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Does Budgeting Actually Cost You More Money?

Do you have a budget? Everyone says it is the best way to take control of your spending. Once you have spent your allotted amount for food, or gas, you’re done. Unfortunately it doesn’t always work like that. I read a study recently that said that people who have a budget can spend as much as 50% more than they were planning. This is said to be because budgeting starts in your mind. You are thinking constantly about what you can and cannot spend and that is what causes you to spend more. Many people who say they have a … Continue reading →

Budgeting a Large Purchase

Want a new big screen television to ring in the New Year? I don’t blame you; they are certainly all the rage. Plus, those after Christmas sales can be a way to save money on big ticket items. Still, no matter how good the sale, these sorts of purchases can’t come out of our normal miscellaneous expenses in our budget. The key is to find a way to buy what we want without disrupting our cash flow. There are three main ways to budget for a larger purchase, like a car or fancy television. Find the one that works best … Continue reading →

Say No To Impulse Purchases

Impulse buying is extremely difficult to conquer, with all the great deals, and fun items out there to have. However, if you are trying to live a frugal lifestyle, and save money and cut costs, it is probably one of the biggest money eaters there is. With meal plans, budgeting, shopping lists and more, there is really no logical reason, why one would continue to impulse buy. For instance, if it is not on your grocery list, and you see it in the store, you didn’t need it anyway. It was not a part of your meal plan, it was … Continue reading →

The Road to Zero Credit Card Debt

If you are like the tens of millions of Americans, who have racked up large credit card debt since the economy took a dive, you may be wondering how to dig yourself out of the abyss of hopelessness. Many financial experts advise against debt consolidation unless you can find a very low interest rate. Instead, their method of choice is to systematically and aggressively pay down the accounts beginning with the ones that have the highest interest rates. Regardless of what method you employ, financial experts warn that you will never truly be debt free unless you analyze your spending … Continue reading →

The High Price of Cute Kid Shots

For most parents, the sky’s the limit when it comes to budgeting for professional photos of their children. Of course, these days you almost have to dig deep if you want personalized pictures of your kids. Professional infant photography has come a long way since the days when naked babies were placed on bearskin rugs and mom and dad cooed in the corner as the photographer snapped a few cute shots. Today, baby photography is a sophisticated genre which aims to produce high-quality artistic images that will last for generations. Still, there are a slew of camera-wielding parents out there … Continue reading →

Seting Up a Budget in Excel

Let’s pretend that you have Microsoft Word, but you’re feeling a little terrified of Excel. However, you’re looking for a program that will help you set up a simple budget. If you already have Excel on your PC, it’s quite simple to use it as a budgeting program. While you can purchase or download other programs, I generally go with my familiar friend Excel. Here’s how to set up your budget. First, sit down with your significant other and write down all of your categories of spending. If you don’t know what you spend money on, get a notepad and … Continue reading →

Family Reunion Planning: Budgets, Venues, and Food

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In my last post, I talked about why someone might want to plan a family reunion. This post will discuss planning for the reunion budget, venue (location), and food. Budget Unless you have recently won the lottery, you are probably planning your family reunion on a limited budget. There are a number of websites that offer free budgeting worksheets for party (and reunion) planning. The first thing you need to do when planning a family reunion budget is to make a list of everything you will need to purchase or rent. Some items that may be included on your list … Continue reading →

Christmas Tree Savings

Very often when we are budgeting for Christmas, we think of the gifts and maybe the food. We usually leave out the cost of the Christmas tree and any extra lights or ornaments that may go with it. But the Christmas tree can be an expense to budget. As such, let us see how we can save the most money that we can. Buy what fits Buying only what fits can be applied to both live and artificial trees. Who hasn’t brought home a live tree only to discover that quite a few inches need to be lopped off once … Continue reading →

Emotional Spending

Why does spending money makes us feel better? For many, going shopping is a type of cure for the blues. Just like using food as a stress reliever can wreck havoc on our diets, using money to cure depression can destroy your budget. When the kids are whining at the store, do you promise them a new toy if they calm down? This is the beginning of teaching pleasure in spending. Stop it with yourself and your entire family. One of the fastest tips to cure the emotional spending bug is to not carry your cash or money with you, … Continue reading →

List of Financial Goals

As I was writing yesterday’s blog entry on setting your financial priorities, I started thinking about all the different financial goals we might have. I thought it would be helpful to list some, and invite my readers to add any more in the comments. Having a list to work from may also help you narrow down which of these apply most to you. Common Financial Goals: 1. Buy a house. 2. Save for retirement. 3. Retire early. 4. Quit work to stay at home with kids. 5. Take an extensive vacation – around the world, to Europe, etc. 6. Pay … Continue reading →