2/25-2/28: Living Frugally

I'm just now catching up on the last couple days. I have to say, we've been doing very well at not spending much money this weekend. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we've gotten serious about house shopping, and it really makes you think before spending money when you're saving for something so important.



Thursday was easy, it rained so David drove my truck into work and I didn't leave the house. He did spend $12 on lunch with co-workers but it came out of this $30 weekly blow money, so that's not a big deal.



Friday was payday and I went out to get the envelope cash and gas in the truck. My bank gives rebates for ATM fees, so there was no waste there. Before I got gas I checked http://www.gasbuddy.com/ so find out where the cheapest place in town was. It happened to be Walmart, which is great because it's only about a mile away and I used a Walmart Shopping Card to save $0.03 a gallon. I bought 16 gallons, saving me a total of $0.48. Doesn't sound like too much, but it was something I was going to buy anyway, might as well save a couple quarters doing it, right? Next stop was the vet to buy Bear's hear worm prevention. It was $55, but it came out of his envelope, so again it there was no real effect on the monthly cash flow. Pet care can be expensive but it's SO worth it to keep your pet happy and healthy. A little money spent to protect your pet now can save so much more expense and heartache later on. I cannot stress this enough!



Which brings me to Saturday. Weekends are always, ALWAYS a "budget buster" for us. I should say for me though, because most money spent is because I don't feel like cooking. I'd say 80% of our blow/entertainment money is spent on dining out. There really is no reason for this, especially when we have a house full of food. But I am really making an effort this week, so I cooked breakfast at home this morning instead of running to McD's. We had leftovers for lunch, then met friends for dinner. We went to a local deli, where I had coupon for a free appetizer and we got a military discount. We saved about $6, and the total bill was only $17. After that our friends came over to watch some movies and play Wii. We had a great time, and $17 is not bad for a Saturday spent with friends!

February Summary

February was a really great month for us, especially financially speaking. It really is amazing the things you can do and the motivation you find when you aren't paying a "stupid tax" on a credit card. We were blessed with getting a larger tax return then we planned on, and with that we were able to almost pay off the bike loan!
In addition to our regular income, we got back $1,556 from Uncle Sam. That is actually a LOT more then we anticipated. Usually our returns are small, about $500. But with the extra $800 stimulus whatever it was (I seriously do not understand all of that!) we got back a larger amount. And wouldn't you know, it was enough to cover all but about $170 on the Bike Loan! We were thrilled, this was out last debt to pay off before saving to buy a house next year. (More on that in the coming months-SO exciting!)

So all combined, here are the numbers for the month:
$351 toward the Truck (regular payment, but still lowering the balance!)
$1,617 to PAY OFF the Bike Loan
$60 Vehicle Savings and Maintenance

Total: We increased our net worth by $2,028

Valentine's Day is coming!

I love Valentine's Day! I know people say it's too "commercial", and to a certain degree I think they are right, it can be. But it's also one of the most simple and sweet holidays. It's easy and cheap to show someone you love them, and it's IMPORTANT. Especially now, with so many families facing hard times, it's necessary to tell the people who love and support you the most just how much they mean to you. They are the ones you can always turn to, and the ones who take this journey with us. In this economy, with some many outside stresses, the relationships with our significant others aren't always as cared for and nurtured as they should. With the pressure of getting out of debt, performing well so you can keep your job, kids, housekeeping, and other things that need our attentions, it's easy to lose sight of what is really important and what you really are fighting for.

I stumbled across this blog, written by a lady named Cher and her husband. I think it's wonderful and so, so important. She offers such great ideas and inspiration-on a budget!! So go check it out, and share the love!

http://www.blogger.com/Love,%20Actually

2010 Goals and Plans

It's time to start the new year! I am so excited about 2010. Last year was the first year in my entire life that I accomplished my resolution. I made it a goal in 2009 to end the year credit card debt free, and we did. We still have many other financial goals we want to reach and many habits we still need to work on, but accomplishing our 2009 goal has given me such motivation for the next steps in our financial journey. The plan is to continue on the same path, using the envelope system, and the biweekly budget we are using now. As for the goals, here are the 4 we are going to focus on in 2010.

