Money Educatioin Archives - Sweet Frugal Life

Teens Allowance: The Best Money Teaching Tool

March 25, 2019 By: Sweet Frugal Life5 Comments

Teach teens how to manage their own money.

It’s so important for kids to learn how to manage their own money from a young age. I truly believe if we teach them to do this while they are young, they will have much less money problems when they get older. This is the reason I give my teens an allowance.

They begin receiving an allowance at the age of 13, but are also required to pay for most of their own clothes and a few other expenses. This is a teaching tool.

They could come to me and say, “Will you buy me this $50 jeans?” and I would respond, “Those are to expensive, let’s find something cheaper.”

OR! When they receive their own allowance the conversation would go like this.

Child would say, “Mom, I really want to buy these $50 jeans, but that would take all of my money. Do you think I could find them cheaper somewhere else?”

This way the teenager is learning to make these important decisions themselves. The money still comes from my pocket either way, I’m just giving it to them to allow them to make their own choices.

So, this afternoon I had a fun shopping trip with my 13 year old daughter. I happen to love shopping (yep, frugal AND a shopping lover!) and I love quality time with my kids, so it was a GREAT day!

However, shopping trips with my daughter tend to bring some stress (for me) and anxiety (for her). Read more below for what happened today….

My daughter has inherited my frugal ways…..to the extreme. She hates to spend money, it actually gives her a little bit of anxiety to even consider spending any money…..and I get stressed because there are times when she NEEDS to spend her money.

Spending money is part of living…..I mean….we all need to wear clothes, right?!?!?. It’s important for kids to learn that spending isn’t the problem, over spending is the problem.

Today’s Shopping Trip

So, today we were on a mission. My daughter had a list, and she wanted to buy it all….without spending a lot of money.

I, on the other hand, wanted her to buy everything on the list without feeling any anxiety or guilt.

Our list included: 2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of track shoes, a dress, and a swimsuit.

It was QUITE the tall order for my daughter the saver, but we were determined to make it happen!

I let her make the decisions about where to go (she chose the discount store Ross and the second hand store Runway Fashion), what to buy, and how much to spend.

She thought carefully about each decision, she calculated and recalculated how much she was spending, she said no to many things and yes to a few things. I was a proud mama as I stood by and watched!

A few times she looked at me for advice, and I would always reply with the same questions; “Do you NEED it? Do you LOVE it? Will you WEAR it often? Is it WORTH the money?” As I walked her through these questions she was able to feel confident in her decisions.

The Perfect Shoes

Three hours later we ended up the day at the mall sipping on Jamba Juice and feeling proud to have found everything on the list all at the right price (yay!).

While at the mall we noticed a store having a big going out of business sale. Ignoring my advice about spending triggers, we decided to pop in for a quick browse. This is where my daughter excitedly proclaimed that she had found “the perfect shoes”…..and I’ll admit, they were pretty darn cute!

The price was right, the fit was perfect, and she was smitten…..but they weren’t on her list…..she didn’t need them….and she was feeling a lot of anxiety and guilt about buying them.

My sweet daughter worried that she shouldn’t make this purchase, she didn’t want to waste her money and spend unwisely.

I assured her that she has always been wise with her money, she saves a large sum of her allowance each month, she always pays her tithing, she still has plenty of money in her “spending” jar…..and it is OK to spend a little bit of money on something that just makes you happy!

So. She bought the shoes! You better believe this frugal-tight-wad-mom was so proud of her for making that decision!

And….guess what, she has been on cloud 9 all day because of it! The shoes haven’t left her feet, she’s been showing them to everyone in the family and has been pairing them with different outfits.

In Conclusion

THIS is why we give teens allowance.

Today, I kept my mouth shut and let my daughter take control of her shopping experience. She made the decision to only buy used or discounted clothes. It was up to her to decide what was “splurge” worthy and what wasn’t. She learned to budget, she learned to say no, and she learned to say yes.

She was able to come home with less money in her pocket, but also a feeling of accomplishment and confidence.

This is a girl who is preparing for the adult world of spending.

Pin this article for future reference:

You Might Also Be Interested in These Other Articles:

A Financial Tale of Two Sisters

Money Lessons for Kids: The night we taught our kids the TRUTH about money

The life lessons that taught me to budget for JOY while living in the present!

Do you give your teens allowance????

