Were Taking The Challenge

[AndersonGal]

The Challenge is to the Budget.
The Goal is $300 less going out or reduced by bringing extra in.

Anybody else ever give this method a try?

Anybody else up for the challenge (amount based upon your budget)?

[rafala]

did you actually sign up somewhere to figure out how much you should reduce by? or did you just come up with a figure? I keep a semi-budget, more of a spending idea sheet so i know where we are spending money and I know where i need to reduce. I hope to start in August.

karen


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[AndersonGal]

I blew it BIG TIME this month!!!!!!!
We'll just have to try again.

Actually my dh keeps our budget on a spreadsheet on his computer so we can see where every $ is going. He fought the idea for years and now he wouldnt abandon it for anything.
Men!

Let me know how you do in August.
I won't worry about it till September.
Vacation in August.
But I have a feeling the number will much higher he'll want to reduce by.

Money SHOULD grow on trees, gosh darn it!!!

[3tbear]

I don't have a budget, but I do watch my spending. If I want something it has to be the right price, and if it's not, I don't buy it.
What the consumer buys can drive the prices up or down on a product. If there is demand for the product and people keep buying it, the price will go up. If something is overpriced and we don't give in and buy it, eventually the price has to come down to sell the product.


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[cujo0123]

Unfortunatly, I have cut every unnecessary expense out of my budget. I wish I could find another way to spend less.

[AndersonGal]

I'm pretty good at finding a deal and cutting out useless spending.

But, dh saw buying me a new car as being better/cheaper than a divorce and I saw it as mental health insurance. You can go BONKERS in a new area without transportation, people you know and an OLD OLD house to work on. Besides, *IF* I ever decide to go back to WORK-WORK (dirty word in my book) I'll be set.

Cujo, if you can't find another way to spend less.............
it's time to bring in more.


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[rafala]

i have a budget on the compture as well but i dont have it as specific as i used to. other years when i did it i would try to put walmart/target in one category and things just started getting too hard, like my occassional purchase from joanns and occassional checks to places. so this year i did one that is MC, Visa, Discover, BGE (gas and elec), Water, Phone, Mortgage, Checks, Withdrawls, etc and I keep track of those things and how much comes in and how much is in the checking and saving as of the 1st of each month. I have been so up and down all year it is ridiculous. we are better now than we were at the beginning of the year but i would like a more consistent income/expenditure. so i have set up limits for each card, for myself, and designated where each will be spent. one card is for target/walmart, one for gas and groceries, one for sams/bjs. plus i have figured out a little extra each month to cover costs that come up during the year. this month credit expenses will be higher than normal becuase we have back to school shopping and we are closing on our refinancing but if i can stay with the #'s i have i will be happy will let you know in september how i am doing

karen - who is very poor with budgeting in the summer when the kids are home


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[cujo0123]

I wish I could bring in more but nobody will hire me because of health reasons and my bf's only income is disability I'm trying to sell stuff on ebay and do all the surveys that pay and stuff but that is about all I can do right now. Oh well, good luck you guys!!


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[AndersonGal]

I understand.
With my fibromyalgia, I should be on disability.
Instead I just do what I can when I feel up to it.

Maybe a little Mystery Shopping (seems to be plenty of shops) would be fun and add a little income?

[sdlee]

I was going to suggest Mystery Shopping too. You work as an independent contractor and pick what jobs you do. There are a lot of them that don't require a purchase, so you aren't out any money while you wait for them to pay you.

Good places to research shops and get free info are:

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I'm trying to cut down expenses this summer too. I'm not sure if I have $300 that I can cut out though! So far this month I've canceled my $15 DVDBarn membership (like Netflix) and I'm canceling a weird $15 charge on my internet provider's bill. I stocked up on $1.49 steak and chicken at the beginning of the month when the holiday sales were happening. Hopefully that will help keep my grocery bills down for a bit. We don't eat out much (except for mystery shops) so nothing to cut there! What are you guys cutting out of your budgets?


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[rafala]

mostly impulse shopping at wal-mart and target I am really bad about going and picking up things cause they are on sale but i dont really need them. hopefully if i can put each card for a store and keep to a limit i should be able to do alrigh. of course i hate my vacuum cleaner right now and i am looking at an oreck which would add $30 a month for 12 months

karen


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[AndersonGal]

Originally posted by sdlee
I I'm trying to cut down expenses this summer too. I'm not sure if I have $300 that I can cut out though!

What are you guys cutting out of your budgets?



[/b]

I'm not sure I'll find where I can or want to make the cuts either.
Here are some of the things I do that may give others ideas.

~I only spend $50 a week at the grocery. But I'm usually so well stocked that I can skip a week now and then.

~Cutting out eating out on weekends down to one day instead of two. I need at least ONE day off from cooking.

~ No cable for now. Have antenna and watch a few *free* channels. (Family mostly watches PAX and likes it.)

~Were getting back into Mystery Shopping. DH just did 2 gas shops last night. Took no time at all. I also added days I could work as a Store Demonstrator. Actually, it's fun.

Anybody else have *cutting out/down* or *bring more in* ideas to share with everyone?

[rafala]

big money saver

stop going to the internet and retail deals forum on DOD I have actually done a better job of ignoring the posts that i dont really need, even though they are great deals. Like the tupperware, the deals are great and I know tupperware is fantastic but I dont use it, as the box i have hidden in my bedroom attests to

I have to learn to curb myself in general spending. it is too easy for me to pick up something at target because it is on sale. I was there last night and almost picked up a cute hate becuase it was on sale for $2.98. but i dont wear hats and i really didnt need one to go to the beach so after walking around the store i put it back and left it may only be $3 but that adds up when you find 5 or 6 items like that each time you go.

when i get back from vacation, or maybe when the kids start school again i am going to go through all my junk and start ebaying things. its not a long term fix but i could bring in a few bucks and i will clean out some areas of my house as well

karen


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You will recieve a $10.00 ecoupon towards your next purchase at tupperware by email if you spend $40 or more at tupperware.com

~~~SO BE SURE TO ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AT CHECKOUT SO YOU DON'T MISS OUT!!~~~should arrive within 2 weeks of when you place your order

this offer ends August 9th.



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[rafala]

just got a nice check from the government, guess i dont need to worry about my august budget just kidding. I am going to try to keep in my limits and see what happens.

I have gone through my freezer and I wrote down all the meats i have in there. I am going to try to use everything up that is in there this month and then start again in september. maybe i will try putting a list on the side of the fridge so i can remember what is in there.

karen


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[3tbear]

I've stopped bidding on ebay, that's a real money saver for me.


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