title: How to write this tsql datetime code more concisely and or elegantly
body: <p>I need to get the tsql datetime of the first day of the current month to use in a query.</p>
  
  <p>I have come up with </p>
  
  <pre><code>declare @StartDate datetime
  set  @StartDate =  cast( MONTH( getdate()) as char(2))+ '/1/' 
         +  cast( Year( getdate()) as char(4))
  select @StartDate
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But was wondering about a better way to do this. </p>
  
  <p>Suggestions?</p>