going to have to tighten the frugal belt...

**halloweenfreak** · 06-19-2007, 06:55 PM

my husband informed me today that they are cutting his pay. well, not just his but everyone on first stage, effective as of last night. also, if you happen to miss work on a fri sat sun or mon they wont let you work overtime for a month. thats just this weeks changes, who knows what they'll come up with next week. people use to want to work at the plant because they were one of the highest paying jobs around. now, they cant get people to want to work for them because they've lowered the pay so much and expect so much for it.

so this leads me to a question. im pretty good at being frugal on our utilities, budgeting is my downfall. i REALLY need to set up a budget system for our groceries, eating out and play money. how much do you set aside for such things? a percentage, a certain amount depending on the pay check? i need help!!!

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 06-19-2007, 07:10 PM

We limit cost and frequency of eating out...no more than $10 and no more than 3x's/month (usually we don't even do that).

We plan our fun activities way ahead of time...that makes it so we really think about what we're spending and also can arrange for other ways to keep costs down.

We always have one coupon and the $3.79 budgeted for a "rent one, get one" movie at the local video store. That's our "emergency" entertainment.

We haven't been too good about the grocery budget lately...I just haven't had the time to keep track.

I really need to get on top of it...I know we've spent more than I intended to. It was a lot of pantry/freezer stocking, though...so we have loads of food.

**Its_Donna** · 06-19-2007, 07:30 PM

Every payday which is every 2 weeks I take out cash and put in envelopes I have labeled Grocery ($200), Entertainment ($30), HH Emergency ($50). We are very regimented to this budget.

We are set up on bi-weekly mortgage which happens to come out same time as payday and I set up our other monthly bills on e-pay thru the bank. I do that at the beginning of the month....the only thing that fluctuates is the electric. We do our best (and more times than not) to stay on budget.

We very seldom eat out and when we do it's always some place that I have a coupon for or a "big bang" for your buck place like Golden Corral. We use the library for lots of DVD's...free to check out, I am a coupon and CVS junkie, DH and I ride our motorcycles (which may not apply to you) as often as possible to save gas..plus all the other frugal things you already do I'm sure.

Using the cash envelope system has been a life saver for us.

**claimsgirl66** · 06-19-2007, 07:58 PM

Sorry to hear of the bad news. You are right in that those 3 areas you mentioned (groceries, eating out and play money) are the ones you can really make some cuts. What i did was do a budget in "excel", figured out my fixed bills, what I needed to pay on debt, and then what i had left over.

I do something to what Donna does: I take a set amount of $$ cash out of each paycheck and set it aside for groceries and "fun" money. And when it is gone, it is gone. I personally take $100 each paycheck (every 2 weeks) for groceries, and papergoods & detergent, etc... (It is just me,and I do not eat much meat, and I have a separate budget for toiletries and medicines ). I usually spend around $60-$70 on groceries, and then the rest is stashed away as fun money. I guess you need to see realistically what you need at the grocery store, and "allow" yourself a certain amount, and stick to it.

Fun money for me is for eating out, the occasional movie, or pizza nite. I tried to limit myself to $10 per week at first.... but realistically speaking, I averaged more like $35 each paycheck. Overall, I am pretty good about the $100 per paycheck though. Some weeks I use the fun money, some times I don't and it stays stashed away to add up for some really big night out. When the $$ is gone, then no more mad money. My weakness is eating out, so sometimes eating out is lite beer and happy hour munchies with the girls, but you can get out and not spend too much. Depends on how much play money you have.

What worked for me in the beginning was I did the envelope thing and was really disciplined for the first few months as I got used to it. Then I got more comfortable AND it became routine...so now I take the cash from the ATM on payday and then that it is it. I also cut back on cable TV and went down a level to knock some $ off the monthly bill too. Good luck!

**Mom23boys** · 06-19-2007, 08:52 PM

I think you have received some pretty good advice already, but I wanted to wish you good luck!

**halloweenfreak** · 06-19-2007, 09:09 PM

i think its going to be easier for me then it is for the hubby. his family use to be pretty poor (as in living in the car with his sister and mother) so now that we are doing pretty good, i dont think he wants to give that up. when he told me about the pay cut i told him that we are just going to have to start cutting back on things and do better at budgeting and he got all huffy 'im not cutting back on anything. we're not going to change our lifestyle because of this'. well you know what? we're going to have to if we want any lifestyle at all!
i fixed chicken thighs for supper tonight and he was upset because it wasn't boneless skinless chicken breasts like usual. i asked him if he was upset because it tasted funny. nope, it was just too time consuming to chew around the bone. how ridiculous. told him i was going to budget eating out and play money and he tells our son 'it looks like no more fishing for us!' good lord, between the two of them, they have so much fishing lures and such, they could open their own sporting goods store. trust me, they wont be hurting for fishing stuff... how do i get him more on board? ive threatened making him pay the bills just so he knows how much money is going and where. he said that wouldn't work, cuz he'd just blow it all on fishing stuff. argh!

