I Really Need Help with Our Budget, Simple Ideas ,Please

You need to redefine "need". If you are spending your extra cash on thing that you REALLY need... fine. If you are buying something b/c you think it's a good deal and you may need to replace it- not fine.

If you have credit card debt, you shouldn't be purchasing things that are not absolutely necessary. You said it yourself... use restraint. Don't go into Target, Walmart or any other stores that you are tempted to buy things just because they are on sale!

You are probably spending more money than you realize on items simply b/c they are "on sale" and the newer version of what you have (that is still functional). Don't replace ANYTHING until it actually breaks or stops working!

I am very much like you've described.....What I do is simply leave the credit cards at home so you can't be tempted. It is amazing how the balance adds up even if that was not your intention. Really you need to take it a step further and the extra play money you have you put some of that in Savings and literally pretend you don't have it. The rest then should be for whatever you want. Also, evaluate do you really "NEED" the item at that moment? Is it really to replace something? If so, great if not don't buy it. I am not perfect but this process has helped me be more conscious :) I now also save $2.33 a day because I bring my coffee to work instead of buying it.

My advice is to never look at the sale papers (except for groceries, since you will always need food) unless you KNOW you are planning to replace what you already have and you have already budgeted for it. I've found that looking at the sale papers every week makes me think that I need to buy things just because they are a "good deal" not because I actually need it. It makes me more likely to buy things I don't actually need, because I feel like I have to take advantage of the sale. I wait until I actually need to buy something, make sure the money is there to buy it, then shop around for bargains on the internet just for THAT item; so it helps me focus on only that and nothing else. I also second the "cash only" way of budgeting. Good luck!

You already have some good ideas.

I'm a bargain hunter. I look for the sales and buy what we are going to use when its a good bargain. I use a credit card if the bargain item I'm going to buy is a fantastic deal, not just a good deal. Example: Whole fryers are usually $.99 lb on sale. A store in our area bought too many and they were about to hit their "best if used by date". Instead of being $.99 lb, they marked them down to $.48 lb. I bought 7 chickens. I used my credit card. I put the chickens in my freezer. I would have bought 20, if I had had space in my freezer. Every time I use one I smile because I got them for half price.

If you are wanting to find out where the holes are in your budget, get a household budget book. Staples sells them, and since this is August, they should be on sale. The budget book lets you write down your exspenditures in various catigories and lets you know where you are spending your money.

Get a small pocket sized spiral notebook for you and your husband. Every time you spend a penny, write it down. At the end of the week, write your spending in the budget book. Just getting the notebook and writing each item down you spend money on will make you more careful because you are holding yourself and your husband will be holding himself accountable. You will be surprised at how much money disappears into the snack vending machine, the coke machine or 7-11. If you and your husband have a date night, write down how much you spend.

You'll be amazed at where the money goes.

I quit buying my lunch at work because I started keeping track of my expenditures. I was amazed at how much money went for lunches. I began brown bagging my lunch. I saved enough money by doing this that I am able to buy a 7-day cruise for my wife and I each year with the savings.

NOT spending the money is the first part of the program. Saving AND investing the saved money is the second part. The stock market has just taken a big hit. You can now buy stocks that were paying a 5% dividend two weeks ago that are now paying a 6% dividend. I have my money invested in a stock that is paying over a 15% dividend. And if you know investing you know the "Rule of 72".

If you have questions, e-mail me. Good luck to you and yours.

use cash. Set aside a certain amount in different envelopes- for food, clothing and just free spend money. You have to have rules though and stick by them. You can't take money from one envelope and put it in another or use it for anything else(no shoes with the food money). When you run out of money in that envelope, you can't spend any more(you have $100 in clothing budget, you can't by the jeans if it puts you over that $100). And no cheating with credit cards! You have your cash and that is all you get to spend. If you have to re-budget to so you have enough grocery money- sit down with your husband and you both go over the budget to see where you can cut (the only time you can take from one envelope and put it in another). If you need food, you will have to wait on the shoes.
It takes a while to get used to, but if you know you only have 150 to spend on groceries you won't buy the pizza because it's on sale if it puts you over the top of that 150. Make sure you have a grocery list and a menu to work from so you have a plan when you are shopping.
Good luck! It's hard work but it will help!
~C.

It may be a good deal but if you can do without it, you will save even more by not buying it at all. When tempted by an unplanned deal, I ask myself, do I really need this now or do I have something at home that will work for now? What do I already have on hand? Because there will always be another sale. Sometimes when I wait to purchase, I find something better to use in the meantime, or find I don't really need that item after all. I don't like clutter so not only am I saving money, I'm saving space.

I always had an issue with the big bill, rent or mortgage. So my sister (a very wise CPA) told me, half it.

Meaning, I figured out what half the rent or mortgage was and then set aside that amount from each paycheck. (I'm paid twice a month.) Then, it wasn't like one paycheck was going ALL towards that biggest bill.

I also figured out when bills were due & which check needed to pay for them.

Lastly, I pay ALL the bills... household, daycare, gas for the car... BEFORE I even go grocery shopping. I write those all in my checkbook & once it is in the checkbook, it is GONE. I do not "wait for it to clear" & spend more. That is nonsense.

Maybe try allocating X dollars to replacing things in your budget. Then you have the money set aside. If after a set amount of time you have a surplus in this account pay something down with it and start over.

What really helped my husband and I with our budget is putting ourselves on cash allowances. After my husband pays the bills he takes the set amount of cash for groceries, lunch, gas and our "fun" money out of the ATM and that's what we get to spend.

It really helps because you can physically see the dwindling amount of allowance left and when its gone, then you have to make do. I find that its helped me with impulse buying because my limited cash is staring me in the face, keeps me much more grounded. When I am left to use my credit or bank card I have a tendency to swipe pretty carelessly since its harder to track the spending on the spot.

Good luck!

PM me your email. I have an excel spreadsheet that might just help you!

***NO, there's nothing fishy. I don't charge fees. I don't sell anything.***

I'm a big fan of credit cards but only when you're in a position to pay them off in full each month.. Since you're carrying a balance, do not use them. Keep them at home hidden in a drawer or cabinet and only use for true emergencies like unforseen medical expense or car repair.

Use cash, you can't spend what you don't have. Also, don't carry a lot of cash with you.

Do you know exactly where all the "how much we have left each month" is being spent? I'm sure most of it is groceries and gas, but what about the others. I know I lot of people who spend money on a cup of coffee, a quick run through the drive thru for a snack, don't feel like cooking let's just pick up take out, etc. This seems to be the area where most people have trouble staying within the budget.

Stay out of the stores. When my kids were little, I would go shopping each week for diapers, etc, and rather just buy my needed supplies, I would walk around the store and would always purchase an extra item or two.

Before purchasing ask yourself, do I really need this or do I just want it.

I'm all for a good deal and stocking up when things are on sale, however, I have the extra funds available to do this. So if it's something that you don't need within the next 2 or 3 weeks, just pass it up.

Your budget should include savings. Try putting away as little as $10 a paycheck.

Is hubby paid twice a month, or every other week. I'm paid every other week, so twice a year a get a third paycheck per month. What do you use it for? For me one is for motor vehicle taxes, the other is for Christmas.

Good luck.