Unemployed: What I learned the hard way.

December 17, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life14 Comments

My husband, three kids and I experienced months of being unemployed. This is something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. This post is true, honest and raw about our experience. I hope it can help others feel heard in similar situations.

I’ve tried to write this story many, many times.

I’ve typed, and deleted more times than I can count.

It’s hard to share about a time in my life when my thoughts were so dark, my joy completely gone, and my shoulders heavy with burdens. This is a time in my life when I would wake up every single morning with tears in my eyes and panic in my chest. The moment I opened my eyes was the hardest part of my day. The realization that I was going to have to live another dark day was almost more than I could bear.

I still have some PTSD from this situation. My heart still clenches every time someone says the word “unemployed.” The memories come back into my mind and I am reminded about the pain and stress during this time of my life. It is hard to talk about, hard to relive it all.

And, yet, I know that others deal with much worse. This small trial in my life is so small compared to what others go through. I am so embarrassed that I wasn’t able to handle it all with more strength and courage. I am embarrassed that it affected me so deeply and sent me into a dark depression. I am embarrassed that others go through heartache after heartache, burden after burden, all with a smile on their face……and I couldn’t even handle this. It makes me feel weak and full of shame. I wish I would have, could have been stronger and better through it. But, I wasn’t.

4 years ago my husband came home and told me he had lost his job.

My world immediately came crashing down on me. I still shed tears every October 8 at 1:36 PM. The moment everything changed.

The next 7 months was a nightmare.

I found myself checking and rechecking our bank account. Calculating and recalculating how much we spend each month and how much we can cut out. Every penny spent was like a kick in the gut.

I found myself worrying about all of the “what ifs.” What if he can’t find another job. What if we have to relocate (for the 4th time!). What if I have to go back to work and leave my favorite job in the world as Stay at Home Mom. What if we will never be able to afford to retire. What if we won’t be able to send our kids to college. What if we have to take my daughters out of gymnastics and piano lessons. What if we can’t afford to buy the kids Christmas presents. What if life will never be the same again. What if we lose everything.

I worried about my husband. Worried about his confidence, self-esteem, and pride. I worried about my children. I worried about the stress and burden they would have to feel. I worried about our future, our present, and everything in between.

We began conversations about medicaid, unemployment and food stamps.

We felt like failures. Failures as parents. Failures as adults. Failures as people.

We didn’t want anybody to know. We didn’t want the judgments or the whispers. They all found out……but nobody said anything, and that felt almost worst.

We wanted everyone to stop pretending like everything was normal. As neighbors would smile at me and say in passing, “Hey, how’s it going?” I knew the response they expected was, “Good, how are you?” When really I wanted to scream at them, “I am miserable! My husband is miserable! We are crying every second behind closed doors and yet here you are wanting me to smile and make fake conversation!”

Or, there was the family members who planned a family get together that would require everyone to spend a lot of money in order to come. I couldn’t understand how anyone could be so inconsiderate. Do they not realize that we have ZERO money coming in right now and every penny spent feels like we are one step closer to living on the streets? It hurt. It hurt really bad.

These are not easy things to admit. I told you that I wasn’t in a good place at this time. A better person would have handled it all better. A better person wouldn’t have gotten so upset…..but I wasn’t that person, and I am ashamed by it.

Not everyone was insensitive to our situation. Their was the neighbor that held me for 10 minutes as I cried and cried. My sister who allowed me to vent all of my frustrations day in and day out and never judged or condemned my feelings. My dad who hired my husband for odd jobs and used his personal connections to try to network for us. The many secret envelopes of money that showed up at our doorstep right in time for Christmas. We had many many earthly angels placed in our life at this time.

My husband is an amazing man and an extremely hard worker. He immediately updated his resume and spent every single day visiting local businesses, trying to network and make connections. He would call and stay up to date with everywhere he placed his resume. He spent hours browsing the internet looking for any new positions posted. He picked up every side job he could find. He hung Christmas lights, worked for a sod company, stained a pig pen, bottled milk at a dairy plant, and hired himself out as a handy man.

We started out with the hope that he would only be out of work for a few weeks.

Weeks turned into months. 7 months went by and he began sending his resume further and further away.

He had a few interviews. He even had a job offer, which suddenly disappeared one day. And that was my breaking point, the moment I felt as if I had been thrown in a deep dark hole and all hope was lost.

