Budget Budge-it Budget

[innerSpaceman]

And, with all due respect, I don't think you need get even that complex. Do you really need a spreadsheet to tell you what your discretionary spending items are?

If money's tight, then the tiny part of your expenses that are discretionary are movies & entertainment, eating out, your Disneyland AP, and pleasure travel gasoline. These are the only things you can cut back on.

If you get a roommate, you'll save a lot of money. If you can find a way to do without a car altogether, you'll save a ton of money.

Outside of changing those fixed and expensive expenses, trimming your discretionaries is your only option. Keep in mind, that sacrificing all pleasures is NOT a good idea, no matter how much in hock it keeps you.

[3894]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

sacrificing all pleasures is NOT a good idea, no matter how much in hock in keeps you.

*holding lighter high* Preach it.

[MouseWife]

I agree with that, iSm. Like I've told people on food diets, if you cut out everything, make everything bad, you'll end up like the guy in 'Chocolate'. {but darn it, not everyone knows what I mean when I say that....}

GD~ I get the tracking thing. Similar to an eating diary. I doesn't have to be a big deal, but, keeping track for a while, it makes you aware of where your money goes. Lets you see where you might be blowing it without even noticing it.

Argh, the car. That is currently our biggest expense. New male driver in the house. Bought him an older truck but it was still a gigantic leap in our insurance payment.

Back when the company offered it to the Hubster, he took the trolley as they paid for the monthly pass. Now, they don't, but he has a free parking spot. He also had riden his bike to work, that was a great way to save money but the traffic was becoming so dangerous, well, he drives.

What you said, iSm, that is true. If you always think you don't have money, that isn't really a good thing, either. It can hold you back from accomplishing things or having something simple that you think is out of your reach. That is how I think and it really sucks. But, I do the bills. Sometimes I've gone out of that 'box'. That is how he now drives a new car {for the first time in his life} and we have purchased some new appliances.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by MouseWife

I agree with that, iSm. Like I've told people on food diets, if you cut out everything, make everything bad, you'll end up like the guy in 'Chocolate'. {but darn it, not everyone knows what I mean when I say that....}

I do!

Originally Posted by MouseWife

GD~ I get the tracking thing. Similar to an eating diary. I doesn't have to be a big deal, but, keeping track for a while, it makes you aware of where your money goes. Lets you see where you might be blowing it without even noticing it.

Yes, I've been hand tracking just my daily spending. I keep a notepad in my purse. It's amazing and quite an eye opener how much $$ can flow through your hands without even thinking of it. I'm budgeting too, GC, so I know what you are going through. Now that I am watching the cash flow, it's amazing how long a $20 can sit in the wallet. Of course, bringing lunch to work really helps too!

If you are trying to pare down your cc debt, simple rule of thumb that is working for me. Line up your cards by amount owed and by interest rate, pay on all of them, but on the lowest card, pay it off as fast as you can. Then, take the $$ you were paying on that card and apply it to the next one up on the list, and so on. I'm still a mess, but I've pared 20k of debt down in 2 years to 5k now. So it can be done.

Originally Posted by MouseWife

What you said, iSm, that is true. If you always think you don't have money, that isn't really a good thing, either. It can hold you back from accomplishing things or having something simple that you think is out of your reach. That is how I think and it really sucks.

Exactly, keep your mind in the land of plenty mode. But, I also do not use credit now unless I absolutely must (like the car thing earlier in the year). If I do not have the cash on hand, I'm not going to buy it. You do not have to sacrifice everything, simply not going to Starbucks once a day during the work week saves me $20 a week, which in turn allows me to go out to a movie and dinner if I want to or a lunch out with the gang at the office. A fair trade, to me.

I feel your pain and am rooting for you too! I can see the end of the tunnel when it comes to my cc debt, you can get there too. As the not always so wise Mr. Micawber said, "Annual income 20 pounds, annual expenditure 20 pounds, result misery, Annual income 20 pounds, annual income 19 pounds, result happiness" Of course, he didn't take that advice to heart, he only gave it to David Copperfield. It's advice I've been trying to take to heart.

[Gemini Cricket]

Thanks for the tips so far. Makes a lot of cents.

I think one of the big problems is that my apartment is too expensive for me right now. I mean, I can handle the rent payments but it doesn't leave a lot of loot left to pay down my debt. I'm in a year lease right now, so there's not much I can do about it. I was thinking a room mate would be the way to go, but it's a one bedroom. One of us would have to sleep in the living room. I think it would be kind of odd. Unless I can find someone who doesn't care about that.

