I really need some motivation..............

**sugarbowlbaby** · 10-05-2006, 09:35 AM

I am having a heck of a time staying focused on saving money and could use some inspiration.

What have you done, what are you doing and/or what will you be doing with the extra money you have saved and what you have done to save it (clipping coupons, not eating out, etc).

I consider myself a somewhat intelligent person, but for the life of me, I can't seem to change this about myself. Not that I'm a spendthrift. I consider myself a very frugal person. But when something comes up, I find it very easy to justify. Grrrr!!! My daughter is getting married in November and we are trying to help them out as much as possible which is also somewhat financially draining, but I don't mind doing this.

**treeluva** · 10-05-2006, 09:54 AM

To save money, I stopped going shopping. I stopped going to the scrapbook store. That was really hard. But darnit, I am figuring out how to use free digital scrapbook kits to get my fix!

I write a list when its time to go to the grocery, and ONLY BUY WHATS ON THE LIST! I started making iced tea at home for my caffine fix instead of buying cases of coca cola. I stopped carrying cash around, including loose change. This stops me from buying things out of the vending machine. Basically, I focus on doing things with my kids that are free.... the park, walks, cheerleading practice, arts and crafts at home with supplies we already have, caught up on some books from the library, go to community sporting events which are free, and take away the temptation of shopping.

Of course, taking away the temptation of shopping is easy now, since I am in Germany, and I do not pass any shops on my way to or from work.... they are all past where I work, so I have to go out of my way to go shopping. Probably easier than when I get back to the states and there are shops on every corner. lol

**marie_squared** · 10-05-2006, 10:01 AM

i find it very easy to say, "oh what a good deal, i better get it now because it wont be here next time." -- to the point where i was thinking that all the time and justifying everything. so now i leave my debit card at home. -- i'll see something and want it, but think... do i really want to go all the way home. use the gas. come back and buy it? -- i only allow myself $100 a week. i know that i can NOT afford to take out more than that and make my budget work so when i run out of that and the week still isnt over, i just make due. and when i do, it feels really good to know i havent spoiled my budget and wont have to redo it.

write it down! make yourself accountable and if you want it, write it down before you buy it. after you see it on paper and see the cost in your own handwriting, maybe youll realize that you didnt want it that badly and that its really not worth the money.

when it comes to your daughter though. i mean, thats your little girl. dont let her go bridezilla on you though! it is her wedding but since you're paying (for it or part of it) you get at least a say. give her a budget and tell her that this is what you can afford. show her your finances maybe. help her by all means but no carte blanche!

**Sari** · 10-05-2006, 10:38 AM

My motivation is mainly that my husband will be out of commission for a few months after having a medical procedure, which could happen at any time, or it could be a year from now. We need to have a cushion saved up in case his disability insurance is lacking. My secondary motivation is that we really need to move out of our house we are renting, so the more money we can save, the sooner that will happen. My third(ary? LOL) motivation is that we desperately want children and will need fertility treatments, OR need to be a better house before we adopt.

What am I doing to save money? Not as much as I should, but I'm getting there. I'm trying to stockup on loss leaders, things we actually use. We'll be getting a deep freezer this month to help store my perishable stockpile. I'm getting a little more into coupons, although I have to keep reminding myself if I don't use it normally, it's not a good deal even if it does have a coupon. I'm focusing on my emergency fund.

Good luck, I hope you find your motivation.

**carolyns** · 10-05-2006, 10:53 AM

i have a goal in mind; then, when the desire to spend hits, i think about whether it is more important for me to make that goal, or is the purchase more important. ninety nine percent of the time the goal wins...

**FrugalMomof3** · 10-05-2006, 10:53 AM

Well there are several ways to help save money and some are pointed out above but here's just some tips:

- Cook all meals
- Save electricity, turn off lights, etc when not in use (will bring bill down)
- Dont turn on the AC or Heating until absolutely necessary
- Dont eat out
- Dont go shopping except for food, necessities, gas in the car no matter how good of a deal, remember XMAS is not far so there will be other deals if not better.
- Basically my main rule is dont spend money, I know it's easier said than done but for me if i dont have the car and I dont go out I am ok, not that everytime I go out I spend money but I do WALK to the store for bread and milk (saves gas).
I do rent books from the library instead of buying them, I also rent movies there too it's FREE!

- If you get your hair done at the salon, try not to go and do it yourself at home
- If you already cook meals at home then try making meals that cost less and have leftovers (spaghetti is perfect!)

These are the rules i follow everyday and there are times when I go buy myself something but I've managed to keep my housing costs down, gas in the car down by walking and leftover for dinner is a major plus!

