Not long ago, I read a great post over at Clever Dude about how some personal finance bloggers don’t always lead by example. As I read this article, I realized that I should go ahead and fess up to a few ways I’m not leading you guys by example.

1.) Eating Out

I’m not really starting this year off very well as I’ve already spent well over $200 in just eating out this month. Part of this is that my hectic schedule just makes fast food easier. The other part is that I’m lazy after a long day at work. I work 10-hour days and then come home to do more work for either school or my writing. I don’t really have the energy to cook. But, this is such a waste of money. I know it. But, somehow I still find myself stopping on the way home.

2.) DVDs

Yes, this is my weakness. I decided that for 2009 I was going to cut expenses everywhere I could, so I went ahead and got rid of my Netflix membership. Yeah, that was a BIG mistake. Because I could no longer rent the movies I wanted to watch, I ended up buying them. Not that I didn’t want to own the movies, but I spend too much on DVDs every month, which is why I went to Netflix in the first place. So, here’s how bad I blew my budget this month. Normally, I budget about $150 a month in entertainment. That covers dinner with friends, movies at the theater, any other fun activities, and my DVDs. Guess how much I spent in just DVDs this month? $200. And Circuit City’s going out of business sale has not helped my cause here. *sigh* The good news is,  I’ve renewed my membership with Netflix!

3.) Reusable “Green” Bags

I don’t use them. Now before you jump the gun on this one, let me explain why. I’m fully aware of the benefits and am looking for a way to make the switch, but here’s the thing. I have three cats…that’s a lot of litter box scooping! And those plastic bags from the grocery store make a very handy receptacle. Now, I realize this isn’t environmentally healthy, but I have not found a way to make this process more green. I can’t get them to use pellets or anything like pellets. They’re even picky about the litter I use. It has to be Fresh Step, otherwise they do their business elsewhere and it’s usually in the worst possible places. So, if you have any ideas, I’m happy to actually do this one. But, for the time being, I need those plastic bags!

4.) Apartment Living

I know a lot of you completely disagree with the fact that I’m not ready to own a home, but there’s the plain truth of the matter. I’m just not ready. I realize the benefits of owning. I know that I really should, especially while rates are low, but it’s not going to happen. I’ve already explained the reasons I rent instead of own, but I’m also aware that I’m not leading by example. Hey, no one’s perfect!

5.) Raises

I don’t live one raise behind. I understand the logic, even think it’s a great thing to do, I just don’t do it. However, that doesn’t mean I squander all the money, either. Usually, a portion of that extra money goes into savings or my travel fund; however, sometimes I pad my budget a little more to give me some breathing room. Despite everything, my natural tendencies are not to be frugal. I have to really work at it and make myself do what I’m supposed to. I haven’t quite got there with raises yet, and I just got one at work, so I’ll probably increase my 401(k) contribution a bit, but the rest is going to pad the budget.

6.) Wasteful

I can be a somewhat wasteful person, but this is most prominent in my pantry habits. I tend to forget that I have things in the back and then find them several months after the expiration date. I don’t eat food after the expiration date, I don’t care what it is. So I end up throwing out a lot of stuff from the pantry. Fortunately, I ran across Trent’s article on maximizing the pantry, so I’m really going to work on this one. It actually bothers me that I’m so wasteful with this, and it’s an easy fix.

Now, does any of this mean that I shouldn’t provide advice to people? Not necessarily. I’ve been in the situation where I had to go extreme frugal in order to survive. But, I’m in a different place in my life right now. And while I certainly can’t afford to blow $400 on crap every month, it’s not going to kill me for having done it this month. Besides, the things that I talk about and the advice that I share are simply my opinion based on my experience in banking and my own screw-ups in finance. We all have very different lifestyles and needs. What works for you may not work for someone else. All I’m doing is providing some options.

Related posts:

1. Do You Consider Your “Collection” An Investment?
2. Six Ways your Kids can Help out with the Budget!
3. 101 Ways To Go Green and Save Money
4. Top 10 Ways To Flush Money Down the Toilet
5. Oh, FedEx How I Hate You! Let Me Count the Ways!