1. Start 2010 with 7% contribution to our TSP retirement. DONE 1/1/2010

2. Have the Bike paid off by June.

3. Have 3 months worth of expenses saved by the end of the year. (About $6,000.)

4. Stay credit card debt free.

Happy First Anniversary

Yesterday was a year since I wrote my first blog! So much has changed for us financially I can't even begin to imagine where we'd be now if we hadn't made the decision to become debt free. And while we still aren't there, we are MUCH closer. In fact, we'll make our last payment to credit card debt this month and start 2010 with only a truck payment. Here are my top 3 things I've learned this year, and what's worked the best for us:

1. USE CASH: I'd heard of Dave Ramsey but never paid much attention to his plan until this summer. I was still hesitant to use a cash only system. In this day and age it seems "old fashion" and inconvenient to use cash instead of a debit card, but that's just not so. Also, from my experience using a debit card is NOT the same as cash. It's just too easy to swipe the plastic, it's painful to hand over tangible cash.

2. BUDGET: My old budget didn't work because I would plan for what I would like to see happen with my money. When I took total control and told my money where to go, I was able to stick to it. (Example: I used to *hope* that I could spend less then $15o a pay period on groceries. With my new budget, I tell myself I *must* spend less this $150 because that's all the cash I have.) It's amazing what you can so when you have to!

3. BLOGGING: And reading blogs. Sharing ideas is the best way to find a budget that works for you. When I feel myself slipping or wanting to have a pity party I read others blogs and get all the motivation I need. So thanks to all the fellow bloggers!

Here's to another year of blogging and reaching new goals!

November 1-7 Spending:

11/1:
$10 Burger King-Breakfast
$5 Target-Halloween Clearance
$12 Marshall's-Halloween Clearance
$13 Kirkland's-Halloween Clearance

11/2:
$9 Heros-lunch with BFF

11/3
$9 Dog Food
$14 Candles, Soda, Chips, TP
$1 McD's Burger

11/4:
$5 Coupon Order

11/5:
$3 SnoBalls

11/6:
$7 Cracker Barrel
$10 Walmart
$20 Gas

11/7:
$4 Target
$14 Walmart
$5 Dollar Tree
$20 Hero's

This week I spent $137 on things that we didn't NEED. Ugh, that's a lot. In red are the things that were wants and could have been avoided. Technically all but about $50 were within budget because we used cash. But lately I've been wondering if we spend the cash because we have it. Just because I have $10 left in my Blow Money, doesn't mean I need to go to Target and see what I can buy for $10. I need to really work on that! Hopefully this week will be better. My weakness is seasonal clearance, I've spend a lot on marked down Halloween stuff. Which is fine if it's stuff I'll actually need and use next year. But naturally I get sucked into buying crap just because it's 75% off. Another weakness if boredom. I want to try to stay out of stores more this week. Last week I went shopping almost everyday just because I could. But again-that doesn't mean I SHOULD. If I stay out of stores and busy doing something else then I can't spend any money, right!? I'll check back in next week.

A Plateau?

I think I've hit one. Lately I've just felt like I'm barely treading water. In some ways it doesn't make sense because we're still plugging along, working the budget and paying off debt. But in other ways I feel like we should be doing MORE. I kind of feel like we're doing just enough to make progress, and that we've gotten complacent over the last 6 months. Part of it could be the New Year getting closer, and the anticipation of what we can and will do in 2010. I definitely haven't lost motivation, if anything I have more and don't know what to do with it!

I went over last months numbers and here's is what I think I should focus on in November:

1. Sticking to the menu:
A. Cutting back on the fast food/dinning out.
B. Stop running to the store for chips, soda, eggs, etc., and plan better when I do go.
C. Using what we have in the freezer, and using up leftovers.

2. Using less gas:
A. Make sure I budget enough for the pay period based on that weeks activities.
B. Cutting down on MY driving, and planning lots of errands in one day.
C. Cut back on the trips to the commissary. (100 miles round trip!!)


Ok, so that the game plan for November! Maybe what I need is to get back to the basics and focus on the areas that NEED the most work.

8/31-9/14 Budget

I love it when payday is on a Monday, I feel like my week falls into place better when I can start my budget on the beginning of the week. August was our second full month on Dave Ramsey's "Envelope System", and like I keep saying-it's WONDERFUL! You know your plan is really working when you forget it's payday because your not out of money! This last pay period was the dreaded 3 weekend pay check, which normally leaves us broke by the 3rd weekend. But in fact, we had more left over then normal and I didn't even realize today was payday until I logged onto my bank this morning and saw the deposit. Then later, a friend mentioned how long this period had been. Normally I complain along side her, but this week I was so grateful for the changes we've made and the peace of mind it brings!

