tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post5352913200371263404..comments2023-06-16T08:01:04.540-05:00Comments on Alex's Adventures: BudgetingAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07524692943966582775noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-13334246043632304602013-03-15T04:53:54.464-05:002013-03-15T04:53:54.464-05:00Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did...Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from<br />somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks<br />would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you<br />got your theme. With thanks<br /><br />Also visit my weblog; <a href="http://www.dialadeck.com/index.php?option=com_datsogallery&func=detail&catid=10&id=370&Itemid=6&hl=" rel="nofollow">View here</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-68446838736149028572013-02-22T20:29:59.601-06:002013-02-22T20:29:59.601-06:00My partner and I stumbled
over here by a different...My partner and I stumbled<br />over here by a different web page<br />and thought I should check things out. I like what I see<br />so now i'm following you. Look forward to looking at your web page<br />for a second time.<br /><br />Feel free to surf to my web site :: <a href="http://Www.Sonsofsylvia.us/forum/member.php?action=viewpro&member=PaulineCha" rel="nofollow">My Site</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-26570040499283068422011-07-25T14:00:12.923-05:002011-07-25T14:00:12.923-05:00I'm pretty bad at budgeting...my husband is mu...I'm pretty bad at budgeting...my husband is much better and he kind of keeps me in line. It's a tough one, but I think making the decision to be careful with your $$$ is a very good idea. Your priorities have shifted and you're going to want that money for other things - padding being one of them.<br /><br />No suggestions for you, though I'm interested to hear what others say.Adelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06955659206478903815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-81606942573655232092011-07-25T08:26:15.374-05:002011-07-25T08:26:15.374-05:00Regrettably, I cannot help you with the whole budg...Regrettably, I cannot help you with the whole budget thing. We don't really have a set budget, although I'm sure this will change soon. Good luck with coupon clipping and I expect that we will all soon see you on TLC's "Extreme Couponing". Haha!Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00615136311021913072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-15608594654155564982011-07-24T23:44:51.163-05:002011-07-24T23:44:51.163-05:00I used to run on the cash plan when i first starte...I used to run on the cash plan when i first started budgeting too :) I had little ziplock bags with categories on the side and that was the amount I had to spend for that category (eg Clothes / Groceries / Petrol etc)<br /><br />I have become somewhat of a budgeting queen in the last ten years or so - it's quite addictive saving money once you get into the habit :)<br /><br />I wish I could give you advice on coupons but we dont have that fantastic coupon system out here :( Good Luck!<br /><br />If you need any more help, or some really easy excel spreadsheets for tracking spending, shoot me an email and I can send you mine!Suzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10979257233557088253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-24033226512045609042011-07-23T16:30:53.315-05:002011-07-23T16:30:53.315-05:00Try to cut out dining out -- we were told by our f...Try to cut out dining out -- we were told by our financial advisor that that's the biggest money waster.Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04980651726028948392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-4993453852656547372011-07-23T11:15:44.763-05:002011-07-23T11:15:44.763-05:00this is a great topic..I will be reading to learn....this is a great topic..I will be reading to learn..I have no advice though..great idea for me too though:)marilynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08744558677574158093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-31525670227904926872011-07-23T09:38:58.136-05:002011-07-23T09:38:58.136-05:00I subscribe to the website thegrocerygame.com. You...I subscribe to the website thegrocerygame.com. You should check it out. I think you can do a two week trial for free. Basically you select the grocery/drug stores in your area and every week they put out a list of everything that is on sale that week and tell you where to find the coupon (I save all the weekly inserts and just pull out the coupons when I'm making my list) and whether the price is good enough to stock up on it or if you should just buy it if you need it. It also lists items that end up being free after coupon. <br /><br />I save about 50% each week. I'm in a state that doesn't do double coupons though, otherwise the savings would be better. I spend about an hour a week putting my lists together and clipping the coupons so it really doesn't take much time.<br /><br />Good luck!Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11568731053148296398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-55497517692579315412011-07-22T23:13:07.664-05:002011-07-22T23:13:07.664-05:00The cash plan is great! It really helped us - unt...The cash plan is great! It really helped us - until we quit doing it a few months ago. Will be starting again soon, though! <br /><br />From before we were married we always planned that I would stay home with any kids we managed to have, so we lived on one income even when we had two. We have zero debt, which feels GREAT especially in this economy. It's the reason we were able to cough up $18K for IVF last year WHILE MY HUBBY WAS UNEMPLOYED and still remain debt-free. <br /><br />Sadly, though, no matter how careful and responsible we are I'm afraid we'll all get screwed over in the end because of our government's constant overspending.Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12316978989809741699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-34176116875880822932011-07-22T19:59:14.873-05:002011-07-22T19:59:14.873-05:00Three years ago, I was laid off-for nearly a year....Three years ago, I was laid off-for nearly a year. I had a great severance package and consulted, so the impact was minimal. <br /><br />Two years ago Rob was laid off-for a year. It was a very hard time for us; he had some consulting work but we struggled, and had to take a loan against our 401K. He still has credit card debt as well associated with that. <br /><br />Then he found a job, and eight months later, was laid off again. Fortunately he found another, much lower paying position quickly-if he didn't , we would have been in big BIG trouble because our "emergency fund" had been depleted-and then some.<br /><br />Fortunately my (stressful and annoying) job pays enough for us to start saving again, although we are still sinking a lot of money into IVF treatments (nearly 10K this year despite "Insurance coverage", mostly medication and 50$ co-pay every time I walk into a Dr. office). We are committed right now to paying off the credit debt steadily (goal is by end of year) from Rob's layoff. We shop a lot at costco, and have only taken two mini vacations this year that I used hotel and airline points for. We dont spend a lot of money on the house, and do have rooms without furniture, I'm sad to say. I do take full advantage of the tax write off for medical treatments and easily hit the 7.5% of income requirement last year, which helped with my tax return significantly. We auto pay nearly everything, and cook at home as much as possible.<br /><br />That being said, I think times are still tough, but manageable.TeamBabyCEOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11682024344964222406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-1694976787271371492011-07-22T17:26:58.553-05:002011-07-22T17:26:58.553-05:00My husband and I use Quicken software to keep trac...My husband and I use Quicken software to keep track of our expenses. Once a week or so he downloads our credit cards, bank account, etc. into the program, then we can see through Quicken reports exactly what we are spending our $ on. It actually really helps because when you are really aware of where all your $ is going....you can better curb some of your spending habits (like if you see you are spending hundreds of dollars on coffee or something like that each month!)Kristahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05896010219423867907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-55894573092788433492011-07-22T17:05:14.443-05:002011-07-22T17:05:14.443-05:00I am fascinated here. We hardly have any money at ...I am fascinated here. We hardly have any money at all, so we don't have to worry about it-- there's nothing to budget! But it is interesting to hear the other perspective. I am sure spending can get out of control, when you start feeling like you have that extra money. A good warning, in case we ever start getting better income :).<br /><br />Basically, we spend whatever we want on food and drink, and take one nice trip per year. But we don't have cell phone plans, no TV service, we don't buy clothes very often at all, and we buy only used cars, and at very infrequent intervals.Lesleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01015353387009923240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-43146572885328758322011-07-22T16:44:52.357-05:002011-07-22T16:44:52.357-05:00Sounds like a great plan!
I've found that w...Sounds like a great plan! <br /><br />I've found that when I keep track of every penny I spend I cut back dramatically on what I spend. Things that seem innocuous like a coffee or candy bar suddenly seem bigger when you have to write them down. And, going to a cash budget makes a HUGE difference.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05382638658909144208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-26031258850283248332011-07-22T13:05:18.616-05:002011-07-22T13:05:18.616-05:00I agree with Sienna's plan as far as how to bu...I agree with Sienna's plan as far as how to budget and I agree you can't do it TOO quickly. But another thing that I do is use a program (mint.com is an example) where you track what you spend on things each month so that you know what you actually need. I enter all of my purchases on my iphone. The first time I tried this I forgot to budget for pet food and meds copays. So you really have to include everything! Just paying attention- just like a diet- really helped curb things a lot. It also helps a lot to have something to save FOR. I found it really hard to do when we were in the midst of IF as I wanted some pleasure. <br /><br />Good luck! I try and hunt for deals when I need things outside of groceries and keep a running "wish list."Glass Case of Emotionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05955456197879910244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-30593220957586510902011-07-22T12:45:37.090-05:002011-07-22T12:45:37.090-05:00I do ebates.com for all my online shopping which I...I do ebates.com for all my online shopping which I do a ton of and retailmenot.com if I'm looking for something specific. We have a certain allotted amount that we don't go over and we've just learned to do with out and that's okay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-64100399015779688802011-07-22T12:36:53.374-05:002011-07-22T12:36:53.374-05:00Ugghhh....money. I try to make "big" mea...Ugghhh....money. I try to make "big" meals and we eat the leftovers for a while. I have found that meatballs (made from turkey) are a wonderful way to expand meals. <br /><br />I also find that going to farmer's markets help with my veggie/fruit bill. It's cheaper and the produce is more fresh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-69117649036953147082011-07-22T12:28:14.779-05:002011-07-22T12:28:14.779-05:00I have found that writing out a list of groceries ...I have found that writing out a list of groceries for two weeks is great. I only buy what is on the list and nothing more. It helps sooo much!kkasunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02183334533316759163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-52975297646775850972011-07-22T12:02:45.106-05:002011-07-22T12:02:45.106-05:00okay, i'm slowly becoming a coupon whore. I h...okay, i'm slowly becoming a coupon whore. I have found that the coupons that are in the papers are online. Go to www.smartsource.com and www.redplum.com and you can print only the coupons you want. Also, when you shop, look at places like Target, because sometimes they will offer discounts and you can use your coupons on top of it. and if you go to certain grocery stores you can add the coupons to your store card and use it at checkout, and some places will give you discounts on gas :) It's all about planning, we sort of plan our menus based on coupons we have. we saved 100 bucks during one trip with coupons alone, that rocked!