January Goals 2014

I've been slacking, yes I know but I have been kinda busy with other things.  I painted the house for three days straight last week and somehow I forgot about my duty to post my spending.

Monday 3/11:  $36.37 Gas/Fuel

Tuesday 3/12:  $9.41 Panera Bread (emergency dinner)

Wednesday 3/13:  $88.48 Trader Joe's (groceries)  $27.60 USPS (stamps for resumes)  $123.56 Half.com (textbooks)  $219.75 Vet (Chloe's yearly exam/monthly shot/yearly vaccines)

Thursday 3/14:  NO SPENDING DAY

Friday 3/15:  NO SPENDING DAY

Saturday 3/16:  $43.14 Walmart (resume supplies and toiletries)

Sunday 3/17:  NO SPENDING DAY

Monday 3/18:  NO SPENDING DAY

Tuesday 3/19:  $12.15 Exxon (gas/fuel)

Wednesday 3/20:  $80.93 Walmart (groceries)  $10.59  PETCO (Chloe)

Thursday 3/21:  NO SPENDING DAY

Friday 3/22:  NO SPENDING DAY

Saturday 3/23:  NO SPENDING DAY

Sunday 3/24:  NO SPENDING DAY

Spending hasn't been too bad in general, but things are starting to get a little tighter as I feel the pressure of still being unemployed.  I managed to mail out 50 resumes over the past two weeks and so far have only heard from two firms to say they are not hiring right now.  I am going to continue to push and send out even more as the weeks go on and still enjoy my classes without worry.  Bernard and I are still maintaining two households even though I have spent the last two months here at his place.  The amount we both would save by condensing would be ridiculous, but I will continue to keep my place until we are engaged.  That's the deal that we've made for now although I will admit that as the money gets tighter it is frustrating to think that we could both save so much each per month by splitting all of our bills.  I am trying to now look at this time of being unemployed as a way to get rejuvenated, focus on myself, and get as healthy and fit as I want with minimum obstacles.  I watched two amazing documentaries this weekend so I will soon be sharing what I learned.  Tomorrow I will be blogging about green drinks and juicing so stay tuned.

Happy Spending Freeze!

No fancy graphic or heading needed, so here is the spending so far this month.

Friday 3/1:  $8.34 Panera Bread  $711 Rent  $90.37 Walmart groceries (split with the bf, so $45.19)

Saturday 3/2:  NO SPEND DAY

Sunday 3/3:  NO SPEND DAY

Monday 3/4:  $15.04 Gas-Fuel

Tuesday 3/5:  $9.95 Taxes  $50.00 Sallie Mae Student Loan  $70.00 Auto and Renter's Insurance  $57.55 Braves ticket for Blaine's April visit

Wednesday 3/6:  NO SPEND DAY

Thursday 3/7:  NO SPEND DAY

Friday 3/8:  $55.75 Walmart groceries (split with the bf, so $27.88)  $50.35 Amazon (computer ink and resume materials)

Saturday 3/9:  NO SPEND DAY

Sunday 3/10:  $36.37 Gas-Fuel  $23.02 Lowes (seeds for vegetable garden)

This week has been fairly good in terms of spending considering the extras like the veggie garden, baseball ticket, and resume materials.  I start more classes this week and I am so glad to have more of an agenda and schedule.

The best part about last week was that I got back to running and ran five days out of this past week and then on Saturday Bernard and I took Chloe Mae to Stone Mountain Park.  Not only was it fun because we took our sweet dog, but we packed a picnic and were physically active.

I also just got my tax refund back via direct deposit today so I did a little dance because that's about 6 weeks of additional living expenses added to what I already have.  All of that said....girlfriend needs a job.  Being unemployed is nice yes, but I am anxious to get some income coming in so I can toast that student loan debt and start saving money for a new car I would like to buy next year.

Happy Spending Freeze!

