Spending Money Disappearing

Three days ago I had $138 in my spending account, now I have $44! Since it's my last semester here at UT, I have been going out to nicer places in Austin which also tend to cost more. I used to survive on $60 a month!

I believe in spending money, it drives the economy, but I also believe in spending within your means. Any money you bring in should first be subjected to a swipe off the top which goes straight to your savings, the rest you can spend.

My personal system for distributing income is currently:

• %40 - Permanent Savings
• %40 - Investment Account
• %20 - Spending Account

With Bank of America I have automatic transfers that put the following amounts in my accounts each week:

• Spending Account - $10
• Investment Account - $60
• Permanent Savings - $40

This all adds up to a decent amount of money every month, but it won't be near enough for the real world in a few months! I will be opening up two more accounts very soon, so I need to redistribute my incoming money plan.