And then a miracle happened.

He decided to look on Craigslist again (which had always been a dead end in the past). He found a job posting for what looked like the perfect fit.

The ironic thing about this posting is that this was the very first business he stopped by that first day of being out of work. They had told him they weren’t hiring. 7 months had changed that.

He sent in his resume. Didn’t hear anything. He called them a week later to check up. He was offered an interview.

He showed up for the interview the next day and was shocked when he was greeted by two of his good friends from college. They had graduated in the same program together, worked on research projects together, and then had gone their separate ways. That was 10 years ago. These friends vouched for him and were a huge part of him getting this job.

The interview went well, but we had gotten our hopes up far to many times and feared another letdown.

Three days went by without a word. Again, my husband called to check up on his status. He was offered the job on the spot. This was his dream job. A perfect fit for him and our family. Do you believe in a higher being? Because I do. And, I believe He helped my husband find this job. The friends that were vital to him getting this position, both left the company just two months later. Coincidence? I think not. This all happened as it was suppose to.

Why am I telling you this?

So that you understand why am I am the way that I am.

I am a natural spender. (Read my post A Financial Tale of Two Sisters for more info on that). Before this experience I lived fairly frugal. I didn’t have any debt, I made 80% of our meals at home, and I tried to save a little from each paycheck.

Yet, I didn’t stick to a budget. I didn’t blink an eye when I would drop $200 at Target. I impulsed shopped. I bought what I wanted, when I wanted. I used the phrase, “I deserve this, so I will buy it” far more than I would like to admit. I assumed life would always be easy and there was really no reason to worry about money.

I was wrong. So very wrong.

When we spent these 7 months unemployed and I felt all of the many heartaches and pressures of finances, constantly worrying and wondering if we would have enough to survive; I learned just how important the value of a dollar is.

I vowed to never feel that way again.

I can’t control whether my husband loses his job again or not. But, I can control my spending and my saving.

I realized that when there’s a will, there’s a way.

We learned to live life without ever going out to eat. I figured out how to cut my grocery budget (something I had always deemed “impossible” before this). I learned to shop at the thrift store, to use what we already had on hand. I learned to say “no.” I realized just how much unnecessary spending I had been doing, and just how wasteful it all was. I learned that all of my excuses, were just that, excuses. When we absolutely HAD to cut our spending, we DID it!

I worried a lot about my kids…..I didn’t want them to feel these adult burdens.

Immediately after losing his job, my husband and I sat our children down and told them through tears what had happened. We explained to them that things were going to have to change as we needed to be more careful with our money. Our kids cried and cried as we hugged them and told them everything would be ok…..all the while I was secretly wondering, “would it be ok?????

About 5 months into unemployment my oldest child announced, “Nothing has really changed! It feels the same as it did before!” I was so relieved to hear her say this.

The thing is, everything had changed. I was spending 75% less each month than I had been before. Yet, my kids were obviously not hurting. This taught me that kids do NOT need a lot of money spent on them in order for them to be happy. They were perfectly content with the simple life we had created.

This is why I am frugal and why I would rather have money in the bank than stuff in my house. Saving money brings me the security and assurance that we will be taken care of if we ever find ourselves in this situation again.

I have learned that I can live on MUCH less than I had originally thought.

It is not always easy for me to live frugally. I make mistakes, I get lazy. But, when the thoughts and emotions of those horrific 7 months come back to my mind I am reminded that it is ALL worth it!

And THIS is why a spender learned to be a saver. THIS is why I live a frugal life.

Budget for Joy

Financial Tale of Two Sisters

Have you experienced a season of being unemployed? Share your experience below!

Why Your Spending Habits Matter

October 24, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life12 Comments

I’ve heard many people wonder if your spending habits truly make a difference, or is it the income that matters. I believe it is some of both. Here’s a story about a true saver and spender and what exactly happens when you change your spending habits.

The story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect those involved. (Note Sarcasm 😉 )

Once upon a time there were two sisters.

One was named Jane and the other Melissa.

Jane and Melissa were raised by two hardworking, frugal minded parents. These wonderful parents raised the sisters to understand the importance of saving money, spending wisely, and budgeting.

Jane and Melissa both began receiving an allowance at age 12. They were both given the same amount of money and were taught to save at least 10%, tithe 10% and the rest they could spend.

