arsimony
I found this word today and didn't know what it meant so I looked it up. "extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources."
This is me at times. ok, maybe not to the extreme that the definition suggests. My husband once explained my budgeting and finance rituals to my therapist. She found another word for it. "Anal". We all agreed that if it didn't cause any problems then my anal approach to our finances was completely ok. It is something that gives me a since of security.
I admit, Im human and sometimes all my budget efforts go out the window. Either due to overspending or life throwing us a curve ball. Thats when I need to sit down and find new ways to save, budget and stay on it. Or just put what has worked for us back into practice.
This is the case now. We have had three things eating at our finances.
I pinned it down a few weeks ago.
As I watched my husband slip 5 boxes of Mack and cheese into our grocery cart. Keep in mind this is the diet or life change he wanted. Truthfully my homemade Mack and cheese is better and healthier than the box stuff.
I saw the problem at this instant.
We were eating worse while trying to force our selves on a diet that was WAY too strict.
We were eating out excessively because there is nothing appealing to eat in the house.
Thats when I decided I was calling an end to this diet farce!
Unfortunately this has taken too long to see and our bank accounts look like Swiss cheese.
So back to getting things back into shape. I have started logging our receipts. writing down what is spent in each category.
There is no doubt that we are spending more on food and repairs than anything else.
The repairs are necessary. The food I can do something about.
Unfortunately this is a case where it takes money to save money. Bulking up on things like meat from our meat market rather than the store saves us quite a bit.
I compared prices with every place I could find in driving distance. The prices I found are cheaper than the grocery stores. The added benefit of buying our meat this way is less store runs. That equals less impulse buys.
For the next few days I am going to write some small posts about the ways we use to save. I know this is a very well covered subject in the blogging sphere but this blog is about my progress with finding my love for life and creating a life worth loving and you may find a few tips you don't usually see.
This is the case now. We have had three things eating at our finances.
- The cost of repairing my in-laws home,
- money spent due to the feeling of wanting time away from the house
- Since my husband wanted to go on the bullet proof diet we have spent tons on eating out.
I pinned it down a few weeks ago.
As I watched my husband slip 5 boxes of Mack and cheese into our grocery cart. Keep in mind this is the diet or life change he wanted. Truthfully my homemade Mack and cheese is better and healthier than the box stuff.
I saw the problem at this instant.
We were eating worse while trying to force our selves on a diet that was WAY too strict.
We were eating out excessively because there is nothing appealing to eat in the house.
Thats when I decided I was calling an end to this diet farce!
Unfortunately this has taken too long to see and our bank accounts look like Swiss cheese.
So back to getting things back into shape. I have started logging our receipts. writing down what is spent in each category.
There is no doubt that we are spending more on food and repairs than anything else.
The repairs are necessary. The food I can do something about.
Unfortunately this is a case where it takes money to save money. Bulking up on things like meat from our meat market rather than the store saves us quite a bit.
I compared prices with every place I could find in driving distance. The prices I found are cheaper than the grocery stores. The added benefit of buying our meat this way is less store runs. That equals less impulse buys.
For the next few days I am going to write some small posts about the ways we use to save. I know this is a very well covered subject in the blogging sphere but this blog is about my progress with finding my love for life and creating a life worth loving and you may find a few tips you don't usually see.
To see the posts check out the links below. Ill keep a list going here.
Day 1. how to save a little cash for what you really want!
Day 2. Sleep on it
Day 3. Services that pay you back
Day 2. Sleep on it
Day 3. Services that pay you back
A big thank you to Amanda from Running with spoons for sharing her "Thursdays are for thinking out loud" writing project with us. Share some love and pay her a visit.