Budget Archives - Sweet Frugal Life

7 Simple Ways To Get Your Budget Back On Track (for good this time!)

April 20, 2022 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

How to fix a broken budget.

Struggling with a broken budget??? We have all been there, and I’ve definitely been there more times then I would like to admit! It might have happened because we gave into spending temptations to many times, or perhaps we let lifestyle creep sneak in. Or, there could have been a lot of unexpected expenses arise. There are so many reasons why we go over budget, it happens to everyone! Going over budget is normal, not great, but normal….but only if it happens occasionally. If you are looking for ways to fix a broken budget, I’ve got you covered! Keep reading for 7 simple ways to get your budget back on track (for good this time!).

How To Get Your Budget Back On Track

It is possible to fix a broken budget! Follow the steps below to get your budget back on track once and for all!

1. Stop Unnecessary Spending

The first step you need to take to get your budget back on track is to put a pause on all unnecessary spending. This doesn’t mean you cant pay your bills or buy food. It means that you will only spend money on things that are necessary for living. But, things like entertainment. going out to eat, home decor, etc. should be completely stopped.

There are so many ways to enjoy life, without having to spend money. Try a few new easy recipes at home, enjoy some at home date nights, and be creative about finding things for free!

Related: How to Have a Successful No Spend Month

2. Track Your Spending

If you aren’t already tracking your spending, now is the time to start! Tracking your spending is one of the most important (but easily skipped) steps to fixing a broken budget. Writing down every purchase that you make will hold you accountable to your purchases, making it much less likely for you to impulse shop.

I recommend taking time every single day to write down what you bought that day. Then compare your purchases to your budget to make sure you are staying within your goals.

3. Use Cash Envelopes

Anything thing that really helps me fix a broken budget is to start using cash envelopes. The cash envelope system is really fairly easy to use!

First, look through your budget to determine the amount of cash you have left to spend for the rest of the month.

Next, you will need to go to the bank and take out that exact amount of cash out of the bank. Divide the cash into different envelope categories. Once your envelope is empty, you literally can not buy anything else (no cheating!). I explain more about how cash envelopes here.

And, yes, you CAN use cash envelopes for online purchases! I explain exactly how to do so in the video below!

4. Give Yourself A Reward

I’ll let you in on a little secret about me…..I love to reward myself! It motivates me to work hard and reach my goal. Whenever I start struggling with my budget, I set up a reward system to help me stay focused on my money goals.

Choose your reward by thinking of something fun, but frugal, that you would enjoy getting. I love to reward myself with a treat from my favorite pastry shop or by buying myself a new small piece of jewelry.

Set up your reward system in a way that will help you get back on track with your budget. For example, if you go 10 days without splurging on any unnecessary spending, then you can treat yourself to your small reward.

5. Return Recent Purchases You Don’t Need

Do you have any recent purchases that you regret buying? Or perhaps that you don’t regret, but know deep down it wasn’t the best decision to buy? Return these items to the store ASAP! This is the quickest and easiest way to fix a broken budget caused by impulse spending.

6. Sell Clutter In Your Home

Another option for getting more money back in your pocket is to sell clutter around your house that you don’t need or use! My rule of thumb is that if I haven’t touched it for a few months, it needs to go!

Use the money you earn from selling your clutter to get your budget back on track, don’t spend it on something frivolous, put it to use in a budget category that needs it.

Related: 10 Household Items To Sell For Quick Cash

7. Use An Accountability Partner

One of the best ways to get back on track with your budget is to find an accountability partner to help you reach your goals. An accountability partner could be your spouse, a friend or everything in between. Ask the person you choose if they will help hold you accountable to your money goals. Share with them your desire to fix your budget and what you need to do to get there.

As you go about your day to day routine, make sure to check in with your accountability partner regularly. Make sure to always call this person to help you when you get the urge to spend, they can talk you through your spending choices to help you make the one that will help your budget best!

8. Focus On Your Goals

The most important things to remember is to stay focused on your goals. Set a goal of where you want your budget to be, write it down and then hang it up somewhere so that you can see it regularly. A bathroom mirror or phone lock screen are great options for this!

When you stay focused on your BIG goals, it’s easier to say “no” to the temptations that come along.

You Got This!