Melissa began babysitting at a young age. The majority of her weekends and summers were spent babysitting for multiple families. She was able to earn a good deal of money from this job and she followed her parents counsel by saving and tithing 10% of her income.

The Teen Years

As Melissa grew, so did her social life. She loved to spend her weekends with friends. She enjoyed using her spending money, and because she had saved and tithed, she felt no guilt in spending the rest. Melissa and her friends spent the majority of their time together going to movies, eating out at restaurants, and shopping at the mall.

At age 16 Melissa got a job. This job provided her with part time hours during the school year and full time during the summer. She was earning more money now, and was diligent about saving money and preparing for her financial future. Melissa was very proud of her bank account, and proud that she had been able to save faithfully during her teen years.

When she graduated from high school she had $3,000 in her savings account.

Unlike Melissa, Jane didn’t babysit very much during her younger years. She tried to do extra chores around the home and was able to earn some extra money that way.

At age 16 Jane began working at the same store Melissa had worked at. Jane was also able to earn a steady income with part time hours during the school year and full time during the summer.

Jane worked hard at her high school job and enjoyed earning money. She was diligent about tithing 10% of her paychecks, but decided to save even more than the 10% her parents had asked of her. Instead, she saved 70% or more of each paycheck and kept very little for personal spending money.

Her social life grew, as most teens did. She chose her friends wisely, and found friends who had similar goals and aspirations as she did. Instead of going to movies and shopping, like Melissa and her friends did, they instead chose to spend time at each other homes and enjoying frugal activities together.

Jane graduated from high school with $16,000 in her banking account.

So What Happened?

Two Sisters. Raised the exact same way. Given the exact same allowance. Worked at the exact same job, received the exact same paychecks. Yet, Jane ended up with four times the amount of money that Melissa had.

The difference?

Jane was much wiser in her spending. She chose to participate in frugal activities and understood the value in saving as much money as she could.

Melissa, on the other hand, did the bare minimum. She didn’t worry much about the future, and figured as long as she was saving a little bit, she would be fine. Melissa didn’t realize the life she COULD have given herself if she had only practiced a little more self control. Her vision was not as big as Janes.

Spending Habits Matter

All good stories end with a moral, and this one is no different.

The story of Jane and Melissa has taught me many many financial lessons. However, there is one lesson that sticks out to me more than the others.

Jane and Melissa received the EXACT same paychecks, for the EXACT same number of years. Their parents taught them the EXACT same money principles in the EXACT same way. But, Jane chose to save and save and save, while Melissa chose to spend.

This teaches me that our financial situation is not always about how much money we might MAKE….it is more about how much money we SAVE. The paycheck isn’t the problem, our spending habits is the problem.

It is easy to use a low paycheck as an excuse for not being able to save money….but I believe we could all spend a little wiser and live a little more frugally, if we are willing to make those changes.

I am able to say this, because this is MY story. I am Melissa.

Debt Snowball Or Debt Avalanche

October 11, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life3 Comments

Two of the most common methods for paying off debt is the Debt Snowball and the Debt Avalanche. Neither of these methods are superior to the other. They both have great qualities and offer excellent motivation for getting rid of debt.

Debt Snowball

The Debt Snowball is the method Dave Ramsey recommends.

When using the Debt Snowball you will list your debts in order from the smallest debt to the largest.

While continuing to make minimum payments on all debts, begin actively trying to pay off your SMALLEST debt FIRST.

This will mean that you will use ANY extra money that comes your way to paying off this one debt.

The reasoning behind the Debt Snowball is while starting small, you will gain confidence and traction. As you pay off those small debts you will have more practice and motivation to be able to tackle the larger debts.

For Example…..

$5,000 Car Loan

$800 Credit Card Payment

$25,000 Student Loan

Pay off the credit card first, while continuing to make minimal payments on the other two debts. Next you will pay off the car loan, and then lastly you will tackle the student loan.

Debt Avalanche

In the Debt Avalanche you will list your debts in order from the highest INTEREST to the lowest interest. You will then continue to make all minimum payments for all debt while focusing all extra cash to paying off your debt with the highest interest rate.

The point of the Debt Avalanche is that by getting rid of the debts that charger higher interest you will be able to pay off the debt quicker.

The Debt Avalanche WILL have you spending LESS money overall than the Debt Snowball.

