You did your budget- IT's NEGATIVE!!

[Russ]

Your income is less than your outflow.

Now what are you going to do?

Lets see some of the things you would do to reverse the above.

I'll just list a few of the many that I've thought of.


1. Unplug stuff! Cut that electric bill. Decrease outflow

2. Lower the thermostat and get a sweater Decrease outflow


3. Review insurances, raise deductables. Decrease outflow


4. Review my withholding on my paycheck. Can I get more per week back? Increase income


What can you add?

[NikoSan999]

Your income is less than your outflow. By about $2000 a month

Now what are you going to do? Good question

Lets see some of the things you would do to reverse the above.

I'll just list a few of the many that I've thought of.


1. Unplug stuff! Cut that electric bill. Done cut about $125 month

2. Lower the thermostat and get a sweater Turned off period


3. Review insurances, raise deductables. Raised health insurance deductable from $2500 to $5000 to save $100 a month which they in turn increased $125 a month.


4. Review my withholding on my paycheck. Can I get more per week back? Increase income

On unemployment...His/can't reduce withholding...on payroll but also self employed...normally end up owing
He has another part time job
What can you add?

There's alot of things if the amount short a month is not huge. Huge is a whole other thread.

Normal shortage
Second job for one or both if there is one to be found
Sell on Ebay etc
Yard sales
Cut back on groceries
Cut back on vehicle gas
Live for awhile with the clothes you have
Conserve water ( water bill )

[Josephhgoins]

It depends on how negative and for how long. Is it a few bucks each month in which you can decrease savings for 4 or 5 months to get through? Can you sell that extra TV to make up the difference?

If it’s more and for longer, get a second job at Wal-mart in the evenings and on weekends. Lousy pay but easy job.

if its significant, move to a cheaper place or with family or friends. Sell a vehicle and take public transportation. Food pantry's are there for a reason.

And lastly, do you really need both of your kidney's? Do you have a cat and a Chinese restaurant nearby? Red light bulbs for the front porch can be bought at the dollar store. (sorry had to joke a little)

For me, I first cut out of the home entertainment. Then the grocery budget, the Heat or A/C. I start looking at the items I have that I don’t use and consider selling them on Craigslist, EBay or the pawn shop.

My very last line is a loan. I hate borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today. Sometimes, unfortunately, that’s the only choice.

[Contrary Housewife]

We cut all extraneous spending. If it was not food, car or utilities it got the axe. It was a drastic measure, but we were in dire circumstances. It was not fun, but it got us where we needed to be.

I think there's a lot of people out there in debt still trying to figure out how to keep going to the movies, pay for kids activities, take a family vacation and get a big screen tv. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

[Greebo]

Just want to chime in on the Chinese restaurant cat thing here...

As I understand it, it's actually only Cantonese cooking that contains cat - which IIRC is part of Hong Kong.

[MomToTwoBoys]

Cut out all of the stuff that isn't a necessity. If you have a roof over your head, the heat and electricity to make it habitable, clothing on your back and food on your table, just about everything else is extra.

Unless you live where your closest neighbor is 5 miles away, then you want to include transportation. Even then, buy a used car and get the minimal amount of coverage for it. Combine your home, auto and life policies into one plan.

Stop eating out. Stop buying soda. Stop splurging on prepackaged dinners. Cook more from scratch.

Reduce your trips to the grocery store and buy items when they're on sale. If you can't wait, only buy enough to last you until the next time you go to the store.

[sunshine]

pick up and recycle aluminum cans for cash (that's how we paid for gas in the car to get to/from doc appointments when I was pregnant with ds#1)

sell plasma - depending on your weight and veins, you can make around $200/month, tax free

review subscriptions and cancel - some will give you a refund

eliminate all disposables/paper goods in the house. Switch to cloth diapers , cleaning rags, use real dishes, etc. If you are really desperate, go with glad rags or a Diva cup for the monthly cycles (females).

Car pool

Is any one in the family eligible for WIC?

