It's well known that we live on a pretty tight budget. There are lots of things we don't do or purchase because we just plain don't have the money for them. However, that doesn't mean we never get to enjoy the good things or only get to buy low-quality items. Sure, there are times when we are frustrated by the things we can't afford to do or buy. Most of the time, however, we are able to live quite well. There are many different methods of living well on a tight budget. Here are just a few of … [Read more...]
How I Track My Budget
I realized a few days ago that while I talk a lot about saving money, getting out of debt, and having a budget, I have never explained to you how I keep track of our budget and finances. There are so many different methods out there. Some people just use paper. Other people like software like Quicken. Other people like online software like Mint or Mvelopes. I have used some of those methods in the past to track my budget but I always come back to Excel. Categories Each budget, no matter … [Read more...]
Our New Savings Plan
I think most everyone can agree that it is a good to save money. Emergency funds are necessary for those unexpected situations. Then there are those big purchases that require saving ahead of time if you want to stay out of debt. You even need to keep money set aside for non-emergencies but necessary things like yearly car repairs. For us, building that savings is hard. We tend to build it in large amounts like when Matt makes bonus at work or has storm work or with things like our tax … [Read more...]
Princess Birthday Party on a Budget
Last year, Abby was really into Curious George so we had a Curious George themed birthday party. This year, while still likes that trouble causing monkey, she is very into princess things. So far, even though we've kept things mostly frugal, we've been able to go more "all out" on birthday parties due to extra income in March. This year we did not get that extra income. That combined with my surgery recovery made for a much simpler birthday party. However, I tend to think birthdays should be … [Read more...]
Creating a Budget: 3 Simple Tips
With the new year upon us, many people are creating resolutions to save money or better control their finances. Unfortunately, many of those people don't know how to create a budget or even where to begin. If you are one of those people struggling with a starting point, here are three tips for creating a budget. Over the years, the categories and amounts have changed, but it is still the same basic budget. It is super simple, so no excuses! :) Decide on a Method I use Excel to track my … [Read more...]
Why I Don’t Use a Cash Envelope System
If you spend any time at all reading frugal or debt-free blogs, you will know most of them encourage the use of a cash envelope system. The concept is simple. You have different envelopes for your different non-big bill expenses. So you would have one for groceries, clothes, eating out, etc. You either put the money budgeted for the month or for the week into their respective envelopes. When the cash is gone in one envelope, it is gone until the next week/month. You can't borrow from other … [Read more...]