I thought about the spreadsheet thing, but I can't commit myself to anything. I can't get myself to write a journal, I can't get myself to read a whole book... etc. I do know that I would save a lot by bringing a home lunch. But for me, leaving the office is important and buying a lunch is a reward for making it to lunch.

I have never been good with money. It feels like it disappears.

I do get what iSm is saying, too. The more I stress about it, the more it seems to be out of control. But I get the GD thing too that if you don't pay attention to where it's going it's harder to control.

I do the coupon thing when I actually buy something at the store I can use a coupon on. I don't buy a lot of items at the store usually. I eat out a lot.

I did buy a 50 lb bag of rice from Costco, though. It should take me a year to get through it.

I haven't been buying a lot of CDs and DVDs. I've been curbing my spending on those things. I even stopped myself from buying the new South Park Season on DVD. It'll have to wait.

Worst news of all, my AP expires on 9/4. As it stands right now, I won't be renewing it for a couple of months. I need to save up for it.

Ugh. I hate dealing with money. (Maybe that's the problem.)

[MouseWife]

Oh, if you could find someone who needs a place enough to take your couch.

One thing I thought of, always keep your receipts. If you do buy something, and it doesn't work out, get your money back. I know a lot of people who just say f'it and keep the item. Well, that is your money. Get it back and re-apply it towards something else.

AND Uh, this shouldn't surprise you but, if you listen to the radio and try to win things....this has been an avenue of my entertainment forever. Movies, Disneyland, concerts, prize packages.

And, back to the lunch~ well, I've changed my thinking about that. I love to eat out. I love all of that. But, if you think about what is in the food, what you are actually getting. I've tried to be more aware of what I eat. I think if you flip your thinking around and think you are treating yourself to a more healthy lunch, and the rewards of such a treat {your hotness amplified} it might go over more easy.

Good luck!

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I was thinking a room mate would be the way to go, but it's a one bedroom. One of us would have to sleep in the living room. I think it would be kind of odd. Unless I can find someone who doesn't care about that.

Hence, a LOVER is the only logical solution.




* * * * * *

Sorry if I came off too strident against the spreadsheet option. I'm not desperately trying to convince GC not to take the advice of GD. But it's the kind of questionably-necessary step that I believe focuses too much attention on lack.

I admit that as a concrete step to track where your money is going, it's an ok tool. But it is any more useful than just thinking about it for a few moments. Is it really a mystery if you're spending more than you can comfortably afford on restaurants or gasoline to Anaheim?


But I don't want to get into an argument. I'll restrain myself from being adversarial. Sorry.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Hence, a LOVER is the only logical solution.

Do cowboys make bank? Hmmm. Liz Taylor did pretty well for herself in Giant...

[madmonkeygirl]

GC good luck on the budgeting. It took me forever to get a budget that we can live with. As far as lunches go if i get a lunch break at work then i bring my own food if i don't then i grab something on my way home since i eat at home before i go to work (it equals out money wise).....coupons i hate them...lmao

I always use cash first never charge anything anymore. (yes i've been putting money aside for entertainment mainly concerts coming up) that way i have the money for tickets rather than putting them on credit yet again.

Sorry to hear your apartment is so expensive rent wise. That seems to be happening all over lately due to the housing market. That's why i'm glad we own even if it is a mobile home and we have to pay monthly rent space but hey it beats what they were are charging for an apartment.

Sorry to hear about your Disneyland AP expiring. I took my tax refund money and renewed mine with it. The only way i could renew it. I might have to do that again this year or else figure something out but have almost a year to worry about that.

For holidays for my friends i make things for their presents. Cut the costs down and it costs a few bucks to get the materials that i need to make presents. Family we do a gift exchange so we don't have to buy everyone a present. It really cuts down the expenses. In previous years i could spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars but not now.

Good luck

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Keep in mind, that sacrificing all pleasures is NOT a good idea, no matter how much in hock it keeps you.

I'm don't believe anyone's recommended that.

Winging it may work for you, and I personally don't track everything all the time. But spending 3 months tracking it helped me quite a bit. It's one thing to say you know where all your money goes and what you spend it on. It's another thing to see it all in front of you and have a good picture of it.

He's asking for help, winging it obviously isn't working for him. I thought I'd give him some advice to solve the problem he was asking for help with. Don't really know why you, Steve, feel the need to convince him that my advice is bad.