For Example…

$5,000 Car Loan with 4% interest

$800 Credit Card with 10% interest

$25,000 Student Loan with 5% interest

If following the Debt Avalanche method you will pay off the credit card first, followed by the student loan and then you will pay off the car loan.

What Works for You?

Soooo……what does this all mean for you?

The answer to that question will be personal. It will be different for everyone. There is no RIGHT or WRONG method.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and unsure of yourself, then perhaps the Debt Snowball would work best in favor. It helps you start small and gain quick wins at the beginning.

If you are feeling super motivated and you want to get rid of that debt ASAP, then you might prefer the Debt Avalanche. This method will get you aggressively paying off that debt and will cut out some of those interest costs.

What do I recommend?

I personally recommend you research, research and more research. Study everything you can about both the Debt Snowball and Debt Avalanche. Once you have studied everything you can, make your decision. You will naturally feel more comfortable and be drawn to a certain method.

Once you make the decision best for you, GO WITH IT, own it. Do everything in your power to get rid of that debt. Check out the article What we cut from our budget to save over $2500 a year, for a few ideas on finding some extra cash in your budget.

I promise paying off debt WILL be hard…..but I also promise that your future self will THANK YOU for being willing to put in the work.

FIRE: Here’s why I don’t participate.

September 26, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life9 Comments

I’ve been asked a few times my opinion about spending money on life experiences right now, or if it’s best to keep saving and wait for the future. The obvious answer from a frugal, budget loving blogger, who loves to encourage everyone to spend conservatively and plan for their future, would be to advise everyone to wait until later and build your wealth now. The FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) Movement continues to gain popularity. I love the idea of sacrificing now to enjoy life later, and completely support those who are working towards FIRE. However. I actually believe in the importance of budgeting for joy. In THIS moment….because, you know what, those golden years you are anxiously waiting for, they just might not come…..

My sweet mother was a huge saver. I have learned ALL of my frugal ways from her. And, the truth is……I’m still not as frugal as she was, I don’t think I’ll EVER be as frugal as she was.

I think the thing I admire most about her is the fact that she did not need to be frugal, she had a very comfortable income. She chose to be frugal because she understood the value of saving money.

She passed away when she was 48. I was 22.

Losing her at such a young age has had a HUGE impact on the way I view life. I have developed the mindset that life is temporary, short, and fragile. It is a gift to be treasured and celebrated.

Related: A Financial Tale of Two Sisters

I am fairly confident in saying that my natural instincts would be to work towards FIRE; to save EVERYTHING for the future and look forward to enjoying life once that comfortable retirement kicks in.

But…..my life experiences have taught me a different lesson. Sure, I do believe in saving for your future…..I also believe in spending some money on enjoying life in the present.

It’s important to focus on BALANCE.

It MUST be a priority to pay off all debt, save aggressively for your retirement, save to send your kids to college, try to build wealth, etc…..

At the same time, you need to budget for a little bit of JOY.

This does NOT mean it’s ok to go on a luxury vacation while charging everything to your credit card. And it’s definitely NOT an excuse to blow your budget because you are “enjoying life.”

It does mean it is ok (and I would argue important) to give yourself some fun money, take a break every now and then, explore the areas around you, and LIVE life to it’s fullest.

This will look different for everyone. For some this could be a weekend road trip, others might prefer a quiet stay cation. Do what sparks joy for you, this will look differently for everyone. (and…you know what, it actually doesn’t need to cost a lot of money to have meaningful, joyful experiences!)

In conclusion, be intentional with your spending. Intentional with saving money and intentional with budgeting and building wealth. But also, be intentional with your life experiences. Life is to short to only enjoy it when you get older…..make sure you are experiencing it right now too!

I would love to know your opinion on this subject! We each have had different life experiences that have shaped us into the people we are today. Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts? Are you trying to be intentional with budgeting AND enjoying life? Do you budget for joy? Let me know in the comments!!

Budget for Beginners: FAQ

September 18, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

Disclosure: “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 receive so many messages on a daily basis from people wanting to start managing their money and living frugally, but they don’t know how to take that first step. It is always so amazing to me when I see others who wans to improve on their life and financial situation, it can be scary trying to make such a big change into the unknown. There can be a lot of questions when you first start budgeting and I want to answer some of those for you.

How do I begin budgeting?