For the next 2 weeks it will just be me, David will be out of town again for work. This lowers our grocery and blw money ammounts, but since I'll be traveling back to Florida our gas budget will be higher. Here's the plan:

Food/HBA: $30
Gas: $100
Blow Money: $60
Misc/Entertainment: $30
Dog: $20
Travel/Gifts/Christmas: $150
Marine Corps Ball: $50


I am SO, SO excited about September being here. It's probably my favorite month! It's the start of football season, cooler weather, fall smells, changing leaves, MY BIRTHDAY, and most exciting-next weekend is my parent's 25th wedding anniversary!

How do you stay on plan?

It seems like this time of year everyone is busy with back to school, or vacations before school starts back, camps, and family reunions. For us, David is leaving this week for a short deployment, and I'll be heading to my parents house for most of the month for both my brother and sister's birthdays. My brother will also be coming home from his deployment!!!

So with all these great things going on, I've been thinking about about how I can stay on budget and still enjoy the last bits of summer. I've come up with a few things I think will help.

• As always, before I made my budget, I sat down with the calendar and filled out all the events for the month. Then I budgeted according to what's going on. I think it's extremely important to base the budget on the events of the month, otherwise you are bound to go off plan.
• I won't be home on the next payday, I so I made sure to have a copy of the budget in my purse, on my laptop, and even downloaded to my phone. That way I always know my budgeted amounts.
• I also have alerts since to my phone via text from my bank. It lets me know the balances of my account daily, as well as any transactions that have posted. This is a GREAT help, and also gives me such peace of mind. It's great security because if something were to be incorrect or stolen from my account I would know very soon and can take the proper steps.
• Again, I can't say enough how the envelope system has helped us! We will definitely be continuing it.
• I've also printed off, or gathered coupons I know I'll use while traveling. For example I've earn some free 20 oz. Coke coupons from www.mycokerewards.com and also free jerky and candy bar coupons. These will be so helpful while traveling!

These are just a few things I hope will help me stay on plan while away from home this month. If you have any, please comment. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Envelope System, Day 15

Yesterday ended the first pay period of our new Envelope System. We are very, very pleased with the results. I was nervous at first since we took a trip to Florida over the 4th and other trip to Mobile last weekend. Then there were a couple birthdays thrown in there. But we managed to do it all on the set amount of cash we pulled out at the beginning of the month. We did use the debit card once on gas, but that was IT. I'm amazed at the amount of money left over that was about to go to paying our credit card.

Today is the start of another pay period. We technically got paid yesterday, because our bank releases the funds early. But we "pretend" to not get paid to day to simplify out plan. We sat down after dinner again last night and went over the money from the previous pay period, and made a budget for the next. Then we went to the ATM (we don't have any local branches of our bank) and withdrew our cash for the next 2 weeks. Here's how it looks:

Grocery/HBA: $120
Spending Money; $100
Entertainment/Misc: $100
Pet: $20
Travel: $40
Gifts: $60
Gas: $75

I also was shocked at how fast the pay period went by. Normally, I am stressed and praying for pay day to get here because I need more money. But I actually forgot it was even payday until I checked my account yesterday. That just doesn't happen here, and it was total wake up call. When you tell your money where to go, you have total control over it. It DOES NOT control you.


Hope everyone has a great afternoon!

Envelope System Day 7

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! We had a wonderful time at my parents house. This holiday is especially meaningful to my family. David is in the Marines, and my brother, Matt, is in the Navy. Matt is currently underway and will be back stateside by fall, so this weekend was bittersweet.

We left Thursday headed to my parents house and stayed there through Monday morning, then headed home with my sister. She'll be staying with me again this week, since she only had a few more weeks before school starts back. I was nervous about traveling on the ES, but it worked out really well. For me, the best part was not having to remember to write it all down in my check register. I am awful at doing that on vacations and while traveling, so using cash made that much easier. We only used the debit card once, and that was for gas. We didn't spend more then we planned and we didn't dip into our money for this week. So I'd say that's a definite success!!!

Oh, and I didn't make a post about this because I was busy getting ready for the weekend, but last week I made a trip to the commissary and got some great deals. My total before coupons was $80, and my final oop was less then $3. $4 was the surcharge, so my total savings was 101%. I was with my best friend and I told her I almost wanted to cry. I really needed that good trip to motivate me!

