When Not to Feel Guilty About Spending Money…
When it comes to spending money I usually have the motto, “Just don’t buy it.” This motto has served me well. It has helped our family survive a crushing job loss, save for retirement and our kids college funds, build up sinking funds, and allow me to continue my favorite job as stay at home mom. However, when you live very frugally and are tight with money, it’s fairly common to develop some spending guilt. Have you ever experienced this???? Spending guilt is actually a very good thing, even necessary in some cases. It can give us the extra kick we need to stop overspending and to start working towards…
The 2019 Master Your Money Super Bundle Might Be For You If….
I am an affiliate with Ultimate Bundles. I will receive compensation from purchases made through links in this post. All opinions are my own. I purchased the Master Your Money Super Bundle back in April and have been so happy that I did. This bundle has taught me a lot about saving money, living frugally, and budgeting, and I already knew a lot, so that is saying something. The Master Your Money Super Bundle is a collaboration of a few favorite frugal/budgeting bloggers. Each of these bloggers submitted their highly sought after eCourses, workbooks, printables, and more into ONE LARGE bundle. And because these products are all being bundled together…
10 Quick Ways to Lower your Grocery Bill
I am a member of online affiliate programs. I may be compensated by purchases made through links in this post. All opinions are my own. Groceries is one of the biggest monthly expenses. And, unfortunately food prices continue to rise every day. The good news is that you CAN use a few tricks to lower these costs, and still eat well. 10 Quick Ways To Lower Your Grocery Bill 1. Meal Plan Make a meal plan for all of your weekly meals and snacks. Browse through pinterest boards, and recipe books to give you fresh ideas of what to cook each week. As you meal plan, make a list of groceries…
How to Budget With Sinking Funds: Your Complete Guide to the Most Asked Questions
A few months ago my husband and I were able to go on a trip to New York City. It was a trip of a lifetime and we had the time of our lives! I am frequently asked how we save for travel and other large expenses. My secret?? Sinking Funds! Do you use sinking funds in your budget?? If you don’t use them yet, I strongly suggest beginning immediately! They have enabled me to save up for the things we want, and the things we need; and they allow me to enjoy spending GUILT FREE. I’ve realized recently that a lot of people don’t even know what a sinking…
How to Cut Your Budget; When There is Nothing Left to Cut
I am a member of online affiliate programs. I may receive compensation for purchases made through links in this post. All opinions are my own. I get a lot of comments and messages on Instagram; and a few of them just break my little heart! These messages are from those that feel they have done every single thing they can think of to find extra money in their budget, but there is just nothing left to find. These people have cut ALL unnecessary spending, only paying the bare minimum to live and they STILL can’t find any extra money in the budget. If you can relate to this in any…
Overspending Triggers and Solutions
Some days I feel like my spending habits are right on point. I am sticking to my budget, spending wisely, and stashing lots of money away into savings……. But then, I have other days when I STRUGGLE! I shop impulsively, I buy things without even checking the budget and I develop a “I need it so I get to have it” mindset. Does ANYONE else have this happen???? Obviously I know I shouldn’t spend this way. Yet, I tend to ignore the voice of reason and spend. I have learned that these overspending urges are usually the result of a trigger. SOMETHING going on in my life (usually emotionally for…
10 Tips to Stop Impulse Shopping
Let’s talk impulse shopping. Truthfully?? I have always struggled with impulse shopping and I am constantly trying to stop. Do I budget? YEP! Do I love to save money and watch my bank account grow? ABSOLUTELY! Yet, I STILL impulse shop! (you win some and lose some right???) Fortunately, I have learned many lessons through the years and my impulse shopping has decreased (I still have a ways to go however!). 1. Admit you Have a Problem The first step to curing impulse shopping is to admit you have a problem. It’s normal to want to rationalize your purchases. You might be using phrases like, “Oh, but it was on sale,…
Why we Cut the Cable and NEVER looked back!
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. ” I am a member of online affiliate programs. I may be compensated for purchases made from links on my site. I remember telling my friends that, “I could never live without my DVR!” I loved having my DVR and being able to record shows whenever I wanted and watch them whenever I wanted. I loved skipping through commercials and I really could never imagine myself going back to life…
What we cut from our budget to save over $2500 a year
“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” I am not naturally a frugal person. I was raised by two frugal parents, but I lean more towards wanting to shop and buy all of the pretty things (I’m looking at YOU Target). It has been a huge learning process for me to become more frugal and to realize the value and beauty in cutting back and saving money. Learning my new frugal lifestyle has been over the course of years, and quite honestly, I’m still trying…
The Envelope Money System: A Beginners Guide
About a year ago I changed the way I was spending money. I decided to quit using my debit card for purchases and try only using cash. I’ll be honest, I did not think this change would make much of a difference. I am a little bit prideful and a lot of stubborn and I really felt that I was strong enough to spend smartly with my debit card. It only took one month of paying with cash to realize that I was so so wrong! I couldn’t believe how quickly my wad of cash depleted. It was a huge wake up call as I watched my cash fly out…
