How do you all do it????

[MACMOM6]

Ok, I told you all I was just going to jump in. So, here I go.

I have this problem and I don't know what to do to get it fixed. I need to come up with a plan.

My dh gets paid every two weeks. Well, he gets paid on Friday and by the middle of the next week I am in a total panic because we are out of money already. I know that probably sounds just stupid. It is like we have no money so then he gets paid and I pay what I can and buy groceries and get a little carried away and then I am freaking out the rest of the time until he gets paid.

How do all of you handle your budget?? I wish he got paid every week, but who knows if that would help. I know I need to get a plan and get in a different mindset.

I am so excited to have found all of you

Thanks so much.

[SSGWilkesWife]

Its tough.......... I used to put money on wal-mart cards....that way if I needed gas, groceries or misc items (neccessitites) I always had it to fall back on. That way I couldnt spend my money elsewhere except what it was intended for. I get paid biweekly and hubby gets paid on the 1st and 15th. I used to do the same.... overspend and then scramble for money until pay day. What do you need money for between pay days? gas? food? Put back 10 or 15 bucks for emergency...... I used to be bad about eating out, especially with the kids and happy meals. Just keep record of your spending for a month and that will tell you where you need to adjust your budget. Good Luck

[mom22grls]

A meal plan would help with the groceries. There's lots of threads about it.
Try a 2 week plan of what you're going to make for dinner & lunch & breakfast. Look in your freezer & pantry first before you shop. Then look at the sales to fill out any blank spaces.

I like to figure about how much things would cost at the store. Then I can get a realistic view of what I'll be spending. If it looks like too much...well, something's got to go or find a cheaper alternative. A price book bould be helpful with this. Start to keep track of prices of items you buy regularly. Then you'll also have a good idea if the item is on sale & a *really* good price, you can stockup your pantry/freezer as space allows.

So, you've got a list of what you need to buy...about how much it'll cost........then, curb the impulse buys. I try not to impulse buy unless it's such a great deal I can't pass up. You could also budget a certain amount for stockpiling the pantry.
Then try your hardest to stick to that plan.
You'll save money & you'll lose the stressed-out period....or at least it won't be as bad.

Alot of information, I know. baby steps, baby steps.

Stick around here, these gals have lots of ideas & help.

[dwallyfam]

We are tackling that right now. I am trying to allow so much a week for everything. We are only eating out on Friday night (as a rest for everyone) but that might soon be going. The bad part is all the school expenses that creep up. We are recording everything and cutting back on everything as well.

[pammy]

Dh gets paid every two weeks, too. Before I was just the same, panicking the whole week before he got paid again. The money ran out pretty fast that first week and then it was pucker time, grrr...

I'm not sure if you would call this a budget, but it's working for me so far. Adjust these figures to suit your needs.

I would start with paying the bills, depositing just that much and getting the rest in cash. I put my checkbook up (I used to spend from it pretty freely). I have two envelopes set aside for grocery money and gas money. We also give each other an allowance for those little things, money we can spend on anything (it really does help keep us on our plan). I put $150 in the grocery envelope (this is for food and non-food items like toilet paper, etc. My goal for the month is $300, adjust yours accordingly) and $50 in the gas envelope.

I would plan on buying mostly sale items, the loss leaders and just cook from that. For example, this past week I bought only loss leaders that I knew we would eat (don't buy just because it's on sale, if you don't eat it you aren't saving money), it only came to $80 total, so I still have $70 in my grocery envelope to buy this next weeks sale items. We get more food this way and I'm spending way less than I used to. And if I run out of something we really need food-wise or those other things (like t.p.) than I don't panic because I know I have money set aside for that. Plus, I really watch what I buy because I know when that cash goes there isn't anymore for 2 weeks.

The gas money goes like this: I fill up my car at the beginning of two weeks. This last fill up cost $24 (it was almost empty) and I put the rest back in the envelope. If I need more gas within that two weeks I already have money put aside for it. Last payday I had some gas money left over, and that was great! I don't work so we don't spend too much on gas (dh's gets his gas from his work and dd pays for her own gas, so we only pay for my cars' gas). Adjust the amount for what you realistically use for gas for two weeks and put it up. Then you don't panic because you already have money for gas.

I've been putting away a percentage to save for those other things that pop up, like birthday's, auto maintenance, etc. because that used to drain our extra money pretty fast. Now, I don't panic on those because I was already saving for it, I just pull out my little savings box, take out the cash for it and write down where it went and how much. I think it was Mary Hunt's book that I read something about this. It's working pretty good so far.

So if your bills are paid, you've got grocery and gas money set aside and you got pocket money (or whatever you need to do for your needs, these are just mine) then there isn't anything that pops up that I'm not already prepared for. Works great and I'm saving lots more than I ever have.

[alabamagirl]

Welcome!

You have great advice. I'll just add to read through all the old threads for some practical ideas.

I'll also suggest start with the baby step of saving your loose change everyday. I found that very motivating when I first started.

For motivation I also like to read books on frugality/savings. A good one is Jean Chatzsky's - I think the title was "Building Wealth by saving $10.00 a day."


Good luck,

Debbie

[tring2sav]

I have a silly question, what's a loss leader? Also, is a price book just something that I would put together with the items I normally buy and prices?

[sanderson76]

I think that everyone gave you wonderful advice. Just do babysteps and the way I save money is doing a grocery list and only buying what is on that list..nothing else..it is hard, but wow, it feels great to be able to walk out of the store and know that you didn't spend all your hard earned money

[mom22grls]

A loss leader is a *REALLY* good sale that the store uses to entice you to come in.....Like a 5lb bag of flour for , say...$.39. These are usually on the front page of the ad......it's a loss to them, but they hope you'll come in & buy the rest of your groceries....and impulse buy.

A price book is, yes, something you compile of the prices of the products you normally buy....sale prices can sometimes be tracked to certain cycles & this would be a help in determining when a product, say...peanutbutter goes on sale.

[MACMOM6]

Thank you all for the great advice. I am going to try very hard to get better with the money. I cannot even begin to tell you how motivated you have all made me.

Today a friend called and asked me to meet her at a mall food court for some playtime with the kids. I am all for that, but had no money for lunch. I went by and got free fries from one place I had coupons for and then chicken tenders from another. I spent $2.25 on our whole lunch. The kids had fun and I know it sounds weird, but I swear they ate more when it was free then when I pay full price...LOL

[Mojjo]

DH and I get paid every other week too. And we get paid on the same day...ughh!!!

The first thing I do is list all our expenses for the next two weeks...bills, co-pays, school stuff, everything I can think of. Then we pay that...even if we don't actually write a check (for say a school expense) I write it out of the check book. Then we fill the gas tank (it lasts us 2 weeks full), and go grocery shopping. The friday night we get paid he and I shop for the two weeks. As least the major stuff. I couldn't fit 2 weeks worth of milk in my fridge.

But meal planning and writing everything down are my biggest assets. We try to budget for groceries so that we can take advantage of loss leaders and be flexible.

Also, I don't meal plan until the ad comes out...it lets me be flexible I think.

[mom22grls]

Originally posted by MACMOM6
I swear they ate more when it was free then when I pay full price...LOL

 

Aint *that* the truth!!  LOL!