Good luck on everything you try, it's worth it in the long run.

**kabin63** · 10-05-2006, 12:35 PM

I have the same problem of feeling justified, so, I figure the best way to combat this is to not go anywhere. That way I don't spend money I can't afford to spend, plus I am thinking of going to a cash only basis for groceries. This way I won't overspend either. I also will stop carrying my debit card with me, and not carry check book. This should quite a lot.
Fortunately my DD isn't getting married for a while, only 13, but still, she comes home from school and tells me I have to get her something she has to have for school. Sometimes it works out that I don't really have to do that. She is great about getting things from the library, especially CDs. She will load it onto the pc and then burn her own copy of it for her portable CD player she uses daily. Really, she is a great kid.
I hope you can find something that works well for you, and I think the advice above is great too. Good Luck!

**ecgsmama** · 10-05-2006, 03:24 PM

Right now, our only debt is our house and that is roughly 81,000. I find it extremely hard to stay motivated to pay down 81,000 b/c it seems so insurmountable. We put an extra 2000 to 2600 on the mortgage every month, but it still seems to shrink only s-l-o-w-l-y so...

I try to make mini-challenges for myself. Currently, I'm trying to use only $16 a week on food through Christmas. I have a good stockpile so it will take work and discipline, but I can do it and it will add a little extra somewhere.

I've also drawn up a little floor plan of our house broken into 90 squares. Every time we pay 1,000 off the mortgage one of us gets to color in a square. It's a little fun for everyone (dh likes to pick squares in the bathroom - I pick squares in the kitchen - and the kids pick squares just about everywhere) and it shows our progress.

I also still constantly try to learn about frugality or teach others about it. The more it is on my mind, the better I do at disciplining myself to work at it.

Hope these few suggestions help!

**autumnlynn** · 10-05-2006, 03:36 PM

I tend to buy impulsively. I know my weakness so I just stay out of stores like WalMart and Target. If I go in there for something, I always come out with other things that I buy on the impulse. If I need something, I have a friend pick it up when she goes there.

I have been drinking water almost exclusively and I used to drink pop almost exclusively.

I eat all meals at home. I mever go to sit-down restaurants.

I also make mini goals for myself and find that really helps to keep motivated.

Good luck with the wedding plans.

**i.m.cheap** · 10-05-2006, 03:40 PM

We do not eat out, or get fast food. No matter how great the temptation is, there is always something at home I can fix that is very easy. I buy the frozen Freshetta or DiGiorno pizzas when sales/coupons combine to make them less than $3.00 each. One pizza will feed the three of us. When the urge for take out strikes, these pizzas in the freezer are my "back up plan". I keep some of the cheap paper plates for these pizza nights, so no dishes, either.

We use the library for books and movies, too. It is like shopping, only FREE! We buy clothes at the thrift stores, but only go the the thrift stores when we are really needing something specific, like jeans for Molly, or work shirts for DH.

We stay out of stores like Wal-Mart or Target as much as possible. Too much temptation there. If you go, take cash (what you can afford to spend) and leave the debit and/or credit cards at home. It is too easy to convince yourself that something you didn't even know you needed is a "good deal".

**sugarbowlbaby** · 10-05-2006, 04:59 PM

Thank you so much for your responses. They are a big help! I should mention that my daughter has not once asked me for anything to do with her wedding. It's just something I want to do. I make bath and body products in my home business and I made up 360 decorated bottles of product for her table favors. They are so cute and if I would have had to buy them from someone they would have been a fortune, but since I made them for "cost", they didn't cost that much. And I bought her invitations and have given them money and would also like to buy their disposable cameras for the tables. She is going to make such a beautiful bride!! Now I'm just rambling. But anyway, thank you again and keep the ideas coming!!!

**Telephus44** · 10-05-2006, 07:49 PM

I just try and keep our future goals in mind - and since we've actually taken steps towards them, they seem a lot more concrete. I want a house and a sports car (if I could buy one today, it would be the Honda S2000 convertible, but who knows what it will end up being when I actually have enough money saved up!). When I get un-motivated I look at the balances in my "sports car fund" and the "down payment for a house fund" and I feel a lot more motivated.

**Dave'sGirl** · 10-06-2006, 07:47 AM

I.M.Cheap wrote

It is too easy to convince yourself that something you didn't even know you needed is a "good deal".

Boy, is THAT the truth!!!

ecgsmama wrote:

I've also drawn up a little floor plan of our house broken into 90 squares. Every time we pay 1,000 off the mortgage one of us gets to color in a square. It's a little fun for everyone

I LOVE that idea! I may do that with my debt! I have just the stickers to use in the squares!