Budgeting

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leonie

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Okay, I’ve decided to take over the budget and the bills. So, this morning, I got out the bills and wrote everything down.

:bigyikes:

. After adding everything up–without counting unexpected expenses and trimming our grocery budget and gasoline budget and cutting out all leisure activities, we are only $250 in the negative.

gulp.

No wonder my poor dh seems so stressed out. And no wonder our credit card debt has gone up steadily over the last year.

I think I may have to get a part time job. I’m not sure my 13 year old is ready to babysit for more than a hour or so, though and dh’s hours are erratic. 😦

My dh is on the top of his pay scale–so, this is it, baby. Gotta figure this out!

I hope everyone else is doing okay moneywise.
 
Is this $250 a month? You can do it! I know it! there are so many ways to trim a grocery bill. I have found the easiest way for me to cut the bill is to cut out junk food and pop. That stuff is worthless anyways, so why buy it? and there are so many generic things that are just as good as name brand stuff that nobody will ever know the difference. and another easy way for me to cut down the grocery bill is to make sure DH is not with me when I am grocery shopping! he’s worse than a little kid! Please, Please, Please can we get this??? and maybe you can find something to do to make money while at home. is there a neighbor who needs someone to watch their kids while they run errands once a week or so? or can you keep a few kids in the morning between the time their parents need to go to work and the time the bus picks them up for school? or could you clean someones house and take the smaller kids with you?

I dont know how much credit card debt your talking about, but dont forget to check with each company and find out what your rates are. maybe you can get them to lower them?? its worth a shot. and ALWAYS pay more than the minimum, even if its just $5 more a month. it will help you feel better. And right now, cut the son of a bucks up! like that commercial with all the little scissors jumping around at the peoples feet. cut, cut, cut!

oh, and one more thing, dont hide this from the 13 year old. Keep him/her informed on how your family got in this position and what you are planning on doing to get out of it. that way he/she can help out and not be embarrassed or mad about it. this is an excellent learning experience for young people, so take advantage of it. Let them take some ownership and help solve the problem. Not that im saying you should make him/her go out and get a job and you keep all the cash, but when they start complaining b/c there’s no Dr Pepper in the house, you can say, “well, this is one thing we will have to do w/o until we get the credit cards paid off.” If you show them that you are facing this head on, they will probably be much more supportive. good luck! (and get out the scissors, right now!)
 
leonie said:
Okay, I’ve decided to take over the budget and the bills. So, this morning, I got out the bills and wrote everything down.

:bigyikes:

. After adding everything up–without counting unexpected expenses and trimming our grocery budget and gasoline budget and cutting out all leisure activities, we are only $250 in the negative.

gulp.

No wonder my poor dh seems so stressed out. And no wonder our credit card debt has gone up steadily over the last year.

I think I may have to get a part time job. I’m not sure my 13 year old is ready to babysit for more than a hour or so, though and dh’s hours are erratic. 😦

My dh is on the top of his pay scale–so, this is it, baby. Gotta figure this out!

I hope everyone else is doing okay moneywise.
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You are simply amazing and you’re going to do a great job! I think that credit cards are an instrument of Satan, it’s so EASY to get in over your head.
You seem to like kids, my sister took in a couple of kids before and after school and made a hundred bucks a week.
I’m not doing okay moneywise, I barely make it from month to month, but I don’t worry that much about money cuz it’s just me and my cat Lucky so we’ll be okay, I’m pretty sure.
I just so admire you for being able to see things from your husband’s perspective, some people NEVER learn to see the other guy’s side of things!
 
not eating out much can help a lot…
brown bag lunches for ur husband and kid…

turn the thermostat lower/higher by a few degrees… helps with the bills…

also buy in bulk from the grocery stores is what I do when they have sales going on.
also, i get rainchecks for stuff that they run out on… they generally run out on the good stuff as they keep only a small amount out… get a raincheck for a large quantity of those items and then you can keep using those rainchecks whenever you go in … 🙂
helps a lot for meat and fish as they end up being very expensive…

only carry cash when u go out… dont carry the credit cards… that way you will not buy if you do not have the money…

hope these tips help…

i also found subscription to this site helpful as they have a lot of tips on frugal living…

this url is for household budgeting
bankrate.com/brm/news/debt/debtmanageguide/home-budget-tool1.asp?caret=42

bankrate.com/brm/news/special/20050217a1.asp
 
I found the Tightwad Gazette and wonderful resource for saving money. I don’t know if your library has it, but it’s worth a shot. There’s almost always something you can trim. If you stir a can of peas into macaroni and cheese, as well as some ground beef, you have a pretty nutritionally complete meal. Maybe if you find more meals like that and serve them repeatedly, you can trim your grocery bills for a month or so until you get some of your credit card debt paid down.
My husband is supporting two kids and me on one income. We have two cars (one not paid off yet) and a mortgage payment, as well as a student loan payment for me. We still have enough money for recreation, so i know it can be done. Take heart and pray to the Lord. God bless you for taking the first steps to see where you need to be. I know you can get this bidget thing whipped!🙂
 
Ohhh Let me tell you how good it is when student loan and car payments ended within a month of each other!!! Trust me you will love it!!!
 