June 21-27 Summary

It was a pretty normal, boring week around here. Which was very, very welcome! This week starts our Envelope System!!! We're very excited about this. Here last weeks numbers though, and they aren't too bad.

Budget/Actual

Grocery/HBA: $20/$25
Gas: $30/$60 (I had to go to Mississippi twice this week, so it's higher then planned.)
Cash:$40/$40
Misc: $50/$34

Others:
It spent $38 getting new tags for my car, but that was budgeted for in the "Auto Fund".

It was a great week, and it was much needed to motivate me!

Total: $19 over budget!!!!

Our Envelope System

Happy Saturday!!!



I've got some down time today, so I thought I'd take the time to post a blog about our new budget/spending plan. I've mentioned a couple times that on July 1st David and I will start an envelope system (I'll call it an ES). We'll essentially be following Dave Ramsey's plan (http://www.daveramsey.com/). It's something I've been hearing and reading a lot about lately and I have a couple friends who have recommended it. Our budget works when we stick to it, but lately that just hasn't been happening. And while things are much better on the financial front then they were a year ago, we could be saving more and repaying more. So we'll use our regular budget that I've been posting on here, but we'll do it with cash instead. We've sat down and come up with a couple guidelines for our ES.



1. Categories: These will be the envelopes. I should add that all bills will still be paid with the debit card or web bill pay.

• Grocery/Household
• Bear (Pet)
• Entertainment/Dining Out
• Spending Money
• Gas
• Travel Savings
• Auto Maintenance
• Gifts

2. The Plan

• On the night before payday we will sit down and write a budget for the next pay period (2 weeks). Each budget will be different depending on the activities and needs during that time.
• On payday, I will go to the ATM and withdraw all the cash we will need for that period.
• Gas will not be pulled out in cash, but will be put on a Walmart gift card. (This is dependant upon the price. Walmart is almost always much cheaper after the 3 cent discount, but if it's not, then we'll get it somewhere else). Gas will be purchased on the first day of the pay period.

3. The Rules

• If one category goes "negative" we can withdraw from another category, but NO going back to the ATM.
• At the end of the period, all remaining funds will be pooled and re-budgeted into the next month.
• Re-budgeted money will take the place of the money from the following pay period. Thus leaving more money for savings/debt repayment.
• There will always be some money on the debit card for "in case". But at the end of the period all money on the debit card will go to savings/debt repayment.
• Any additional income, or found money will NOT be budgeted into the plan, but go straight to savings/debt repayment.

So that's the plan for now. Of course, as we go along we might need to change and tweak some things, but for the first 2 weeks at least this is the general idea. I will be using regular 'ole envelopes and I have them in a zipper pouch in my "money binder". We will each keep our spending money on us, and take the envelope we will need with us when we leave the house. I won't keep all the money on me all the time.

Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas, too. I'd love to hear them!

June 21-27 Budget

After last week, this week will be boring. Which is not altogether a bad thing. I am ready for some down time! We don't have much planned for this week, and this weekend will be the first one in a long time that we don't have plans and can enjoy the summer. It's supposed to storm, and I am ready. It's so dry here, and we haven't had rain in quite a few weeks. The high today is 102, with an index of 115+. That's GREAT for the budget. Why? Because I'm not leaving my air conditioned house to go out in that heat, therefor I won't spend a dime!

And speaking of dimes, here they are!

Groceries: $20, just picking up a couple of good deals.
Gas: $30
Cash $40
Misc: $50

Total: $140

June 14-20 Summary

This was an expensive week. We had family in the entire time, and while I LOVE every minute of it, the spending got out of control and stayed there. There really isn't anything else I can say, so here are the numbers:

Budget/Actual

Groceries/Household: $40/$178
Gas:$30/$60
Cash:$40/$40
Misc:$50/$239, including $30 for a gift.

We spent $137 eating out this week. That is awful, and HAS to stop. But I'm not beating myself up too hard because as bad as it was, we didn't spend anything we didn't have, and I was honest about every penny. It just makes me want to try harder this week!

June 14-20 Budget

I have my Granny, sister, and cousin in town the first part of the week, and then my Parents and sister here the last part of the week, so it will be hectic. I am trying really hard to keep the budget in mind at all times and to stay frugal by cutting down on dining out and shopping, but it's SO hard with company here and wanting to so fun things. I can see that I need to change my mindset of what "fun" really means, and that I don't have to spend money to have it. Here's the plan for the week:

Grocery/Household: $40 (I made a huge shopping trip last week, and we should only need a few things.)
Gas:$30
Cash;$40
Misc:$50

Total: $160



Have a wonderful week!