The best place to begin is your budget. It is vital you have a working budget.

If you are new to budgeting, it might take you a while to figure out just how much money to budget for each category. This is normal! A budget is fluid, meaning it is always changing. The budget below is one that I made as a free printable. It has many of the categories I use in my personal budget and is also easy to customize and add your own. You can get it for free by signing up below!

You will also need to begin tracking all of your expenses. This helps you keep your budget accurate, and gives you a great window into your spending habits. By tracking your spending habits, you will be able to see what areas you are over spending in and areas you could cut back.

A great resource, and the book that completely changed my financial views, is Dave Ramseys book, The Total Money Makeover. Check it out from your library, borrow it from a friend, or order it from Amazon. No matter how you get it, just read it. Dave Ramsey uses easy to understand terms as explains exactly how to fix your financial situation.

What is the best way to keep track of day to day spending?

There are a few different ways of doing this. It doesn’t quite matter HOW, it just matters that you do it and that you stay consistent.

For years we used an excel spreadsheet that my husband made. It took quite a bit of work for him to put it together, but it worked out really well.

About 7 years ago we discovered You Need a Budget. It is so user friendly and very affordable. You can download the app onto your phone and update it as you spend. This is not sponsored in any way, we REALLY do love it! A similar program is Every Dollar, I have never tried it, but have heard lots of good things.

There is also the good ol’ standard paper and pen method. I’ve never tried this method, but I do know other people who enjoy it!

When tracking spending it is important to stay consistent. Pick a day of the week, schedule a time, and develop a routine for tracking your spending. We do it every Monday evening. We save all of our receipts and go through each item one by one and write it down. It is not necessary to write EVERYTHING down, for example: when buying groceries, just write groceries and the amount. There is no need to write down bread and bananas, etc.

How do you start the envelope system?

Using cash envelopes is a great way to limit your spending and can help you as you start budgeting. I have an article written all about how to get started and the benefits you’ll gain. You can check it out at The Envelope Money System: A Beginners Guide.

How do you make a grocery budget?

My grocery budget has been all over the place. When I first started budgeting, I set the grocery budget FAR to low. I kept going way over the budgeted amount and couldn’t figure out how to cut the costs down. This was when I knew I needed to budget more money for our weekly groceries.

I tell this story to give you encouragement that all budgets, but especially grocery budgets, are trial and error. It might (and probably will) take you a few months before you have the best budget for you.

While you are tracking your spending you should be able to see how much you are normally spending on groceries. This gives you a good ballpark figure to begin with. If you feel it is unnecessary spending, you can try to slowly bring the budget down week by week until you get it to a place you feel comfortable with.

How do you save money on groceries?

Groceries are one of the biggest expenses for most budgets. I have learned a few ways to ease this burden! Read my article, 10 Quick Ways to Lower your Grocery Bill, where I share all of my best grocery shopping secrets!How do you minimize grocery costs?

The number one way I have found to keep those costs low is to meal plan. Plan out every meal you want to eat for the week. As you meal plan, write out your grocery list, and stick to this list while you shop. I’ve found using Walmart Grocery Pickup has helped me to stick to my list, AND my budget. You can get $10 off your first Walmart Grocery Pickup using this link!

A few other ways to lower grocery costs are to cook from scratch (avoid convenience foods), shop sales, and use the cashback apps regularly.

What are the easiest apps for frugal beginners?

I love cashback apps! Long gone are the days when you have to sift through ads and cut out coupons, now all you need is a receipt and an app on your phone! I actually love these apps so much I already have an article written about all my favorites. You can find it here: My Favorite Cashback Apps.

What should my budget look like? What is normal for our family?

No two budgets will look the same. My normal will be different than your normal. What I spend on groceries, will be different then what you will spend on groceries, etc. This is one of my favorite parts of a budget. You can customize it and find something that works for you personally!

I prefer a zero based budget. Start with the amount of money you expect to make for the pay period. Then, using your budget, find a spot for every single one of those dollars. Keep budgeting until you have “spent” on paper every dollar of your paycheck.

This WILL take some adjustments and some TIME. Focus more on giving every dollar a place in your budget, and less about how it compares to other budgets. Again, I recommend Dave Ramseys, Total Money Makeover book. He gives good advice about how much your percentage you should be spending in each category.

What can you do when you cut back, budget and still don’t have enough?

