A year ago this time we had about twice as much income as we do now. We also had a lot more debt and a lot more savings, but that is not what this post is about.
I flipped open my book to the budget from a year ago. First of all, it is a chicken scratch mess and I can't really tell what I was thinking at the time, but I was mostly concerned with debt repayment and the food budget.
I trimmed the debt repayment. I know that doesn't SEEM right, but the debt repayment has to fit your current income not your income today. We started started off the year with two credit cards, the line of credit and a vehicle loan. I whittled away at the lowest credit card to pay it off and saved up enough to put against the vehicle and pay it off. I did it because I knew I would be able to make those payments now. The remaining credit card and line of credit are from the same place so only one creditor. This saves a minimum of $350/ month.
Food - my food budget started at $1200+ and I *KNEW* it would be hard to cut it drastically so I did it in stages. I cut to $900, then $800, then $700 and we are down to $500 now. I always give myself a couple practice months when I'm cutting back (and save the difference) so even though I was $69 over last month - I don't beat myself up about it. I think I'm close to $100 lower than I've EVER gone.
We eat a LOT of bulk whole grains, very little bread or pasta and whatever vegetables are on sale. This week it is yams... We are going to be eating a lot of yams in the next two weeks... :-)
We also eat mostly free meat from family. This time we had to go get it (hence the increased transportation costs) but it was an upright freezer full for about $30 so it was worth it. We only eat meat a couple times a week, at most. It's not meatless Monday - it is more like meaty Monday. ;-)
Transportation- We used to fill the gas tank every other month or so. Now we are filling every 3 or 4 months. We can't let it get too low in winter, obviously, or it won't start. I was buying a bus pass every month ($54) or pass pack three times a year ($162.) Lately I've been walking or staying home. I have tickets in case it is very cold or icy. I won't endanger myself to save $1.40, but when I can bundle up and walk I do. I've walked to work 94% of the month (so far.)
Entertainment- We never were big on entertainment, but we would usually do something like get pizza once a month or something like that. One time neighbour boy and his brother were over when we ordered. The pizza place called to make sure it was a real order and not kids playing around. No... it was real alright! =8-|
Our entertainment budget is now zero. We can get movies from the library and inter library loan or DD and her friends trade. The kids are buying their own computer games (used) instead of us buying them. Between books, pizza, movies and the occasional game for the kids we save about $100-$150/ month.
School- I used to buy things every month through out the year. This year I bought in September and we haven't gotten anything else.
Clothes- It was never very much ($25- 50,) but it is zero, now, too. We buy something when it is really needed and the item it is replacing is worn out. You can get a lot more wear out of clothes than you think you can! It helps that my kids are all bigger and not growing much. It also helps that the clothes horse is buying her own clothes!
Cell phone- first we put a hammer lock on DD's thumbs then 6 months later we severed the contracts (AND talked them out of the $300 fee to sever!) This is saving us between $50 and $150/ month.
Hobbies. It was $50, but I never spent that much every month. Some months it was $30 or zero or $70... $30-$50 was more the normal average. This is now, sadly, zero. All that buying did provide a fairly healthy stash and I don't really NEED anything. I helped Brown Bear make a card for his girlfriend in Australia. I didn't even KNOW I had stickers that say Happy Birthday. I would have bet money that I didn't, but I do. Why the HECK would I need to go to the store?!
We are in the process of getting rid of the home phone. Everyone in my life HATES it and it will save about $40/ month.
We are also in the process of getting rid of the satellite. That will save $60- $75/ month depending on the package we have at the time.
So that was basically it- I trimmed and trimmed and trimmed. We are also practicing using less. Sometimes stuff only has one more day left in it and you just use it for one more day. Sometimes it has one more day left in it- three times or ten times or twenty times.
Your efforts will be rewarded. :-)
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