Please don’t beat yourself up for getting off of your budget. Like I mentioned earlier, it DOES happen, and there IS hope for fixing it. The fact that you are reading this article shows me that you want to stick to your budget and make it work.

I know that through a little bit of work, some sacrifice and following these steps you can fix your broken budget!

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Follow these simple steps to get your budget back on track, for good!

Tips For Budgeting As A Couple

September 11, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

How to get your spouse to budget when they don’t want to.

Do you struggle budgeting as a couple? I can so relate! I have been there!

My husband and I are constantly working on getting on the same page with a budget.

It all started about 10 years ago when I read a book that changed my life, Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover book and I knew it was time to start looking at our finances differently. I decided right then and there that my husband and I would make a budget, and stick to it faithfully.

Later that night I happily told my husband the good news, “We are going to start budgeting and will be able to save so much money!” I announced.

I looked at his face, fully expecting to see the same enthusiasm that I felt……but instead of joy, I saw annoyance.

“Why do we need to budget? We spend less than I make every month” he asked me.

I spent a few minutes explaining to him that a budget could help us save for our future, eliminate some unnecessary spending, and set us up for financial success, fully expecting him to be just as excited about it as I was.

But, he just didn’t have the same vision as I had. Which, in hindsight is understandable. I had accepted him to jump on board with my new found financial knowledge, simply because I was telling him that it was a good idea. I wanted him to feel like I felt, without ever giving him the opportunity to form his own views.

Here’s the thing about relationships: you can not force your spouse to have your same views. That’s not how a marriage works. A marriage is a partnership between two separate people. Each of the partners will, should, and have their own opinions, thoughts, goals, and ideas. I’m going to say it again, you can not force your spouse to be something they aren’t.

It took me a few months of talking (and disagreeing) to my husband about budgeting before I finally asked, “Can we just try it? Let’s just try it for one month and see how it goes. I think it could really help us!”

Fortunately, he agreed. We sat together one evening and set up a budget. There were frustrations, we have had plenty of mishaps, and we have had to start and restart time and time again. But. A decade later and we still budget. In fact, my husband is the one that 99% of the time reminds me it’s time to discuss the budget.

So what changed? I believe there were two main points that changed my husbands mind about the whole budget thing.

He saw that a budget did in fact make a difference. My husband needed to decide for himself if he felt that a budget was worthwhile. Once he saw how much more money we did actually save on a budget, he embraced the vision.
It became a habit. He really didn’t like the idea of having “one more thing” on his to do list. But, after a few months it has become a habit and doesn’t feel like an extra chore, it’s just what we do.

Now, I understand that not all situations go like mine. Some spouses are more willing and others are much less willing to budget together. Here are a few tips to help you when your spouse just doesn’t want to budget.

Tips For Budgeting As A Couple

1. Communicate

Communication is so important in a marriage, and finances is no different. Communicate with your spouse why you want to budget and your goals and concerns for your future. Explain to him why this is important to you, and why it is important to you to do together.

In return, listen. Listen to your spouses concerns. Ask him why he doesn’t want to budget, ask him how you can help make it easier for them, and genuinely listen and care about his responses.

2. Make it Fun

Try to make budgeting fun (yes! budgeting can be fun…..ish!). Instead of saying something like, “Let’s have a budget meeting.” (I mean, that prob sounds fairly boring to anyone, right!?), invite your spouse to something fun, plus a budget meeting!

You could go on a walk, have a picnic, or bring their favorite foods to enjoy while discussing the budget. Make the budget meetings a little less boring and try to make it a fun experience for everyone involved.

2. No blaming

When it comes to the budget you need to work as a team. Avoid putting blame on your spouse. Instead of, “You spent way to much this month!” say phrases like, “We spent to much this month.” Yes! Even if it truly might be your spouse overspending, work as a team and never ever blame. The only thing blaming will bring is contention, and contention won’t make a budget.

3. Be Willing to Compromise

Compromise is a must when budgeting as a couple. Maybe you are super frugal and your spouse isn’t, this is totally normal!

Find a way to meet in the middle. Perhaps your spouse wants to get a hair cut and color every month, but you feel that makes the budget to tight. Ask if they would be willing to get a cut and color every 6-8 weeks instead. Give your spouse freedom in their budget, while also making sure the budget is kept.