This past week was a wrap up on a very short month.  I am ready for March to be here for a few reasons...Easter, Daylight Savings Time, and hopefully Spring.  I am going to even get a head start on my container garden this year and plant some seeds indoors to transplant later.  Here's the breakdown:

Tuesday 2/19:  $34.51 Walmart (groceries)

Wednesday 2/20:  NO SPEND DAY

Thursday 2/21:  NO SPEND DAY

Friday 2/22:  $75.00 Cell Phone

Saturday 2/23:  NO SPEND DAY

Sunday 2/24:  NO SPEND DAY

Monday 2/25:  $48.99  Amazon (chloe's dogfood)

Tuesday 2/26:  $29.05  Electric (utilities)

Wednesday 2/27:  $15.02  Gas (fuel)

Thursday 2/28:  $101.00 Gas (utilities)

All in all this month was great even with a few extra expenses.  Since I am still unemployed and grinding away to find a job and continue with school money is still incredibly tight.  My goal for March is to keep up the last month of the spending fast and spend as little as possible.  I have the Color Run 5K the first weekend in April and my sister and her boyfriend will be in town that same weekend.  We want to go to a Braves/Cubs game and enjoy them being here, so I hope I can land a job, get through the difficult classes, and be able to not feel guilty about spending a little extra while they are here.

Budget:  $1,568

Actual:  $1,515.65

Under Budget by $52.35

Here's to Spring and a happy Spending Freeze!

Spending Freeze Report: Week 2

Spending Freeze Report: Week 1

Spending Freeze Report: Week 5

Since my boyfriend and I started the Spending Freeze at the beginning of January things have started to change when it comes to how we both look at money.  The biggest takeaway so far is the power of no and being able to say no when we feel tempted to spend or feel pressured from an outside source to compromise our financial goals.  We have been able to say no to eating out, traveling, going to the movies, and extra items at the grocery store.

The power of no in a certain way is actually quite liberating because it allows you to control your finances and realize where you want your money to go.  Financial priorities are important because it allows you to focus on what is important to you instead of just letting those little slips happen.  Sometimes it feels difficult to say no to things you would have previously said yes to but realistically I don't feel like I am sacrificing much by doing so.



Maybe you feel guilty from telling your friends that you don't want to go to a fancy place and spend money on drinks or maybe you feel like these relationships will suffer from your decision to not over indulge.  Here are some tips:

1.  Figure out who your true friends are.  Basically all I am saying is that the people how really care about you will understand and respect your decisions to not throw money away on things that don't meet your list of financial priorities.  Also,  refrain from letting "associates or acquaintances" dictate what you should be spending money on.  A true friend will also meet you where you are.

2.  Find ways to hang out and visit friends that doesn't involve spending anything or is very inexpensive.  Meet at a friends house for a potluck or series premiere of a television show you both watch, go on a walk, meet for drinks at someone's house before going to dinner or research restaurants that offer discounts or specials if you simply must eat out.  Anna Newell Jones has some awesome ideas of things to do instead of spend money.  Websites like Groupon, Living Social, and Scout Mob are all great places to start for deals in your area if you can't completely slash eating out or events.

3.  See if you have a fellow frugal friend.  Maybe one of your friends wants to start a spending freeze or limit what they spend, by teaming up not only do you gain an accountability partner but you can also have an ally when it comes to everyone making plans for the weekend.

4.  Use moderation and set limits.  If you know that it will be impossible to stop going out to eat with your friends or doing other things that can add expense to your budget then set a limit.  Maybe instead of doing something a couple times a week do something once a week or wait until the weekend.  If your crew likes the weekend scene, see if you can look for deals or promos that will help you save some dough or meet up for brunch or lunch which are usually cheaper than dinner and drinks.  Give yourself a budget for each outing so you have an easier time staying within your monthly goal.

5.  Feel good in your choice.  If saving money or paying down debt is important to you then DO NOT let anyone waiver your decision to put your financial priorities on hold.  Remember only you know your finances and there is nothing wrong with you choosing to abstain from expenses that are not necessity in order to make your goals a reality.

Often times we charge things to a credit card start paying it off months later and have no idea what was so important at the time that we couldn't spend the cash on it then...it's time to take control.

The power of no is about empowerment!  Even now that I am unemployed I am not too worried about finances because I have managed to pump up my savings and get my budget down to the bare essentials.

The important point to realize is that by saying no to certain things you are able to say yes to others like paying down debt, saving, and planning where your money goes.  Maybe your goal is to pay off all your credit card debt and start saving to buy a new car or go on a fancy vacation.  By saying no to a pair of to die for heels or not hitting Starbucks a couple times a week, you are able to say yes to slashing that debt and freeing yourself.