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14778859175461382675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-48388688305048261982011-07-22T12:01:11.082-05:002011-07-22T12:01:11.082-05:00Hubs and I are big on this and each were before we...Hubs and I are big on this and each were before we met. Does it make sense to pay for a financial planner to take care if a large part of this for you and to invest your money? If too frightening a thought, the best advice I can give is to be realistic. Don't go from one extreme to another right away bc it'll be even harder to stick to, kinda like a diet. before I met hubs, I had a huge mat debited from my checking into savings every month. Then I pulled out x dollars in cash each pay period and out them in various envelopes marked eating out money, groceries, gas, drinks/entertainment, cab fares, etc. I had about 7 envelops. If I ran out of money from one envelop before the next pay period, I borrowed against another. Somehow it almost always worked out but only after I was super realistic about how much cash to fill those envelops to begin with. Worked really for me :o)siennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16982230898962770375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-54569863023825184882011-07-22T11:02:34.467-05:002011-07-22T11:02:34.467-05:00I am envious of those who have actual budgets. I ...I am envious of those who have actual budgets. I think I could do pretty good at cutting back on things and using coupons more but this husband of mine has eliminated the words "save" and "budget" from his vocabulary. We don't buy many *things* but he likes really good food when we eat out. He also does not like to see generic brands in our pantry. He's a bit of a diva. We have talked recently about how to better budget ourselves but it never seems to go into effect for the both of us. :-)<br /><br />Best of luck with your cash project and I hope you are able to find a system that works for you. Oh, check out the website of your grocery store and see if they have weekly specials or online coupons available to you. Our store will offer online coupons that aren't offered in the newspaper or weekly flyer.TeeJayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00893545693449975785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-57968867222929836482011-07-22T10:50:27.479-05:002011-07-22T10:50:27.479-05:00We are terrible too! Even with IF treatments we s...We are terrible too! Even with IF treatments we spend. Part is to not let IF consume us. If we had to watch every penny we would not be able to do anything that made us feel 'normal' and get away form IF for a bit. Even if just a dinner once a week. I used to each out lunch with friends a lot but have pulled back to only once a week and that alone adds up! When grocery shopping I try to plan our meals for the week to avoid eating out during the week and buy the fruits, veggies, and meat that are on sale. I try to buy anything that is on sale vs full price! Yes even clothes. Rarely do I splurdge on full price items. Budgeting is hard! <br />We are planning on (finally) combining our accounts to help track a bit better. Also Mac's have a program that comes with their version of office the will form a budget for you that is awesome! Now we just have to fillow it :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-25718727263316835042011-07-22T10:20:02.603-05:002011-07-22T10:20:02.603-05:00We set up auto deposits through work for 401k, dep...We set up auto deposits through work for 401k, dependant savings account and HSA. Then we set up auto deposits on line for our Roth IRAs, college savings, and emergency plan each month. With the auto deposits it's much harder to escape them. We try very hard to keep an 8 month emergency savings account and have needed to dip into it now and then. We keep a monthly log of what we spend on the house bills (with all utilities), the cars, food, personal care, & entertainment. When we started that about 8 years ago we were AMAZED at how much frivoulous spending we were doing in some areas. <br /><br />Your cash plan sounds like a great one...can't wait to hear how it goes!!!someday-soonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06347835900888933013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-2185729588371521422011-07-22T09:52:37.484-05:002011-07-22T09:52:37.484-05:00Your plan sounds fantastic! I'm the one in the...Your plan sounds fantastic! I'm the one in the house looking after bills etc, we don't do anything wild and thankfully we have no expensive vices (no smoking or drinking!) but i think things will change a bit once Oliver start the creche, it'll be like having a second mortgage so we'll better get into shape for it!Franhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05717020378275616297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-62681086283146716292011-07-22T09:43:31.905-05:002011-07-22T09:43:31.905-05:00Sounds awesome. We need to do the same...but i am ...Sounds awesome. We need to do the same...but i am better with a debit card. Hand me cash i will be handing it out all over town.Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11682843160560423503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6073547614166371090.post-82622701995009960862011-07-22T09:13:56.382-05:002011-07-22T09:13:56.382-05:00We use a program called YNAB. My husband does it,...We use a program called YNAB. My husband does it, so I don't really know anything about it, but he seems to love it. He's a nerd, though. lolAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com