I know how...

***Big_Sissy*** · #1 01-23-2007, 11:44 AM

Stop buying captain crunch in the box, that's how

No, seriously, this is a tough subject.

How many of you have a budget that you actually keep track of your spending with?

Do you use paper, excel, or some software to help (quicken, money etc)?

**5ft Diva** · #2 01-23-2007, 12:09 PM

A budget, what's a budget? J/K I use excel. My husband used to be in charge of the finances in our home but now I am so there was a period of readjustment because his style is quite different than my own. I find that every month there is something we are changing in the budget. I can see how if I didn't have one I could lose control of my the money situation in my home.

And I agree, don't buy the box cereals unless there's a killer deal out there.

LostnFound · #3 01-23-2007, 02:34 PM

Always! Always! keep in mind A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED on Whatever it is you are buying. You just have to really try to save it instead of finding something new to spend it on.

amberpatomo · #4 01-28-2007, 10:37 AM

This is so my topic!!!! Good choice. I could talk about this forever. My first rule is:

Never buy new unless you have checked all other options first.

The first question for me is "Do I REALLY need this?"

NO - "Do I have the EXTRA money for this?"
YES - "Where can I save money?"

I usually go to ebay, craigslist, newspaper, local thrift shops, and sometimes I spread the word to my family that I am looking for something. I know that sounds wierd but usually they will keep an eye out or they may not be using their own stuff.

Erudite · #5 01-30-2007, 08:27 PM

Well, I'd say there is some quality that has to be considered in this. For example...Captain Crunch is never a killer deal because it doesn't fill up your children's tummies. They have to eat two bowls and then they're hungry an hour later anyway. But if you feed them some nice hot oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, and peaches (yum!), you not only give them vitamins and fiber and good taste, but their tummies stay full longer. And oatmeal is tons cheaper than captain crunch, keeps longer than captain crunch, and it comes in those cardboard canisters with the reclosable lids.

I like the idea of not buying new unless you've explored all the options, but sometimes buying quality means that it lasts longer and thus you don't have to explore all the options again in 3 months (or whatever). Sometimes we don't save money by being too frugal.

Erudite · #6 01-30-2007, 08:29 PM

Oh, and we use Quicken. I do the books for the most part, but we do them together at least once a month. We have a savings account because I'm religious about putting aside some money every month, where he wasn't quite as diligent. But I spend more money than he does, so it makes sense that I figure out how to do it!

**5ft Diva** · #7 01-30-2007, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erudite

Well, I'd say there is some quality that has to be considered in this. For example...Captain Crunch is never a killer deal because it doesn't fill up your children's tummies. They have to eat two bowls and then they're hungry an hour later anyway. But if you feed them some nice hot oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, and peaches (yum!), you not only give them vitamins and fiber and good taste, but their tummies stay full longer. And oatmeal is tons cheaper than captain crunch, keeps longer than captain crunch, and it comes in those cardboard canisters with the reclosable lids.

You've got a point there E.

I have found that I'm frugal by purchasing some sort of a main entree' and serving it on Sunday. Yes, we're a family that has the big meal on Sunday. Then I use the leftover meat to fix meals throughout the week. Like Sunday we had a ham. Monday, ham fried rice. Tonight, baked potatoes w/ ham. Friday - Ham and Potato Casserole. These are all meals that my family likes so I stick w/ them. Anyway, it saves me in the end - oh, and I try really hard to only buy what's on sale.

missypoohsticks · #8 03-23-2007, 06:01 AM

I don't really have a budget

. But I do have a friend that is very frugal and she got me hooked on once a month cooking. It is definitely a budget saver b/c you're not constantly running to the store for the "little" stuff to go with meals and buying things you don't need. She also had the great idea of using cheap shampoo as hand soap. That's great b/c my hands don't dry out as bad!
Another idea that we've all heard: PAY CASH!! SAVE for what you want. We just got out of debt about a year ago and now we have no month to month balance on our credit cards. We just paid for a trip to Disneyland, in cash, and it's nice knowing that we will be able to enjoy the vacation w/o having to worry about how we'll pay for it when we get back!
Just my never to be humble opinion!

runamyrun · #9 03-23-2007, 11:53 AM

When are you going on your trip? We just got back from there a couple of weeks ago. Have fun!

One thing we do, is we have the credit card company pay us! We have a credit card through REI (one of our favorite stores). Every time we use the card, we earn money to be used at REI. We have the credit card linked to our checking account, so each month the whole amount on the card is debited from our checking account. That way we never pay interest, and it controls our spending (we usually aren't big spenders anyway). When we get our dividend, we can get cool gear for free, or sometimes we just have them give us cash instead. It may not be a lot, but it has added up over the years!

**5ft Diva** · #10 03-23-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by missypoohsticks

I don't really have a budget

. But I do have a friend that is very frugal and she got me hooked on once a month cooking. It is definitely a budget saver b/c you're not constantly running to the store for the "little" stuff to go with meals and buying things you don't need. She also had the great idea of using cheap shampoo as hand soap. That's great b/c my hands don't dry out as bad!
Another idea that we've all heard: PAY CASH!! SAVE for what you want. We just got out of debt about a year ago and now we have no month to month balance on our credit cards. We just paid for a trip to Disneyland, in cash, and it's nice knowing that we will be able to enjoy the vacation w/o having to worry about how we'll pay for it when we get back!
Just my never to be humble opinion!

Congratulations on getting out of debt!!!! I know you worked on that for a long time. You guys are awesome.

Mamallama · #11 03-24-2007, 12:44 AM

MPS, can you explain what you mean by once a month cooking??

missypoohsticks · #12 03-25-2007, 04:07 AM

Okay, once a month cooking. You basically pick what recipes you want to make for the month, (there is a book called Once a Month Cooking), buy all of the ingredients for those recipes and cook everything in a day or two for the entire month. It's freezer meals. AWESOME!!

Mamallama · #13 03-25-2007, 11:22 PM

Great idea! Lots of planning ahead. You must be SUPER organized---you superwoman you!!

Wow! Can you give me an example of one of your week's menus?

missypoohsticks · #14 03-26-2007, 05:27 AM

Chicken Packets, Vegetable Lasagna, Mandarin Orange chicken, Chili Verde, Herbed Chicken. These are just a few of my favorites.

, I'm not super organized, at least not right now. To be honest, I haven't done once a month cooking for a while b/c I have been completely overwhelmed, but I do love it!!