I loved this question; because it is so relatable and real situation for many of us.

My first piece of advice is to keep your head up! You are NOT alone! There are so many dealing with similar struggles. I strongly believe that together, we CAN help each other reach our financial goals. Reach out to facebook groups and instagram accounts that discuss this issue. Surrounding yourself with others in this situation should give you the strength, support and ideas to help get you through it.

I love Dave Ramseys quote to be “gazelle intense.” When you have done EVERYTHING you can think of and the money is just still NOT adding up, that means it’s time to take more extreme actions. Here are a few ideas to take when you need to be “gazelle intense.”

Related: How to Cut Your Budget; When There is Nothing Left to Cut

Sell items in your home (see 10 Items In Your House You Can Sell Quickly To Make Money and 5 Places Online To Sell Your Clutter and Earn Cash).
Start a side hustle. Is their a side job you could take on to earn some extra money? Google side hustles ideas and you should be able to find a good variety of ideas.
Look through that budget one more time, what else could you sacrifice? Could you cancel your tv subscription, quit eating out, lower your phone data plan, cut out all entertainment, etc. None of these things are FUN, but they might be necessary in this situation. Here is an article where I share What we cut from our budget to save over $2500 a year.
Could you ask for a raise? Would it be beneficial to make a job change?
What could you downgrade? Perhaps trade in your car for a cheaper model or move into a more affordable home?

I understand it is NOT easy when the money just ISN’T there. ESPECIALLY when you feel as if you have sacrificed again, and again and again. I get it, I have been there! Keep your head up. Keep trying. Be “gazelle intense.” I believe in you!

What I Learned From the July Pantry Challenge

August 1, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life7 Comments

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 and I only recommend things I truly use and love!

I just finished my month long pantry challenge!! If you’re not aware of the term, a pantry challenge is meant to encourage you to use up items you already have in your home, (pantry, fridge, freezer, shelves, etc.), instead of spending money at the store on groceries.

My goal was to save a little extra money during the month by spending less on groceries. To do this I decided to cut my regular grocery budget of $400 a month in half. This would mean I could only spend $200 for our family of five. This was no easy task and I was incredibly intimidated from the beginning, but I was determined to make it work.

The pantry challenge is now officially over (thank goodness) and I am proud of how the challenge went. I would LOVE to say that I was able to only spend $200 on groceries….but I didn’t quite accomplish that. I went over budget by $1.98. I spent $201.98 on groceries for our family of five….and you know what I am so PROUD of MYSELF!!!

I wanted to share all about how I was able to make it work and what I learned during the process.

A24580DA-9202-4DA2-AB20-FCF5A2A36916

Make a Plan

The ONLY way I could be successful with this pantry challenge was to plan ahead. I’ve always been a meal planner, but I learned quickly I needed to be much more detailed about planning every snack and meal.

At the beginning of each week I looked through my pantry, made an inventory of all our food. I wrote down the meals and snacks we could make with what we ALREADY had in the house.

I was able to eat out of the pantry exclusively about 50% of the time. The other 50% of the meals I tried to only plan really frugal meals with only a few cheap ingredients I would need to buy. This meal planner that I use is available as a Free Printable in my Free Frugal Living Challenge.

3F60DC5D-C6C2-41DE-9700-83C27D993D08

Successful Meal Plans

I listed out a few of the meals and snacks I found to be the most helpful in keeping the grocery costs low. A few of these recipes (starred) are also available for free in my Frugal Living Challenge.

Breakfasts

*Fluffy Eggs

Pancakes

Eggs and Toast

Oatmeal

*Breakfast Potato Casserole

*Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Lunch

Muffin Tin Lunch

Sandwiches

Salad from Garden

Leftovers

Dinner

*Freezer Burritos

Layered Zuchinni

Spaghetti

*Taco Soup

*Balsamic Chicken

Pasta Bake

*Taco Tortilla Soup

Grilled Chicken

*Korean Beef

*Baked Island Chicken

Snacks

Pretzels

Homemade Cookies

Energy Bites

Popcorn

Canned Fruit

Bananas

Homemade Pudding

Homemade Bread

Grocery Shopping

I am a little obsessed with grocery shopping using Walmart Grocery Pickup (hello, shopping in my PJs and groceries loaded in the car FOR ME! Sign me up!).