4. Personal Spending Money

Include personal spending money for both you and your spouse. This spending money gives both of you the freedom to spend how you want, when you want, with completely no guilt or judgement attached to it.

The amount received for personal spending will vary based on your income and expenses. However, you and your spouse should both receive the exact same amount.

I love having this guilt free spending money!

Related: Budget for Beginners: FAQ

5. Be the Example

Maybe your spouse just doesn’t get it, and that’s OK! The whole idea of budgeting might be a little daunting or strange to them, which is exactly how my husband was. Be an example of living by a successful budget so they can learn from you.

Excitedly show your partner how much money you saved by doing “xyz” that month. Your positive attitude just might rub off and they will want to join in on your success.

6. Celebrate the Wins

Positive reinforcement goes a long ways in marriage, and life in general. When your spouse sticks to the budget, celebrate. Buy them their favorite treat, genuinely praise them, and let them know how proud you are of them.

Everyone likes to feel appreciated and having mini celebrations can help budgeting feel much more bearable.

7. Make a Plan Together

Together is the key word in this. Sit down and discuss your goals for the future and present. Plan how you can reach these goals and make a plan going forward. Allow your spouse to give their opinions about the way the plan and budget will look. It might not be exactly how you think it should be, but remember compromise matters.

When Nothing Works

If you have tried everything you can to get your spouse to budget and it’s just not working, you are not alone. Financial disagreements are common among all couples.

Focus on the things that you can control within your budget. Spend wisely. Budget as best as you can by yourself and do what you can to keep the finances in order. Alone is never fun, but it can be done. Lean on support groups through facebook or family and friends to help give you the support you need.

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I hope this gave you some good tips about budgeting as a couple.

Family Trip To San Diego

March 1, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life13 Comments

Visiting San Diego on a Budget.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged all about our trip to Disneyland. Before heading to the most magical place on earth we spent a few fun filled day in San Diego. In our typical travel fashion, we visited San Diego for cheap, but we still had so much fun. Here’s a peek at our family trip to San Diego.

I am a Get Away Today partner and may receive commissions for Get Away Today vacations booked through links on my site.

Family Trip To San Diego

Once we arrived in San Diego we checked into our hotel, the Holiday Inn Express San Diego Circle. We loved this hotel and it was a great value. It had a modern layout and design. Plus, the kids always had the pool to themselves, and the room was the perfect size for our family of five. This truly was the perfect hotel for us!

We found this hotel on Get Away Today. I am seriously in love with Get Away Today. They offer the best discounts on any Southern California Vacation, and are so easy to work with. I used them a few years ago for a trip and knew that we wanted to use them again for this trip.

**Bonus: Get Away Today is offering my readers an additional discount, use the coupon code: SweetFrugal at checkout for an extra $10 off your vacation package. Yay! I love extra discounts!

Coronado Beach

It didn’t take long for me to decide that we wanted to spend a beach day at Coronado Beach, it looked beautiful and absolutely perfect! Plus, I loved that the parking was FREE (I love free!).

We went to Coronado Beach on a Sunday and were honestly expecting large crowds, but to our happy surprise the beach was quiet and peaceful. It ended up being a perfect day! My kids loved playing in the calm waves and hunting for sea shells.

When the tide went out around 2 in the afternoon we were able to find dozens of perfectly round beautiful sand dollars. It was a fun little treasure hunt walking up and down the beach collecting our treasured sand dollars.

If you are looking for a great San Diego beach and love finding great shells go to Coronado Beach.

Sea World

We spent one more day at San Diego and wanted to use that time at Sea World. This was a highlight of our trip! The park was so empty, we were able to walk right onto every ride, had great seats for all the shows and loved learning more about the beautiful sea animals.

Get Away Today offers 7 day Sea World tickets for a great price. If you are wanting to spend a few days at Sea World be sure to buy those tickets from Get Away Today. We only had time for one day though so we bought our tickets directly from Sea World’s website, which ended up being the better deal.

My One Regret….

We had a wonderful time in San Diego, my only regret is that we didn’t spend more time there! It is such a beautiful city! Next time we visit I will be planning a few extra days there. We all can’t wait to go back and visit again!

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I hope you enjoyed reading more about our family trip to San Diego.

