this thought that a wise woman once shared with me - It's not how much money you make, it's what you do with it.

What are you doing with your money? Have you actually taken a look at the items listed on your bank statement online (or for the less green, on your paper statement) or do you just check to see how much money is left? I'm not going to lie, I would do it too. And then I'd wonder why I was living paycheck to paycheck. Quite frankly, that never felt like living. I'd feel a rush when I saw that my direct deposit had cleared. I'd excitedly pay my (read: past due) bills, treat myself to a little retail therapy, eat out everyday for a week, then after a while, I'd take a peek at my account. Suddenly, I was drowning in a wave of panic. How was I going to to pay the rest of my bills? What was I going to eat? Is what I have left in my gas tank going to last me until the next paycheck? Then, once the next deposit cleared, I was back on Cloud 9. I lived for payday and nothing else. One day, it hit me. I realized that the vicious cycle had to stop if I ever wanted to do more than "just get by." So little by little I began making changes. Now I challenge all of you who can relate to my plight to do the same by following a few easy, albeit a little time consuming, steps.

First, really take a look at your spending. Every day for a whole month, collect all the receipts for the day and write down the business name and the amount spent in a notebook. If you paid a bill or rent, write that down too, but highlight it since it's probably a fixed amount you must spend on a monthly basis. Make a few notes about the day's transactions (what you bought, why you bought it, how you feel about the purchase, etc.), staple the receipts to the page, date it and move on to the next day. At the end of the month, categorize your spending. Did you eat out a lot? How much did you spend on clothing? How much of your income went to essentials versus non-essentials? Believe you me, I won't judge you if you felt those nude patent leather Jessica Simpson pumps were essential to your wardrobe. Just be honest enough with yourself to differentiate between your needs and your wants.

Next, once you've categorized the month's expenses, plug the numbers into a budget calculator. Take a look at the results. Are you over or under for the month? How do you feel about the total? Now take a look at all of your entries for the month. Where can you cut back? Restaurants? Shopping? Drinks at the bar? Really think about where you can tighten your purse strings without feeling like you're sacrificing too much. Do you like to cook? Make your favorite meals in advance, pack them in containers and put them in the fridge. You'll have lunch AND dinner for a few nights. Don't know how to cook, but want to look like you know how? Invest in a slow cooker and check out All Recipes for some amazingly delicious meal ideas (and yes, iPhone users, there's an app for that!). Don't know where the kitchen is and quite frankly don't care to find out? Find a friend who likes to cook, provide them with containers, and chip in to their grocery bill!

There are so many ways to cut back without sacrificing too much. Take your cable package, for example. I'm a HUGE United States of Tara fan. Amazing show on Showtime. Get the premium channel for the season, then cancel afterward. Let's face it, the premium channels play the same eight movies over and over and over again. If I wanted to watch Twilight seven times in a 24-hour period, I'd hit up a Redbox, and get it for $1.00. Are you good friends with your next door neighbor? Split the cost of a super-duper router, password protect the network, and go half on the internet bill every month.

Once you have your spending in check and you're making cuts here and there, you're going to see the results of your budget calculation go up. Now, the final step is to learn what you're going to do with your new-found expendable income. If you're coasting through life, getting up in the morning, fighting traffic, clocking in to work, busting your tail for the duration of your shift, clocking out, then fighting traffic to get back home, do you give yourself the opportunity to enjoy the the fruits of your labor? Now's the time to create your lifestyle. You may be a little nervous about splurging a little too much on yourself, but fear not! Here are a few of my Budgetista secrets to help you "live the champagne lifestyle on a kool-aid budget."

For my fellow foodies, culture lovers, and pampered princes and princesses, bookmark Groupon, LivingSocial, and ODealsDaily (for those in Central Florida). You'll find ridiculously wonderful deals for at least half-off gift certificates to some of the best restaurants, the symphony, and even the spa. I highly recommend signing up for their email lists so you'll never miss a chance to treat yourself to the finer things in life. Jet-setters, Priceline and Travelocity should be your best friends. Stay tuned to find out how to become negotiating professional! What? You didn't think I was going to give away all my secrets, did you? *wink*

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Oh You Fancy, Huh?

bou·gie [bü-zhē]

-adjective

1. Aspiring to be a higher class than one is.
2. Extravagant, often to the point of snobbery.
3. Anything that is perceived as "upscale" from a blue-collar point of view.  

It seems so simple to tack on a negative connotation to such a simple word. To most, when they hear the word "bougie," all they really hear is "stuck up," "arrogant," "cocky," "siditty," "fancy" even. But when you take a moment and really delve into the origins of the word, we find a much simpler and respected meaning. To be bougie is to be a hustler.

Let's look back to the late middle ages. Western Europe was in turmoil. Britain and France had both suffered multiple famines and the black death. Fields were left with no one to work them. Landlords were so desperate for employees that they raised wages to entice workers. And those workers took heed. In fact, some expected more. Much more. In the 14th and 15th centuries, artisans and tradesmen arose and became an economic powerhouse. They branched out and conducted business in favor of their own interests. These early entrepreneurs had their eyes on the prize and through their hard work, made it to the top of the social ladder - rubbing elbows with nobility. The bourgeoisie was born.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the bourgeoisie established themselves as the prominent middle class. They rallied for changes in property laws, expanded trade and commerce and established a capitalist economy. By the late 19th century, this social class had was retiring and living comfortably off their own investments. Now, correct me if i'm wrong, but last time i checked, this is what we all strive for - success and comfort. Today's entrepreneurs share the same mentality as the bourgeois did in the 1700s. With hard work, dedication, and innovation, this social class moved up from being commoners in a feudal economy to being recognized as nobility. By encouraging thinking outside of the box and even gender equality, and by being disciplined enough to focus in perfecting the skills necessary to be the best at what their trade, the bourgeois created the blueprint for today's hustlers to follow.

I've caught so much hell for calling myself "The Bougie Budgetista." I mean, I’ve actually been told "I would never want to be considered bougie." All I can do is laugh at those poor souls. Why wouldn't you want to be successful? If you don't want success as desperately as you want to take your next breath, then please, do the rest of us bougie folks a favor and step aside. We're on a mission to get to the top and you run the risk of getting trampled over.

Now, once you're safely on the sidelines, take a moment and look around you. See if you can spot the hustlers grinding right under your nose. You see that young woman sipping a latté in Barnes & Nobel? She's actually thumbing through event planning magazines getting ideas for her next project while simultaneously typing her column for an online publication. You see that well dressed young man at the sushi restaurant at 2:00pm having lunch with some older gentlemen? Did you notice his 9 to 5 work badge on his hip? He's actually holding a business meeting with the owners of the newest night club in the city, negotiating a contract for his promotions company to host events on Thursday nights. Mind you, the young man is on his lunch break at work. It's 6:00am and you're going for your morning jog and you notice a man leaving the studio with a red bull in his hand. He's actually been up all night, working with his artists while checking the progress of this t-shirt company and confirming his next three MCing gigs for major greek events. And did you notice the young woman at the fabric store debating between two couture designers' patterns? She's actually an aspiring designer, making beautiful renditions of Europe’s hottest looks for little if any money, just to get her name out there. And the next time you're at your city's hottest night spot, take a look in the VIP section. You may just see these fabulous individuals there after months of hard work and sleepless nights poppin' bottles. After all, we are bougie.

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista