Search Results for: blog the dirty word budget

Monthly Budgeting

I’ve always been pretty good with money. From the time I was little I was never one to rush out and spend what little money I had. I’d save all my pennies until I had enough for what I really wanted and then I’d start saving for the next thing on my list. Now as a single parent sticking to my budget has become even more important. For most of us there is very little money left over at the end of the month. Saving can be a real challenge when there is nothing left to save. Bills have to … Continue reading →

Budget Should Not Be A Dirty Word

I have been pretty fortunate as a single mother. Most of the time I’ve been single I’ve had a good job that has allowed me not to worry about how I was going to pay the bills. It wasn’t like that at first, when I first got divorced I didn’t even have a car, but things got better. Now, due to some pay cuts I’ve taken at work, things are looking a little scarier. Add to that a few emergencies, a major vet bill and an emergency car repair, and my savings account is non existent. Not having that cushion … Continue reading →

The Money Saving Mom’s Budget

When it comes to frugal living, fresh inspiration is often hard to find. Oh sure, we do what we can, from attempting a budget to washing out baggies in order to save money. Often, the problem, though, is that we aren’t armed with a solid start to finish plan. Crystal Paine’s book, The Money Saving Mom’s Budget gives you that plan, and explains the importance behind each step. I haven’t seen anything this good since Amy Dacyczyn’s The Tightwad Gazette, a book on frugal living that has now pretty much obtained cult status. Paine’s book, however, is updated with more … Continue reading →

Do you Need a Budget if you’re not Strapped for Cash?

The day I found out I was pregnant with my first child, my mind started racing with all sorts of plans and thoughts. Of course, one on my main concerns involved money and the costs associated with a new baby. I also strongly desired to quit my job, take an extended leave, or work part-time as a new mom. I wasn’t sure what my options actually were, so I immediately began to analyze our finances. I have to admit, I had never had a budget before this time. Amazing all the ways becoming a parent changes you! Immediately I began … Continue reading →

Budgets and Diets

For me, a budget is much like a diet. You start off motivated with a new plan and then it loses its luster and you are back off of it. Some call it yo-yo dieting, in this case, we will call it yo-yo budgeting. Whether it is a diet or a budget, the general concept is to control calories or spending enabling you to lose weight or manage your money. One of the reasons so many diets fail is the initial excitement wears off and the process becomes too time consuming. This can also be true of a budget. The … Continue reading →

Envelopes Budgets

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A friend of mine came up with this simple budgeting scheme and I just had to share. It is a perfectly easy way to plan your expenditures each month and ensure you stick to them. I call it an Envelopes Budget. The process is simple. Start by tracking your expenses each month to get an idea of where your money is going (this is good to do anyway!) Once you have a basic plan, put a budget into place. Start by creating large categories for each expense and an appropriate budget amount, examples would be: *Groceries *Entertainment *Utilities *Gas *Rent … Continue reading →

The Dirty Word – Budget

Say budget in a small gathering of your friends and you’ll likely hear a bunch of groans and sighs. The word itself is likely to stop any party dead and most of us find it pretty dang boring to think of setting up a budget. Why oh why should we be expected to control and keep track of our money if our government can’t seem to do it? What if our neighbor seems to be really happy living a million dollar lifestyle on a $100,000.00 a year salary? It’ll catch up. I warn you, living beyond your means – or … Continue reading →

Hotels Stealing a Priceless Commodity

Not your Louis Vuitton luggage, your precious tech toys or the treasured stuffed souvenirs you spent three hours trying to win during your trip to the amusement park.  Some hotels are taking something far more valuable from unsuspecting guests–their health. According to a new study, if you are spending the night in a nonsmoking room at a hotel with a partial smoking ban, you are not fully protected from harmful exposure to so-called “third-hand” smoke.  Researchers at San Diego State University discovered that tobacco pollution can easily congregate on surfaces in both smoking and nonsmoking hotel rooms. “Our findings demonstrate … Continue reading →

Save on Vacation Stays

Many travelers believe the best way to save on vacation accommodations is to bid online for the cheapest price. Turns out there are a slew of ways you can book a vacation stay without worrying about someone else’s low-ball price proposal. Farmstay: You’ve heard of housestays, where you can crash in someone’s spare bedroom during your travels, but what about farmstays? This alternative to expensive hotel rooms is one of the cheapest lodging options out there right now. Don’t let the name fool you; prior farm experience is not needed to take advantage of the affordable accommodations. In other words, … Continue reading →

End-of-Summer Mom Savers

Kids in Hawaii started the new school year last Monday. Meanwhile, my pal in Atlanta just told me her kids head back to class tomorrow. Are you ready to say so long to summer? I’m not! I am dreading the back-to-school blues, including packing lunches, ironing uniforms, looking for missing shoes as the bus sits at the end of the driveway, and fighting with kids about going to bed when the sun is still shining brightly at 7:30 p.m. Still, if there is an upside to back-to-school, it’s got to be the sales. Not the ones on school supplies; rather, … Continue reading →