With my $200 monthly grocery budget, I was only allowed $50 a week. One of my favorite things about Walmart Grocery Pickup is the ability to watch my cart total while I’m shopping. (I know I COULD use a calculator at the store, but I’m just not great at it….) Being able to see how much I’m spending WHILE I’m shopping was crucial for me during this challenge.

If my cart ever went over the $50 amount I knew I needed to go back through the cart and delete a few items. This was MUCH harder to do than I had anticipated! My family all had to sacrifice a few items we were use to having regularly in order to make the month work.

Getting the Family Involved

I would LOVE to tell you that my family was totally on board and excited about my little July Pantry Challenge Experiment……but, they didn’t really love the idea. When they saw the amount of food I was bringing home with each grocery trip they started complaining about the lack of food.

I tried to get my kids excited about the goal and had them help me make a lot of our homemade snacks. They liked being able to help and were somewhat excited at the thought of having a challenge.

Unfortunately, this only lasted a couple of weeks. As the month went on they began to get a really tired of the challenge. The biggest problem was the snacks. They are use to having snacks in the pantry, and we just couldn’t have those this month. I decided to make a list of snacks we did have available and I hung it on the fridge. This helped them a lot! I think they had gotten so use to those convenience snacks (not awesome parenting, I know) that they had forgotten about all the other great options we had.

1BAD26E9-1F8C-493F-BD11-70DA82842DDE

Even though my family didn’t necessarily ENJOY the pantry challenge, I am really glad they were able to go through it with me. It was such a good life lesson for my kids to learn about stretching dollars and how much food really costs.

What I learned

My biggest takeaway from the July Pantry Challenge is that I CAN live on less than I usually do. Yes, it took A LOT more effort, (preparing a lot more food from scratch and a lot of time planning), but I CAN do it! We survived.

Moving forward I have a new sense of motivation to stay in budget, shop my pantry, and really spend with a purpose. I’ve always told myself the lie that I HAVE to spend money on this food because we NEED it……but, we don’t! We were just fine having less food around. I am excited to take this new knowledge and adjust my grocery shopping from here on out.

What’s Next

My pantry challenge is over! Does this mean I get to spend a lot of money next month restocking my shelves????? Absolutely NOT!

I will be going back to my regular grocery budget of $400 a month. I will slowly try to restock my pantry, but I will always stay within that $400 budget.

I honestly was terrified for this challenge! I really didn’t know if I would be able to meet my goal, $400 a month is usually a little bit of a challenge. But I did it, and I’m so glad I was willing to try! If you are wanting to find a way to save a little extra cash, try having your own personal Pantry Challenge. Be sure to come back and let me know if you did it and how it went!!

Small changes in your lunch habits can make big changes in your wallet

January 23, 2018 By: Sweet Frugal Life14 Comments

Finding ways to save money in your budget doesn’t always have to be extreme. Sometimes all it takes is small consistent new habits to make a big results.

We decided that instead of having my husband go out to eat lunch with his coworkers every day we would instead pack him a lunch to take. He usually has leftovers from dinner and some fruit or a salad, sometimes he will make himself a sandwich.

I added up how much this saved us over a year. I estimated we spend about $3 a day on the lunch he takes to work. He works approximately 250 days out of the year making it $750 spending on lunch. If he were to go out to eat with his coworkers we estimated he would spend about $7 (which is LOW balling it!) a day making it $1,750 a year for lunch.

So, just by packing a lunch for work we are saving $1,000 a year! Think about this savings in long term value. In 5 years we have saved $5,000. In 10 years we have saved $10,000! The savings over time is huge! Imagine if I did the same thing, the amount would DOUBLE!

If you have school aged kids you can also save a large amount of money if you pack them a lunch instead of having them buy a hot lunch at school.

I spend about $1 per kid for each lunch I pack them. I have two school aged kids so that comes to spending $80 a year on school lunches for them. If I were to buy a hot school lunch the total yearly cost would be $220 a year. So by packing them a lunch we are saving $140 a year. This isn’t a huge amount, but Every.Single.Dollar makes a HUGE difference when you are on a budget.

These are our two easy secrets that have saved us over a $1,000 a year. By the time all of my kids will have graduated from high school it will be over a $15,000 savings! What lunch money saving secrets do you have?

If you are interested in more ways we save money each year check out my article: What we cut from our budget to save over $2500 a year.