I wish... I had a healthier relationship with money (part 4)

Hang on, that was my wish for March, wasn't it?

Yep. And April too. Wish of the month has become wish of the months, which isn't what I had in mind. Or wish of the quarterly. At least that sounds financial.

The good news is, I have fulfilled this wish. I have a healthier relationship with money. 

This is how I did it:

I submitted a claim for travelling expenses to my employer. It was a big one. Months and months of claims that I should have submitted last year. Just finding the receipts took hours, let alone matching them to specific journeys. 

My manager was very understanding and most of the claim was approved. But some of it wasn't; either it was too old or I didn't have a relevant receipt. 

It was my own fault. Lesson learned. 

What else?

I created a Personal Expenses spreadsheet for the financial year 2014-15. That sounds incredibly dweeby, I'm sure, but I learnt more about my spending habits from that spreadsheet than anything a bank or building society has ever sent me. I actually felt angry when I typed in yet another entry for petrol or chocolate or alcoholic drinks. I couldn't believe how much money I had frittered away.

Me at Cadbury World, 18th July 2014

What shocked me most was how much I had spent by Direct Debit. Accumulatively. So I tackled that next.

I cancelled several Direct Debits. For example, a payment to Specsavers for monthly contact lenses and bottles of solution. I have so many in stock now that I could make a Telescope that rivals the Hubble.

Some of the Direct Debits were to charities. I don't feel good about cancelling them, but I've been paying out for years. I think I'll be forgiven for pausing this once. Besides, no doubt I'll be sponsoring a cousin to run 5k through a swamp or a friend to skip up the Inca Trail before the year is out.

What else?

I moved money. Little bits of money that were doing nothing in one account (such as PayPal) but were desperately needed in another (such as my bank account). A barely noticeable speck of dust in the money markets of the world, but gargantuan in my world.

The end result? 

I have a healthier bank balance and a much healthier relationship with money. I don't ignore bank statements and credit card bills anymore. Well, not for as long. I check my bank account online more regularly. And when I earn money, it goes into my bank account as quickly as possible.

I am facing up to the reality of my situation. I need to spend less than I earn (somehow I forgot this), and that needs to happen for many, many months. I can do that by cutting my spending further, moving more money (I haven't yet explored pensions from previous jobs), and by making more money.

Just like that.

I wish I had a healthier relationship with making money.

What is your wish of the month? Join me in June and make it happen.