June 7-13 Summary & Goals

UGH! This was another "bad" week. So much waste and unplanned things. Plus I've had family here non-stop, and while I LOVE having them here, it does challenge my budget. He are the numbers for the week.

Budgeted/Actual:
Groceries, Household, Pet: $40/$73
Gas: $50/$50
Cash: $40/$60
Misc: $50/$78

Total Over: $81

Father's Day Trip:$100...trip was changed, and my parents are coming over here on Father's Day weekend. We've planned a beach trip with the dogs, so it should be fairly frugal. Thank goodness!!!

And as for my goals-they are going OK.

1. My reading is going alright, I have read several pages, but with company here the last day or two I've been slacking. I plan to read more tonight before bed. I can really see a difference in my attitude about this new frugal change in my life. It's helping me see it more as I'm gaining insight rather then I'm giving up shopping.

2. I haven't added any to savings, but that's fine. I normally add the money on the first payday anyway, so this isn't a failure. Although I COULD have saved more and squeezed in another $100 this pay period.

3. I have totally failed on planning a sticking to a menu. The planning went well, as did the shopping. My total before coupons was $180, after coupons I walked out spending $97, including the $8 surcharge. I was very pleased with that. However, we've spent $49 dining out, and we're only 2 days into the pay period!

Summer Goals

Some say summer is almost here, but if you live with me in the South, I'm sure you're thinkin' it's already here. It's closing in on 90 degree heat everyday and dry as a bone. But I do love it! The humidity doesn't bother me, since my whole 23 years have been spent in it. And summer is good for the budget! There is so much to so for free outside, and so many friends to grill out with, good books to read and gardens to grow! I love summer. And because this summer I'm striving to be frugal and stay on budget I've set up some goals.
I tend to go hog wild with goals and set about 10 at a time and then wonder why I can't stick them out. Wonder if it's because I overload myself? So I whittled it down to 3 goals for the summer, to be completed by September 1st.

Here they are:
1. Read and study Psalms and Proverbs. I know this isn't a traditional personal finance goal, but for me this isn't just about the amount of money I spend and save. It's about getting myself organized and being responsible. Both Psalms and Proverbs have great life lessons that make me what to be a better person and strive for that balance in life. Like Psalms 37:21 that says "The wicked borroweth and payeth not again, but the righteous sheweth mercy and giveth." And Proverbs 22:7 "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

2. Add $600 to Emergency Fund.

3. Plan and stick to a menu plan, including a new dish once a week.

June 7-13 Budget

Finally, a somewhat normal week. I will be glad to get back to our normal routine. This will be a more expensive week for us because it's time to buy the monthly dog food, and montly gas fill up for my car. Also my little sister is spending the week here and we have a couple things planned. I don't need that many groceries since I bought some last week before she got here, but I'll need some milk and fresh breads and veggies. Other then that, it should be pretty simple. This weekend we'll be going to my parents again to celebrate Father's Day with my Dad and return my sister. Here's the budget!

Groceries, Household, Pet: $40
Gas: $50
Cash: $40
Misc: $50


Father's Day Trip:
Gas: $75
Food: $25

Total for Trip: $100

Wish me luck, and have a great week!

May 31-June 6 Summary

I'm just gonna say it. I blew my budget this week. I ended up getting sick, and having that "I don't feel good, so I don't care" mentality. And well, that was NOT good for the budget. But I know what my problem was and I know how to fix it. When I don't balance my checkbook everyday, but think that I can mentally keep track of my spending, I totally blow it. So lesson learned? Even when out of town and sick, BALANCE YOUR ACCOUNTS and don't get the "I don't care" attitude.

Another lesson is to CHARGE your cell phone. I got a new smartphone a couple months back and hadn't bought a car charger for it because I think since I get the wall charger free, spending $20 on a car charger is wasteful. But because I forgot to charge the phone at home, and had to meet someone an our away I had to make a last minute stop by Target and spend the $20 a car charger. What a waste!!!

Here's my budget/actual numbers:

Gas: $35/$60
Cash: $0/$0
Misc: $20/$153 (This was due to a shopping trip with my sister.)

Total Over Budget: $158!!!