Our Budget Friendly Disneyland Vacation

February 15, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

The best frugal tips for visiting Disneyland!

Last fall we took our family on a vacation to Southern California. It was the best week exploring California, bonding as a family and enjoying a budget friendly Disneyland vacation!

I started planning this trip a couple of years before it actually happened (planner by nature here!). We knew we wanted to go on a family vacation in a year or two and we knew that we wanted to save up for it slowly. Today I wanted to share with you the steps we took as we planned, saved, and explored California all while on a budget.

We spent a few nights in San Diego and a few nights in Anaheim. Today’s post will be all about our stay in Anaheim. Be sure to check out my post How we visited San Diego on a Budget to read about our few days in San Diego.

Disney Savings Plan

First, we set our budget. We wanted to spend less than $5,000 on the trip. Once the budget was set we developed an aggressive 52 week savings plan. I pinned this chart up on my wall to keep me focused and excited as I saved little by little each week and got to cross off each week as our Disney fund grew.

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.

Hotel

Once we had our savings plan set I began researching hotels. Daily I checked travel websites and read review after review of different hotels. We needed a hotel large enough to sleep our family of five, one that included an in-room microwave and fridge, free hotel breakfast and the kids requested a pool. 🙂

I was thrilled to find a great deal and exactly what we wanted in Springhill Suites Anaheim Maingate. We purchased the hotel through Get Away Today as part of a Disney Vacation package. The kids loved that we had the pool to ourselves every single night.

Springhill Suites provided a huge breakfast each morning, they even had Nutella (my favorite!) for my toast. The room felt nice and spacious with two queen beds and a small couch (which turned into a bed) and desk. I think my favorite part of the room was the large closet where we could hang up our clothes and stash our suitcases. Don’t forget to grab my $10 off coupon from Get Away Today later in this post!

Tickets

Get Away Today is the absolute cheapest place to buy Disneyland tickets. Promise. I have searched and searched and could not find any cheaper than what Get Away Today offered.

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February 14, 2020 Update:

Disneyland just raised their prices effective immediately. However, if you purchase your Disneyland tickets through Get Away Today now through February 20 you can still get the 2019 ticket price! This will save you up to $75 per ticket!

You can use these tickets anytime throughout 2020. If you have plans to go to Disneyland this year, buy your tickets now through Get Away Today BEFORE the prices rise.

Plus, if you use code SweetFrugal you can get an extra $10 off a vacation package.

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We decided to spend two days at Disneyland and bought a one day at each park pass. This made it possible for us to spend an entire day at both Disneyland and California Adventure. The parks are each so large, I find it’s not worth the extra money to buy the park hopper ticket. These tickets were part of our hotel vacation package.

We are huge Harry Potter fans over here, so knew we had to include a one day pass to Universal Studios to our vacation package. It was the best day exploring Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you MUST visit Universal Studios. The attention to detail was incredible!

Transportation

Plane tickets for a family of five are pricey, so we decided to drive the 13 hours to California. I know that not everyone has this ability, but if you live within 15 hours driving distance, I highly recommend it!

Road trips can be a lot of fun! We made multiple sight seeing stops, listened to audio books, watched movies and played many car games.

While in Anaheim we decided to use the ART shuttle to take us to and from the Disneyland resort. The ticket prices for the shuttle was very reasonable as part of our package from Get Away Today.

It was so nice to just sit down on the shuttle and rest our tired feet after a long day playing at the park. The shuttle was always available for us with very little wait time and the ride to and from the hotel was short. Best decision ever!

Related: Over 20 Tricks for Travel on a Budget

Food

I’ll start off by saying that our family are not big foodies. We would rather spend money on experiences then food, so our way of eating at Disney might not be for everyone!

Before driving to California I packed up a cooler full of snacks and makings for sandwiches. Breakfast was provided by the hotel daily.

We packed sandwiches, bagels and snacks into the amusement parks with us every day. For dinner, we ate at budget friendly restaurants inside the parks. It was so handy having the snacks all packed into individual serving baggies, we whipped them out while standing in long lines and it helped keep the kids happy and occupied.

Below I listed a few of our favorite budget friendly places to eat while inside the parks.

