Money, money, money......

...there's just never enough of it. After paying all the bills and putting some away into savings it seems as though there's really not that much left for discretionary purposes. But there probably is, if you budget right. I work in the financial sector so a budget is nothing new to me and neither is writing one. But I want to have a budget that shows me exactly how much money I have for discretionary purposes ever week and that is where Gail Vaz-Oxlade and Til Debt do us part comes in. Til Debt Do Us Part is a show that is filmed in Canada that I stumbled upon one night while channel surfing. It is a show that is hosted by Gail Vaz-Oxlade that shows as she goes into people's homes and makes them get serious about their finances. She shows them exactly what they're spending (most of it frivolously) and has them fill out budgets. Then she introduces them to the budget binder and the money jars. She essentially takes away all credit and debit cards and makes them live on cash alone. This is where the jars and budget binder come in and where my ramblings are leading you. Here you can find the interactive budget for how much cash is needed in a given week for discretionary purposes, hence the jars (the money has to be placed somewhere) and to track it you need the budget binder. My husband and I have used this system before and now it is just second nature to update it every month. It has saved us a lot of money in the long run and really showed us where we were spending out money. It allows us to put into perspective how much we're actually making and where all our money is going. The interactive budget works for me, how about you? Head over to see Kristen at wearethatfamily.com for more Works for me Wednesday posts.

How we are dealing with the economy

Well that title should really be how "I" am dealing with it since my hubby apparently knows of a never ending money tree that he has not decided to share with me. Last week after spending $200 at Wal-Mart (that included $40 worth of fall clothes for Em) we took out $20 from the ATM and gave each of us $10. Well lo and behold at the end of the week I still had $4, he had none and had spent $35 in two days by using the debit card. Now my husband didn't come from a family made of money so I don't quite know where he gets this idea that he can just spend on a whim and not think of the repurcussions (namely me when he gets home). I have created for him what I call my reality check budget that he is going to have to adhere to especially with a new baby on the way, me not working for 3 months, and increased daycare expense. When I told him that it is possible to go 5 days on ten dollars and have money left over he looked at me like he though I had lost my mind. So I'm writing this to show him how I did it.

Starting with:
Breakfast. Since I take Em to daycare everyday at 6:30 it leaves little time to eat breakfast so I've started taking instant flavored oatmeal to work with me.

Lunch:
I bring my lunch everyday. Most of the time I bring whatever leftovers we had for dinner the night before. That way I get to eat and I never really waste anything by losing it in the fridge. We also don't buy food storage containers. What we do is when we order chinese food (about once a month and that counts as dining out for us but it's amazing what $20 will get you at the Chinese place) we keep the containers that they send the food in. They're nice containers and can take a few rolls through the dishwasher.





Drinks:
I buy a one liter bottle of water every 2-3 weeks and just keep refilling it with either tap water or filtered water that came from the tap. I'm pregnant so not having coffee is really not a problem.

In my household all loose change is put into various piggy banks throughout the house and then put into a savings account once a month. It's not the world's best savings program but it works for us.

How are you pinching pennies?

$48.57 ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!?!?!?!?

$48.57. That's what I paid for 3/4 of a tank of gas yesterday. Yep that's right it wasn't even a full tank. I don't have some massive SUV or truck or anything. I have a small SUV a Mazda Tribute. But when gas prices in upstate New York are $3.79/gallon that's what you pay for gas. It's ridiculous. Gas prices in California are $3.95, in Hawaii they are $3.88, in NYC they are $3.80, in Minnesota they are $3.44 why am I paying almost the equivelant of what people are paying in CA and HI when they make so much more out there? Because Dutchess County has a major gas tax. I'm so glad I'm getting a stimulus check so I can pay for more gas so I can go to work and barely afford to pay my bills.

Becoming Frugal

My husband told me the other day that I was the most frugal 28 year old he had ever known. And I think I have my Dad to thank for this. My dad didn't find his "dream" job until he was 30 and had two kids. My dad just retired at age 55 with a significant amount in savings and retirement income and this is after going through a nasty divorce, buying a new house, helping all three kids with college expenses (and anything else we needed) paying child support until just 2 years ago and he was still able to retire at age 55. That I find remarkable and I think it's because my dad saved every penny he could find. Not that my dad is cheap, quite the contrary, he's frugal. He shops around for the best deal instead of buying on impulse, he goes to garage sales, goes to thrift stores, and keeps stuff until it just doesn't work anymore. Just two years ago did he buy a new television because the one he had which was older than I am broke and due to the ancientness of it the manufacturer no longer repairs them because it's not worth the money. I'm trying to get my husband to understand this as we work our way towards owning a house that sometimes you need to give up your little wants to achieve your big wants. I have us on a strict budget right now but it all goes up in smoke (literally) when he's at least a pack a day smoker if not more. That's at least $35 a week down the drain and for what? Lung disease? A nasty smell? Potential cancer? My goal is to have enough money for a down payment by October or at least enough for a rent to own option. So we eat at home instead of ordering pizza or chinese or going through a drive-thru, and are attempting to only go grocery shopping either once a month and spending about $300 or twice a month spending $150 each time. To do this I clip coupons and when there is a staple that is on sale I buy more of it (like mayonnaise, I use mayo in a lot of my recipes and when it goes on sale I stock up on it. Same with crushed tomatoes). Here's to a down payment in October!!!!! Start scrimping and saving all pennies we can find!!

A new day, A new dilemma

My husband took my car to get the brakes changed. Now I own a little Saturn SL. One of the early models. I've owned it for 7 years and have never had the brakes done. No one ever told me I should. Kind of like when I had to get the transmission fluid flushed. No one ever told me I had to get that done. I can honestly say that I didn't even know the transmission had fluid. Now I am not by any means "dumb" when it comes to cars. I know how to change my own oil and how to change a tire. But no one ever told me about the transmission fluid. As a testament for my driving capabilities though I would say I'm pretty damn good seeing as how I haven't had to have the brakes done yet. But now it comes to having to get them done and of course I need all four brakes done and the total is $483 dollars. For brakes!! Is it just me or does this seem like a bit much to anyone else out there? Oh and now my husband just called to say that he had to get new tires on as well so now the grand total is $785. That is just outrageous to me. Maybe I should learn how to be a mechanic.