Budget Budge-it Budget

[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.