Disneyland

Bengal Barbeque: The Bengal Barbeque has really tasty meat and vegetable skewers for under $5!

Cafe Orleans: Cafe Orleans is not your cheapest option, but I had heard so many great things about the Monte Cristo Sandwich I decided to include it in our food budget.

This delicious Monte Cristo Sandwich is only served at the Blue Bayou and Cafe Orleans. The sandwich is the exact same at both restaurants, but $7 dollars cheaper at Cafe Orleans. So, if you want to try the sandwich do it at Cafe Orleans!

We also decided to split the sandwich between my husband and I and then we split a plate of kids Mac and Cheese between my three kids. Splitting between the three kids was a little small, next time I would buy two kids orders to split. For the five of us we spent about $30. Which is the most we spent on a meal the entire trip, but totally worth it to me to get to taste that delicious cheesy Monte Cristo Sandwich!

Rancho Del Zocalo: Rancho Del Zocalo offers delicious food with very generous servings. This is another great option for splitting an entree.

California Adventure

Cozy Cone Motel: Cozy Cone Motel is a fun little walk up window restaurant with different snack options that can be easily turned into a small meal. We ordered a couple of chili cone quesos and they were so good and so satisfying, and under $10! Yay!

Pacific Wharf Cafe: Pacific Wharf Cafe has great soup and salads each for around $11. My favorite is Broccoli and Cheese soup served in their famous Sour Bread Bowl. So GOOD!

Universal Studios

We weren’t to adventurous while eating at Universal Studios. After looking through a different locations we finally settled on lunch at Panda Express, which is located at the bottom lot. It was a good, affordable option!

Souveniers

A month before we left on our vacation I printed off some play money and told my kids that they will need to do chores in order to earn money to buy souvenirs while on our vacation.

They each earned around $25. We told them that this was their money to spend however they wanted, but once it was gone it was gone. This honestly helped us to not impulse buy while in the park. We all had our limit and we stuck to it.

Disney Saving Hacks

I have a great savings hack for all the Target shoppers out there! Target has Disney Gift Cards available to buy and these can be used within the park. If you use your Target Red Card you get an automatic 5% off all purchases, and this counts toward gift cards too! I didn’t try it, but I think it is genius!

Another hack which saved us huge on booking the vacation was paying with it with our Discover Card.

We like to use our Discover Credit Card (and pay it off IMMEDIATELY) for big purchases like traveling. I explained all about it in my blog post titled The one idea I disagree with Dave Ramsey on.

Discover will sometimes give 5% cashback towards travel purchases. So, after I had enough saved for our vacation I waited for the 5% cashback offer. Once Discover offered the deal, I purchased our vacation package. In this case I was given around $200 cashback. A great deal!

Coupon Code

If you are looking into planning a family vacation on a budget Get Away Today will give each of my readers $10 off a vacation package when you use the code SweetFrugal at checkout. This makes their awesome deals even sweeter!!

How to fix a broken budget.

How To Get Your Budget Back On Track

1. Stop Unnecessary Spending

2. Track Your Spending

3. Use Cash Envelopes

4. Give Yourself A Reward

5. Return Recent Purchases You Don’t Need

6. Sell Clutter In Your Home

7. Use An Accountability Partner

8. Focus On Your Goals

You Got This!

Related Articles:

Pin this Article For Future Reference:

Follow these simple steps to get your budget back on track, for good!

How to get your spouse to budget when they don’t want to.

Tips For Budgeting As A Couple

1. Communicate

2. Make it Fun

2. No blaming

3. Be Willing to Compromise

4. Personal Spending Money

5. Be the Example

6. Celebrate the Wins

7. Make a Plan Together

When Nothing Works

Related Articles:

Pin For Later:

I hope this gave you some good tips about budgeting as a couple.

Visiting San Diego on a Budget.

Family Trip To San Diego

Coronado Beach

Sea World

My One Regret….

Related Articles:

Pin this article for your next trip:

I hope you enjoyed reading more about our family trip to San Diego.

The best frugal tips for visiting Disneyland!

Disney Savings Plan

Hotel

Tickets

Transportation

Food

Disneyland

California Adventure

Universal Studios

Souveniers

Disney Saving Hacks

Coupon Code

I know you can have a wonderful Budget Friendly Disneyland Vacation!