This month has been an incredibly tough month. First Abby started having some freaky health issues. Thankfully, manageable and not life threatening. Then I’ve been having some health issues they can’t figure out. (I don’t even want to admit how many times I’ve had to pee in a cup the last 10 days). Then…Matt’s car is having major issues. The latest news from the mechanic is that it will cost more to fix it than it is worth. And of course, the wipers on my van like to only work sporadically, usually not working when it is pouring rain.
There has just been so much this month. All money suckers of course. Then the stress of dealing with the medical stuff, medications, special foods, etc. all adds up to spending more money than normal. It can be so hard to stay on a tight budget when you are getting hit from all sides. Here are some ways we are negotiating staying frugal through life’s emergencies.
Let It Go
Yes, we need to not spend all our money right now but we are just letting some things go for the sake of sanity or even fun. Like taking Abby to Build-a-Bear. We would not normally have spent that money but we were all in need of some family fun. I also am not making laundry detergent right now. I just don’t have the time or energy. I’m just choosing not to stress or feel guilty when I spend money on something I normally wouldn’t spend money on.
Save Where You Can
With Abby’s current diet, I am having to buy a lot of foods we don’t normally buy. To help save money, I am only buying store brand when I can. It helps that with so many special diet needs out there these days, it is easier to find cheaper versions of things like rice flour and rice milk.
Adjust the Budget
A big part of our change right now is dietary. Abby can’t eat a lot of diary right now so what we are saving on dairy, I am spending on the things she can eat. I know we are going to have a lot of medical bills and car repair bills coming, so I’m cutting back on things we don’t need right now. There have been some amazing deals on some awesome things we would like to have like a new sofa that doesn’t sink to the floor and a new maple syrup evaporator but we are not spending the money on those things.
Prioritize
When you are in the middle of multiple stress points, do not feel like you need to do everything you normally do to to stretch the budget. Choose the things that will be the easiest or save the most amount. Right now, I’m not taking the time to do a lot of couponing. While it does save us some, some weeks more than others, it isn’t the biggest savings for us and it one of the most time consuming.
Hopefully, we will soon be out of this season of one emergency after another. In the meantime, these tricks help us survive the tough times without going into debt or blowing our entire savings account.
Gail Akeman says
Prioritize is a very good point to remember.
Vickie says
Sorry to hear about you and your daughter’s health issues. Most important things first is the way to go and your doing a great job. Although we love to be able to do everything if she has a tired out stress out Mom that would not be good!
Julie says
Very true. Since all the tests have come back negative for me, short of doing ultrasounds and more invasive testing, the general consensus is that stress is messing up my body. Knowing that Abby needs me to be 100% is helping me learn how to control the stress better. Funny thing is, I didn’t even feel that stressed out…but my body did. Letting go of some things I normally do is helping for sure. 🙂
Erin Blegen says
I HEAR you on this month being a tough one. Doesn’t it seem that everything goes wrong during the coldest/poorest time of the year? Ugh…stressful. Thanks so much for these beautiful, useful tips.
Erin
http://www.yellowbirchhobbyfarm.com
Julie says
I always used to say that for being the shortest month, February is the hardest month. I think 2014 changed that to December.
Laura Lane of Harvest Lane Cottage says
Your plan is sensible.
Janell says
I am stopping by from the frugal Friday link up party checking out all the great posts. Why do the holidays always seem to be the worst for emergencies? I just had massive car repairs that I was not financially prepared for. Great tips! I hope your daughter is feeling better..
JES says
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and tips. I would also add to pray for wisdom to discern what to keep and what needs to go….
Please join us again at the Art of Home-Making Mondays.
May God bless you all with health and prosperity in the new year…