A year ago we took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course and it changed the way we look at our finances forever.
We went from eating out a ton, buying unnecessary things, and constantly wondering where our money went at the end of the month to giving each dollar we have a name and a place.
We cut up all our cards, only use cash for purchases, create budgeting worksheets that show us exactly where our money goes, and we thinking more about saving than spending.
While all those things are essential to maintain our budget, we have found that a majority of our success has come from putting into practice a few key habits when it comes to budgeting. Here are my top five budget tips to get you in the habit of saving money!
1. Eat what you have. This concept has helped us soooo much when it comes to making meals. We eat what we have in the fridge, pantry, or freezer and regularly do a big freezer stock up and don't fill it up again until it is literally empty. Actually, right now we are finishing up week two of eating dinner from things we have in the cabinets and fridge. Sure it means that sometimes we eat weird food combinations (hello tacos with mashed potatoes- what?!) or things that may not create the most gourmet meal, but it definitely has saved us hundreds of dollars and helps us to keep our kitchen shelves empty without boxes of stuff from who-knows-when ;)
2. Buy on clearance & don't be afraid to coupon. Nothing gets me more excited than those red clearance stickers at Target! HA! We literally only buy clothing, accessories, kids stuff, electronics, etc. on clearance unless something is a vital necessity and is only offered at full price. Usually, we also stack coupons or discounts (my personal favorite is the Cartwheel app from Target) on top of clearance prices to get extremely good deals. Couponing websites such as Hip2Save and PocketYourDollars have also really helped us with finding out where the best deals are and I browse them every time before we hit a store! This trick I can guarantee will put a few extra bucks back in your bank.
3. Shop out of season. I seriously bought Emersyn's entire wardrobe for this fall at the end of last winter. I grabbed a pile of 3 pants, 6 tops, 1 dress, 2 sweatshirts, a 4.99 winter coat, a pair of snow pants, a cute furry vest, and a pair of warm pajamas at my beloved Target for $61.49! Yes- 16 pieces of clothing for less than $65! That's new clothes at even better than garage sale prices! If you are aware of what season your child needs clothes for and can guess what size they will be by that time, I totally think shopping out of season is essential to clothing your family on the cheap! My favorite places for amazing clearance finds are Target, Gap, and Old Navy.
4. Tackle your debt before it tackles you. Debt can be such a burden for so many families. I mean who doesn't have student loans, medical bills, home mortgage payments, car payments... the list goes on! It is almost inevitable that debt will find its way to us at some point; however we can change our response to it. Instead of just getting by with minimum payments that seem to never even put a dent in that number with two many 0's at the end of it, try to pay over and above. Whenever you have extra money (from a bonus/garage sale/etc), pay down your debt. If your income allows, consciously make a payment that is over what is due. These two tactics will help you release yourself from the bondage of debt and once that debt is gone, it will feel like you got a raise!
5. Find ways to do things cheaper. This has actually become a fun game for me! I am always looking for how I can accomplish a basic need for less money. For example, grocery shopping at places like Aldi and Trader Joes have saved us a ton especially on produce. We stock up on meats and canned/boxed goods at Costco. We stockpile deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, cosmetics, etc. when there is a good deal plus coupons. We got rid of household unnecessary items like dryer sheets, use less paper towels and use microfiber washable cloths for cleaning, and purchased a Roku for our TV so we don't pay for cable. Little things like this can add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars in savings over time! Finding the things you can live without in your home and getting rid of them or even just shopping somewhere else can save you big bucks.
Friends, tell me your best budgeting tips!
I am always excited to learn about deals/websites/strategies that I didn't know about before!
If this is an area that you are struggling with, I also highly recommend taking Financial Peace University. It will change you and your family's LIFE!
Xoxo,
D
1. Eat what you have. This concept has helped us soooo much when it comes to making meals. We eat what we have in the fridge, pantry, or freezer and regularly do a big freezer stock up and don't fill it up again until it is literally empty. Actually, right now we are finishing up week two of eating dinner from things we have in the cabinets and fridge. Sure it means that sometimes we eat weird food combinations (hello tacos with mashed potatoes- what?!) or things that may not create the most gourmet meal, but it definitely has saved us hundreds of dollars and helps us to keep our kitchen shelves empty without boxes of stuff from who-knows-when ;)
2. Buy on clearance & don't be afraid to coupon. Nothing gets me more excited than those red clearance stickers at Target! HA! We literally only buy clothing, accessories, kids stuff, electronics, etc. on clearance unless something is a vital necessity and is only offered at full price. Usually, we also stack coupons or discounts (my personal favorite is the Cartwheel app from Target) on top of clearance prices to get extremely good deals. Couponing websites such as Hip2Save and PocketYourDollars have also really helped us with finding out where the best deals are and I browse them every time before we hit a store! This trick I can guarantee will put a few extra bucks back in your bank.
3. Shop out of season. I seriously bought Emersyn's entire wardrobe for this fall at the end of last winter. I grabbed a pile of 3 pants, 6 tops, 1 dress, 2 sweatshirts, a 4.99 winter coat, a pair of snow pants, a cute furry vest, and a pair of warm pajamas at my beloved Target for $61.49! Yes- 16 pieces of clothing for less than $65! That's new clothes at even better than garage sale prices! If you are aware of what season your child needs clothes for and can guess what size they will be by that time, I totally think shopping out of season is essential to clothing your family on the cheap! My favorite places for amazing clearance finds are Target, Gap, and Old Navy.
4. Tackle your debt before it tackles you. Debt can be such a burden for so many families. I mean who doesn't have student loans, medical bills, home mortgage payments, car payments... the list goes on! It is almost inevitable that debt will find its way to us at some point; however we can change our response to it. Instead of just getting by with minimum payments that seem to never even put a dent in that number with two many 0's at the end of it, try to pay over and above. Whenever you have extra money (from a bonus/garage sale/etc), pay down your debt. If your income allows, consciously make a payment that is over what is due. These two tactics will help you release yourself from the bondage of debt and once that debt is gone, it will feel like you got a raise!
5. Find ways to do things cheaper. This has actually become a fun game for me! I am always looking for how I can accomplish a basic need for less money. For example, grocery shopping at places like Aldi and Trader Joes have saved us a ton especially on produce. We stock up on meats and canned/boxed goods at Costco. We stockpile deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, cosmetics, etc. when there is a good deal plus coupons. We got rid of household unnecessary items like dryer sheets, use less paper towels and use microfiber washable cloths for cleaning, and purchased a Roku for our TV so we don't pay for cable. Little things like this can add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars in savings over time! Finding the things you can live without in your home and getting rid of them or even just shopping somewhere else can save you big bucks.
Friends, tell me your best budgeting tips!
I am always excited to learn about deals/websites/strategies that I didn't know about before!
If this is an area that you are struggling with, I also highly recommend taking Financial Peace University. It will change you and your family's LIFE!
Xoxo,
D
What's roku?
ReplyDeleteJessica it is a streaming device that allows you to get TV through wifi via things like Netflix and Hulu, we love it!!
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