Thanks for all the tips! I’m sure I once knew it all, but I’ve gotten into some bad habits. I remember those first years when I couldn’t afford a pair of panty hose!

I’ll definitely be checking some books out of the library to motivate me.

I have to say though, these kids just keep eating and eating. My 13 and 12 year olds are endless pits!

If we can stay on budget and use all of our tax refunds for the next two years, we can pay off the credit cards within two years. Of course, that is providing the cars and truck can make it that long. Of course, it will be a real bummer to pay off the credit cards and then have to get a car loan.

It’s a real eye opener to take responsibility for the budget.

I’m bad at diets. I’m bad at fasting. I’m even bad at finishing novenas! I’m just not a very disciplined person.

Maybe it will be good for me. Do I have to be the grown up? sigh.
 
I’m bad at diets. I’m bad at fasting. I’m even bad at finishing novenas! I’m just not a very disciplined person.

Maybe it will be good for me. Do I have to be the grown up? sigh.

I didn’t finish a novena to the Little Flower but she answered my prayers anyway.
I don’t think that Heaven is as legalistic as some might believe.
I know that my prayers were answered because she sent me a rose.
 
leonie said:
Maybe it will be good for me. Do I have to be the grown up? sigh.
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You said it yourself;) …it WILL be good for you. And it will be good for your children too. Keep them in mind when laziness come creeping in and you have trouble doing what you need to do. They are old enough to know what you are doing and to learn from it. It’ll help them tremendously in life if they know that they WON’T DIE without everything they want, lol.
**I spent the first few years of my marriage wanting everything RIGHT NOW because I han’t been taughte delayed gratification (due to my mom’s well intentioned generosity)…we got into severe credit debt and had to remortgage our home. That was AFTER my parents spent months buying us basic groceries because it was either pay the mortgage or eat. **
**Teach your children how to live within their means by living within yours:) **
malia
 
Karianne said:
I’m bad at diets. I’m bad at fasting. I’m even bad at finishing novenas! I’m just not a very disciplined person.

Maybe it will be good for me. Do I have to be the grown up? sigh.
Click to expand...
Someone on here who regularly prays to St Bridget of Sweden says that they became much more organised as a result, and attribute it to her having had a large family of her own and probably been an excellent household manager in her own life. 😉

Or try praying to St Martha, if anyone understands someone who is ‘anxious about many things’ it would be her 👍

How’s about we pray for each other? I could do with some help becoming more of a ‘grownup’ in my own life as well :gopray2:
 
Karianne said:
I’m bad at diets. I’m bad at fasting. I’m even bad at finishing novenas! I’m just not a very disciplined person.

Maybe it will be good for me. Do I have to be the grown up? sigh.
Click to expand...
I didn’t finish a novena to the Little Flower but she answered my prayers anyway.
I don’t think that Heaven is as legalistic as some might believe.
I know that my prayers were answered because she sent me a rose.

what kind of a rose was it? a real rose? or one in an email or on a package or something??
 
LilyM said:
Someone on here who regularly prays to St Bridget of Sweden says that they became much more organised as a result, and attribute it to her having had a large family of her own and probably been an excellent household manager in her own life. 😉

Or try praying to St Martha, if anyone understands someone who is ‘anxious about many things’ it would be her 👍

How’s about we pray for each other? I could do with some help becoming more of a ‘grownup’ in my own life as well :gopray2:
Click to expand...
That’s a deal!

Thanks for reminding me of my “saints.” St. Ann would be a good helper too.
 
**can you consolidate/transfer your credit debt to a lower card or a new card? We are currently looking at transfering ours to an american express that is offering 0% APR for a year and then 9.9 APR after. **
 
Another good reading source that should be in your local library is Dave Ramsey’s - Total Money Makeover. He’s very motivating. And, he advocates that both spouses should be doing the budgeting so neither one has to shoulder the burden alone. Good marriage advice too. Good luck. And, God bless.
 
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