Saying yes to taking control and utilizing the power of no will not only help you better control your money, but will also leave you empowered with your priorities.  You can do it!

Spending Freeze Report: Week 4

Spending Freeze Report: Week 3

Spending Freeze Report: Week 2

Spending Freeze Report: Week 1

Today has been day four of our Spending Freeze and here are a few things we have been doing to stay on track and do things right from the beginning.

1.  Write down each expenditure daily and log it on a calendar in a place where you will see it daily.  We printed this one from The Twinery and taped it to the front of my refrigerator.  This makes it easy to see days where no spending occurs.

...bubbles...

...and more bubbles...

2.  We have decided to run errands on Sunday this week which has resulted in inventive uses of things we would normally not go without...like putting dishwashing soap in the dish washer.  Yes,  there lots and lots and lots of bubbles.



3.  Print out a budgeting spreadsheet(s) that will help you see what you project to spend, what you actually spend, and the difference.  This is also a good way to see your bills and your financial goals.  Here are a few different guides to help:

Build a Budget Worksheet

Spending Worksheet

Financial Goals Sheet

Debt Load Worksheet

Dave Ramsey Budget Sheets

I hope these tips will help you realize that you can make your spending dreams (or lack thereof) possible.  Believe in what you are doing and know that while things may be difficult they will always be worth it.

Since my honey and I will be embarking on a Spending Freeze in just a few days we are starting to gear up and prep for this big decision.  We are spending New Year's Eve with two of my coworkers and their girlfriends in a cabin in the remote community of Blue Ridge, Georgia.  I can't wait for the trip and we are viewing it as a last "woo-rah" before we cut our extra spending completely.  I would also like to point that we agreed and paid for this trip before we decided to embark on this journey.

Here are a few things we have been doing to gear up for the spending freeze:

1.  Make a BUDGET!  This may seem simple but it's not easy to account for everything, even expenses that only occur on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis.  Add a budget for additional expenses like oil changes and work that in to the monthly basis.

2.  Set up a separate account for extra income that you receive.  This is a Dave Ramsey tip and will be an account for items such as tax refunds, overtime, and any unused money from the monthly budget.  This account can be used as savings for emergencies or used to liquidate debt.

3.  Make a Needs vs. Wants List to have a better handle on things you are willing to spend money on.

4.  Trim your budget to reflect the needs side of your list.  This may include cutting cable television off completely to save over $700 a year like I will be doing at the end of my billing cycle or cutting your cell phone bill down to the minimum.  My sweetie and I found that we could cut his cell phone bill from $134 a month to $77.  That's a savings of $684 a year!

5.  Write down each purchase that is made everyday so at the end of the week you can see where your money went and shoot for at least one day a week where you don't spend any money.

6.  Use cash instead of a debit card when possible.

7.  Organize everything...from your closet to kitchen cabinets.  Not only will you feel better for scaling down and simplifying but you may find items that you can sell to make additional money from.  I found 3 pairs of boots I haven't worn in years that are in great shape...hello eBay.

8.  Be reasonable.  This goes without saying, but you need to set yourself up for success with your budget and your expectations.  Crunch the numbers and figure out how long it will take you to meet your income.

9.  Set a time limit of the spending freeze.  We have decided to do 90 days and will be sticking to it.  Once we hit the 90 day mark we will re-evaluate and see what the next step is.

10.  Get EXCITED!  You are about to take control of your money situation and get back on track.  There will be nothing more liberating than taking care of business and having more in the bank and less in debt.

These are just a few things that my sweetie and I have been working on to set ourselves up for success in the new year with our spending under control.

Just like everyone else in the country I struggle with money.  My parents have always done an excellent job of instilling in me the values of hard work, but it seems I am in a rut.  I have a little credit card debit and have money stashed away for a rainy day, but sometimes it feels like I have no idea where my money is going.  I make a decent living at my job, but I feel like I have nothing to show for it.  After all, thank you for my amazing parents I do not have a car payment or any student loan debt.  My bills are small, so why isn't my savings account huge?  Let's break this down...