[Josephhgoins]

I just realized that I made a typo, I meant I cut out "out-of-home entertainment" I.E. eating out and movies. You must have some entertainment in your life in some way, shape or fashion or its just to dang depressing. Sometimes that can most cheaply be done by having cable. Yes you could go to the library for free, but unless you live close your going to burn through enough gas in a month to pay the basic cable package.

P.S. Greebo stay away from my cat.

[sunshine]

Or you live in the boonies like me- no cable, no dish (too many hills and trees), no free TV either since the switch. We just search out free things to do in our community, and watch a lot of TV,movies free online.

[Palooka]

And lastly, do you really need both of your kidney's? Do you have a cat and a Chinese restaurant nearby? Red light bulbs for the front porch can be bought at the dollar store. (sorry had to joke a little)

That was funny.

Tell your kids no, no, no but explain why and don't let them guilt ya into something. Be creative and try to replace material stuff with something else.

Fancast/netflix/hulu

Look on line for tips such as coloring your own hair, or fixing house repairs yourself.

Brown bag it.

If you have a bus route close to your job, take it instead of driving. My sister has saved a ton in gas(not to mention the wear and tear on her car) doing this since she works downtown. She gets up a little earlier and comes home an hour later, but she says it's worth the savings.

Use the Barter system. It's great.

Cut land-line if you have a cell and use it the most. (depends though on the net)Or caller ID/call waiting packages. Just use the very basic plan.

Tell your cable/dish/internet service you are cancelling for another company(tell them why and who) and they might cut you a deal.

Learn how many dishes you can make with beans and rice. Yum. Learn some Mexican cooking.

Most important...always have a lawyer/electrician/plumber/heating and cooling dude in your life as good friends. That's when the barter system works. (well maybe not for lawyers)

[frugalfranny]

Probably nothing that hasn't already been posted....

cut the extra activites --already posted -eating out, etc.

dump the cell phone

dump the 'bells and whistles' on the regular phone

turn water heater down to lower temp

cover windows with insulation type material - both for hot and cold areas

quit buying any sort of pre-cooked/prepared food at groc. store- and cut out other groc. non-essentials - sugar items, creamer for coffee, napkins. etc.

get another job - even part-time

sell any extra items - on CL=no fees

plant a garden and sell any extra

[ladykemma2]

We cut all extraneous spending. If it was not food, car or utilities it got the axe. It was a drastic measure, but we were in dire circumstances. It was not fun, but it got us where we needed to be.

I think there's a lot of people out there in debt still trying to figure out how to keep going to the movies, pay for kids activities, take a family vacation and get a big screen tv. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

yeah these are the people who won't listen on the various forums. "...but I CAN'T cut off karate...."
uh, yes you can.

[Russ]

A lot of good posts.

Reason I asked this was I'm trying to help someone with their budget and being in the RED they need even the smallest of ideas.

Thank you all and keep em coming.

[Siebrie]

"If you are really desperate, go with glad rags or a Diva cup for the monthly cycles (females)." - sunshine

But make sure you do the math! At my age, the price for a Diva cup will be higher than the "number of storebrand-tampons-on-sale x expected periods". (sorry, may sound a bit gross)

The answer to the OP would depend on how big the difference is between income and outflow.

There has been a time when I had no income and lived off of my savings for about a year. In retrospect, is has been one of my most creative years.

For instance: I made everything from scratch and from my pantry or from what ever people gave me when they cleaned out [I]their[I] pantry. Weird food items (eg waterchestnuts) were googled for recipes; then the recipes were adapted to whatever I had in my pantry or what I could buy cheaply. It cleared out my pantry and fridge, and I ate some very nice and very strange dishes.

[tlenad]

Honestly I hate facing those numbers although there have been times when I've faced negative outflow. When that happens, I cut back on everything.

No entertainment or eating out that isn't free.

Eating smaller cheaper meals at home.

Turning off everything isn't a necessity.

Selling anything and everything that I can that isn't nailed down or a necessity.

Pretty much evaluating the expense and cutting where and when I can anyway.

Actually this is a good exercise to go though every year or so, even if I have to pretend. It gives me a chance to look at the things I'm spending my money on and seeing if I really want that money going out.