Saving Money Tips - A Four Week Series!
Saving Money Tips,
a four week series delivered to you
directly from the heart and pocket book!
When I started this site, I promised to share the good, the bad and even some ugly.
Well, here are some truths.
I love being self-emloyed.
I love working from home.
I love seeing my kids morning, mid-day, mid-afternoon or whenever they need me.
I love having the freedom to work wherever there is wifi, hot coffee and a friend.
I love taking my dog out for a walk mid-week, in the afternoon, on a sunny day if I feel like it.
I love the adventure and uncertainty that every day brings.
What I don't love...
not being able to rely on a set amount of money each and every week.
{If you are self employed, and/or have started a new business, you may relate.}
Especially when you have big expenses that you are anticipating apart from the usual; kid's extra-curricular activities, family vacations, numerous birthday parties, entire wardrobe updates {because your son has grow 1/2 foot over the summer} etc.
This year we have BIG PLANS!
It's our 25 year dating anniversary and 15 year wedding anniversary. You know what that means?!! Time for some new bling - something I don't normally care about, but have been enjoying shopping for modern versions of our wedding sets.
We also are planning to complete our home renovations that we started 6 years ago and are ready to complete.
AAAAAND... We'd still like to take our usual family vacations, pay for groceries and the cable bill, etc.
{you get the idea}.
We don't like to carry debt, so our goal is of course, to budget and spend wisely.
So, I am going back to my old, tried, tested and true strategies of saving money, budgeting and planning for the next 6-12 months and I thought I'd share all my secrets and tips with you here!
In the next 4 weeks, I will share with you how we budget, track spending, use cash, save money and cut costs.
My hope is that you share some of your strategies and ideas too! Perhaps we can collectively solve a challenge or two in your household at the moment!
The first step is to create a budget.
The key to creating a budget is to not leave anything out. The more thorough and detailed you are here, the better. Google search examples of budgets or visit your bank's website. I'm sure they have a tool that you can download. If you have a smart phone, there is probably a great selection of apps that you can use to track your expenses, income and take inventory of all of you assets and bank accounts. I use an excel spreadsheet which I can update as I go. Don't forget to include things like: the kid's birthday parties that they will inevitably be invited to, date night for you and the hubs, hair cuts, Dog care, etc. Those usually pop up without even realizing that they need to be worked into your household budget.
Have your budget ready in the next few days because I have a handy tracking system and tool to help you; spend less and only what your budget allows using only cash! I make it as fun and creative as possible - it's the only way I stay committed to making a change. And remember, it only takes 28 consecutive days to make a long-term change!
So cheers to spending less, saving more, and to designing your life experiences!
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