It’s Dry July at the moment: what’s a financial “vice” that you could cut from your life for a month?

It’s the middle of winter. It’s freezing outside. If this is about sacrifice, I think we could cut out heating at home for the month …

… by going to Bali! Which is where I’m writing this from.

Cheating? Not in the spirit of things?

Financial vices, hmmm. I haven’t got many. When I see myself wasting money, I read myself the riot act. There are brutal consequences for me if I think I can waste my own money.

Apart from the obvious. If I participated in Dry July itself, the saved bar bill would feed a village of starving Africans for a month. Bit fond of a drink.

And why do I drink? To take away the pain of opening Mrs DebtMan’s monthly credit card bill. Every month when I open it, my eyes bleed.

Could I nominate a top-10 vices I’d love to see her give up for the month? Actually, limiting it to just 10 would be too hard. It would be easier to do a Triple J-style “Top 100 splurging hits” of some of the bizarre things she blows money on.

Nope? It’s gotta be me? Dang. Tough.

I’d have to nominate entertainment in general. Eating out, drinking out and time at the pub. It’s good times, with friends and family. And isn’t that what life is really about?

But if I really felt I needed to cut back for a month to save money … and I could convince Mrs DebtMan to get on board … I’m sure my friends would be there at the end of it.

Bruce Brammall is the principal adviser with Bruce Brammall Financial (www.brucebrammall.com.au) and author of Mortgages Made Easy.