the basement lab.

maybe i’m a masochist and i’m just not fully aware of it, but i really enjoy experimenting on my life.  and not just in a “i love trying new things that might be fun” kind of way. more like a “i love trying new things that have high potential for disaster and terror but that might end up being a funny story” kind of way. recently, that uncontrollable impulse has developed into a master plan for this blog. starting next month, i am going to spend each month of 2010 exploring an element of debt, finance, saving, spending, and money in general. it took me 32 years to develop these bad habits, and i think that shaking things up a little might help me gain a new perspective.

unlike a lot of coupon/personal finance blogs out there, i’m not debt free. i don’t have the answers. i fall off the wagon almost every day. in no way am i trying to get people to live like me (what a mess!). more than anything, i’m sharing my own extremely off-road journey to financial responsibility, knowing full well that i may never get there. but hoping that maybe if we stumble around in the dark together for a while, eventually, we’ll figure something out.

but on to the good stuff! here is what i have planned so far for financial adventures. please note- these are not all just exercises in frugality, they are designed to help me explore money from every dimension- socially, morally… the whole shebang.

february- gambling. this month, i’m going to press my luck and see how viable various forms of gambling are in terms of making money. yeah, i know the odds are against me. yeah, i know that gambling can be addictive. but i’m curious, and foolhardy, and want to try it first hand. i have decided on fixed amount (check back in february for the big reveal), and will be investigating everything from scratch tickets, to bingo halls, to online gambling (can you say weekend trip to foxwoods?) big money! no whammies!

march- $1000 challenge. at various points in my life, i’ve had to find money quickly (remember that time i got fired from my $10/hour temp job with $7 in my bank account?), and have had varying levels of success. in march, i’m going to see what i can do to raise myself a little capital in just 31 days.  the goal is $1000. odd jobs, etsy, ebay, bake sale… whatever. as long as it’s not completely demoralizing (moderately demoralizing is ok), or completely illegal, i’m game.

april- all cash. how do people live without credit cards? checks? i try to figure it out when i spend the month of april on an all-cash diet.

well, that’s three months… i’ve got a few more ideas percolating, but i could definitely use a few more. want to see me do something crazy, now’s your chance!