Budgets scare me. I know. silly, considering my blog name is Bubs Under Budget. I guess I never had a problem with my $50 budget, because I always knew I could go over. It wasn't a big deal if I did.
A little challenge for me, that wasn't that big a deal if I didn't do it one week. They scare me because they are so black and white. Or black and red, as it may be. It is so in your face about where you lack self control to not spend you money. Or maybe that's just how I see it?
The thing is, I know my weakness. Ironically, (remember the 50 budget) it's grocery shopping. I LOVE wandering the isles, imagining up all sorts of foods I could create for lunches and dinners and snacks. Which wouldn't be a problem... IF we hadn't moved into my parent's house to save money and pay off debt. Sooooo while I guess I have the money to wander the isles, I definitely shouldn't.
If I don't wander the isles, I can avoid the confectionery one. Full of tempting chocolatey goodness, musk stick sweetness and guilt reducing health and fitness magazines at the other end. I could avoid the baking isle so I don't pick up chocolate chips just in case I feel like baking. Or cake mixes because they are on special.
Look at that. I'm avoiding my budget and I don't even have my wallet on me!
So, the deal is (without being to specific) we have about $33,000 debt. $27,000 of that, I'm ok with. ($24,000 being a car with 2.9% interest that will be paid off in 4 years and $3000 of that being 50 months interest free, which will obviously be paid off during that time.)
The $6000, I'm not ok with. Because there is no reason we should have it... Credit cards.
They seem like such a good idea at the time, but it's just a big trap. Even if you get one just in case. It never ends up being just in case. There'll be a situation that you don't have the money on you, so it goes on the card. And there it starts.
ANY WAY.
So, we've done all the maths. We've written down what is incoming and outgoing.
And you know what? I think when you have less money, you spend less money. That's how it seems to work with us anyway.
If we have some extra money, it's as if we feel we can relax a little bit, which in turn has us spending extra, so that we end up dipping into the usual money that's already allocated. (made possible by said credit card).
Fingers crossed we stick to our budget this time. I want to have our savings for a house.
Do you have a budget? Do you struggle to stick to it??
And yes, I realise it's a little bit sad that grocery shopping is the thing I usually struggle to contain my spending on. I enjoy cooking, ok?
We're not poor... But if I don't stop spending we probably will be
About Me
- tattoomummy
- 23 year old going on 50. I take my carry basket to the farmers markets every week and Avoid getting a tan at all costs. I also have lots of tattoos. Two beautiful children and a "Hubby". And an obsession with cooking - moving into a place that doesn't have an oven...
I love wandering around the grocery store..So I try not to go there more than a couple of times a week. If you're not there, you can't spend money on food you don't need. Which is generally what always happens when I go in to get one thing. I find it hard to leave woolies without spending at least $20. Even if I only go in for milk!
ReplyDeleteAmy - Totally understand the just gong in for milk thing! I usually end up buying chocolate if I duck in for milk (they are so clever with the placement of these things!) So I try to go in with only the $3 I'll need! lol
ReplyDeleteJon and I just put together The Grid -- our budget spreadsheet. Google Docs makes this convenient for us; we can access it anywhere in the world from either one of our Google accounts on a computer or smartphone. The annoying thing is looking at the stupid thing.
ReplyDeleteI feel so flabbergasted that you manage to feed the four of you on $200 a month, when our monthly food budget for the two of us is $500! For me it's always excuses. "I'm too tired to cook, I work full time, too, you know!" "I have no inspiration, it'd just be Mac N Cheese anyway, let's go out for something nice." "It'd just be a big mess in the kitchen to clean up, let's not bother."
I know I SHOULD cook at home more, I LOVE cooking, and when I was a stay-at-home wife, I cooked practically all day long; lovely baked cakes and pies and cookies and muffins, and for dinner, we'd have well-balanced meals. Loved making up Jon's lunchbox for work the next day. Now that I'm at work all the time, I've got no energy for it, and it's a pity. My energy goes down, our food bill goes up. :(
I totally understand the struggle with the grocery bill, that's the area that I love to spend money on too. There is nothing I love more than concocting wonderful meals in my imagination as I wander around the supermarket...bliss! We have a brand new budget to stick to as we are also in the position of desperately trying to pay off debt. It's not much fun is it?
ReplyDeleteAfter years of practice (and me hounding the husband, who's the spender in the relationship) we don't do too badly with our budget these days. We do come a bit unstuck with the groceries though - we love to eat too much! And good, healthy food seems to cost an insane amount.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the "when you have less money, you spend less money" - that's definitely how it is in our house!
ReplyDeleteWe don't really have a budget, but generally I meal plan and each fortnight I'll figure how much money to allocate to meals and the grocery shopping. Other than that, we pay bills after the groceries are done and then put most of the remaining money in our savings.