**claimsgirl66** · 06-19-2007, 09:48 PM

Guess you got your work cut out for you, kidding!

Well one thing I have learned from the FV is NOTHING is a sure thing and we all need to plan for the future: one illness, one layoff, one cut back at work, divorce, etc....and your sense of security is out the window. I guess I would try to tell him long term it is in the families best interest to live beneath your means ( channeling Tightwad Gazette here!). I would ask him, or tell him, that you all will sleep better at night knowing you had $$$ in the bank for a rainy day vs. eating boneless chicken a few nights a week. Or maybe he gets to pick one meal a week, whatever he wants, then the rest of the week you can dazzle him with budget friendly meals! Good luck!

**Its_Donna** · 06-20-2007, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by halloweenfreak

i think its going to be easier for me then it is for the hubby.

he got all huffy 'im not cutting back on anything. we're not going to change our lifestyle because of this'.

i fixed chicken thighs for supper tonight and he was upset because it wasn't boneless skinless chicken breasts like usual. i asked him if he was upset because it tasted funny. nope, it was just too time consuming to chew around the bone. it looks like no more fishing for us!'

I completely inderstand because I went thru this EXACTLY. I had to throw a couple of mini-fits

but it finally soaked in. DH and DS still make stupid comments but now it's just to tease me.....what changed DH was seeing the EF grow to almost 2000.00 and not having that JC Penneys or Visa balance anymore. I always praise them and give them kudos when they save money or come up with frugal ideas....gotta give the kiddos praise...Geez...DH is almost 50 and DS is almost 17...but it's working. I sarted the simple and frugal lifestyle Jan. 1 and it took until this month for it to FINALLY soak in. Now everyone is on board...they knew I wasn't giving up.

I also have "allowance" budgeted in and they look forward to getting their money on Fridays.

**miss_thrifty** · 06-20-2007, 09:33 AM

bear with him, and keep him on track. After awhile he'll get it in his head, u can only afford this much and show it on paper, where the cuts are and he'll understand. hhuuggsss

**peanut** · 06-20-2007, 02:46 PM

Here's a budgeting site to check out...

Crown Financial Ministeries

Lots of calculators there for you to peruse. Enjoy! And good luck. People can be difficult if they want to be.

If it was me though, I'd keep the chicken breasts (just buy them skin on and bone in and de-bone and de-skin yourself). It would be a health issue for me. White meat is healthier than dark for your heart. Check to make sure it's cheaper though. Assume skin and bones are 1/3 weight, and figure that the price needs to be 1/3 less than the boneless, skinless chicken breasts to be worth it.

Jean

**freyadog** · 06-20-2007, 02:59 PM

I didnt have too much trouble with dh. He knew that I meant what I said. Now he grocery shops at night after he gets off work at 1am before the drive25 miles home. I chuckle while talking to him while he is shopping. He'll say hang on "Boo" while I calculate this or let me get down here and see what the cost is per oz or what ever.

He takes 10$ on Monday for his cold drinks at work (he also takes gatorade bottles filled with cold water from home) or what ever he wants to spend it on. He has not complained in months since he sees the two accounts that we have set up growing with not much effort. Just no spending.

I made sour cream last night to go in a chicken dish for thursday and friday and he said that it tasted good. So...guess it is either roll the same way I am rolling or ram into a big rock at every turn.

Barbara

**Mrsokdee** · 06-20-2007, 04:24 PM

Maybe you could gently remind him that if you don't cut back and watch your money you will end up where he doesn't want to be again, living in a car. It is hard on a man's ego not be "able to provide" what they think are all the necessities. Maybe if ya'll can sit down and decide what your goals are together, what is important to both you and him, it will help. Good Luck.

**bumplett** · 06-20-2007, 04:44 PM

just because I thought you deserved it

**halloweenfreak** · 06-20-2007, 04:49 PM

i think thats it exactly. he sees my trying to be frugal, as him not being able to provide enough. he's always made decent money, i just got tired of giving it all to other people! but he doesn't see it that way.

**Siebrie** · 06-21-2007, 11:07 AM

I'd say, send him fishing a lot: he can bring home the fish and he cannot spend money all the time he is staring at the water, right?

And as for chicken: why don't you take it one step further and buy a whole chicken. The first night you can serve it whole on a dish, nicely done up. The rest of the chicken you can use mixed in other recipes, where dh won't notice it was not boneless chickenbreast in the first place.