How to not be broke.

As everyone knows from my consistent complaining, we are still in the process of buying a different vehicle for me. I have always been the spoiled brat with the newest vehicle, and I have put an end to that one! I talked Michael into us getting a used ride this time, in order to be able to quickly pay it off, and save more for a new house we are working on preparing to build. It's time to get those priorities straight! Of course a new loaded vehicle would be way more fun, but I want a new house way worse, and I also want to have the ability to buy new things for that house without stress.
So, I have been budgeting money for two months now. Keeping up with every extra dollar spent is no fun! (Just ask Blake, she is my cheerleader that says THAT IS NOT IN THE BUDGET when I get close to caving in....)

There are so many books and sites out there now that tell you how to save and either not get into debt, or how to get out, that there's no reason for any of us to be drowning debt. Thank goodness for my husband's awesome job; he has worked very hard to be able to knock out all of our loans and car notes and credit cards. As of the end of this month, credit card debt is gone, my photo equip is paid off, his truck is paid off, small personal loan is paid off, and we are getting on top of things! (Thanks to doing nothing fun for 2 months, haha! No shopping is hard!!) I have my little notebook that I jot stuff down in, and I am getting pretty good at this money management thing. We are desperately seeking some land to build a home on. Not a ton of land, but enough for a large yard, plus some. (5-10 acres would be great) I would love to be in Wilmar again, close to my family, and also where my kids can grow up in a quiet country atmosphere, but not sure we are going to be able to find anything there. Hope so though! Because of that, there's another reason we need to save, because we not only plan to build, we have to buy the land.

Below are some things I have been trying to do, or am planning to work on, that I have found in library books and online. See if it can help you, too!

Cook at home often: Sometimes this is very difficult for me. My kids are picky eaters, and my husband works late a lot. It's hard to not take the easy way out and say drive thru taco bell! It's also hard to make a "cheap" meal when it takes so much meat to feed my family, but hey, it's cheaper than most take out.

Make your own coffee: Does not apply to me, but I know those burger king runs in the morning add up!

Brown bag lunch at least a few days a week: Once again, does not really apply to me, but I do try to make Michael grilled chicken to take to work for lunch, and buy bulk lunchmeat and etc for him. With "value" meals costing 6-7 bucks, I try to only eat lunch out on Tuesdays when I work. Resisting temptation to go more is hard.

Make a list before going shopping: They call it impulse buying for a reason. Humans simply have a very tough time resisting the temptation to purchase extras while shopping. I am also bad to buy something "because I have a coupon" because my mom saves them from her Sunday paper for me.

Watch out for expiration dates on perishable goods: This one seems intuitive when you read it, but I am surprised at how many people do not pay attention to expiration dates. No point getting a gallon of milk if it is going to be sour within a couple of days. Same goes for meat, eggs, yogurt, sour cream and etc. Some people say you can use a few items a few days after the dates – but I personally value my health more than money and would rather avoid buying such items in the first place. (I am also afraid of raw chicken, haha)

Buy in bulk whenever possible: When it comes to non-perishable items, buy in bulk whenever you find something on sale. The items I usually stock up on are, cereals, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, toilet paper etc. Shopping at warehouse stores like Sam’s Club etc can save you quite a bit of money, provided you stick strictly to your shopping list when you shop at these places, but I don't have a membership anymore.

Buy generic products whenever possible: Does it really matter whether your cereal is made by Kellogg's or is the store brand? (Tootie Frooties are good aren't they Blake???) Does it matter if your milk is Coleman or the store brand? For a few things like dr pepper and cheese, I prefer brand name products only and cheap stuff is not negotiable. For others, I do not mind generic store brands if they can save me money. (Like so cheesy macaroni from Save a lot, my kids like it BETTER than the "good" stuff)

Use grocery store bags to line trash cans: This is what we use for the bathrooms.

Consolidate and pay off debt as soon as possible: If you carry any debt, focus on consolidating it to a lower interest and paying it off as soon as possible. Money paid in interest is money thrown away, and it hurts my feelings to let that money go. Why spend your hard-earned cash to make the bank owners richer? I am always on the lookout for "12 months interest free" incentives if we are needing to finance something.

Pay your bills on time and avoid late fees: Get organized about your regular bills. If possible, automate the payments or use billpay. I use billpay for every single bill I have, and never write paper checks. Also, many banks offer free bill pay programs. If you are organized, there really is no excuse for forgetting to pay a bill on time and paying the late fees. If you don't have the money, I have heard (if you don't make a habit of it) that some companies will give you one time extensions. It would be worth trying if I didn't have the money to pay.

Be aware of your bank balance and avoid over draft fees: If you use your checking account often or have some bills that are paid automatically from your checking account, be aware of the balance and avoid overdraft fees. We have had an overdraft charge one time in our 10 year relationship. My husband will never live that one down (since he caused it). Hot check costs are another totally avoidable issue is you ask me.

Avoid ATM fees: Be aware of the ATM withdrawal fees charged by your bank. While some banks waive fees for all ATM transactions on any ATM machine, some don’t. So be sure to use only those ATM machines where your bank will not charge the fees, or withdraw directly at your bank. It cost me 7 bucks to get some cash in the Pine Bluff mall atm once, that's crazy!

Avoid credit cards with annual fee: Credit cards with their cash back bonuses and reward points are a great way to save some money. Just make sure that the card does not charge you any annual fees.

Disconnect land line if possible: It is more than likely that you will be able to survive with only the mobile phones and can get rid of the land line. We are considering this, but I am still undecided. I did get rid of the extra stuff like call waiting though.

Instead of buying books, borrow books from the library: Whenever possible, borrow your books instead of buying them. If you like to buy books like I do, check if you can buy it used: I get a ton on ebay.

Avoid impulse buying: Many of the things you want to buy do not seem all that necessary, if you only you wait for a day or two. Also, waiting means you will be able to check prices and make an informed decision to buy it at the best possible price. I am the queen of putting stuff back and not getting it!

Avoid the vending machines: Almost everything that is dispensed via vending machines has a huge markup. (Like cokes in a gas station do)

Keep your car as long as possible: This is one we are going to start right now. I am looking forward to saving this money big time.

Do regular scheduled maintenance on your vehicles: Do not skimp on or forget to do regular oil changes. Remember to check the air in your tires often. (I don't do this, but the spee d lube guys will, just tell them to)

If you watch a lot of DVDs, get an online DVD store membership: Membership to online movie stores like Netflix or Blockbuster Online can save you a lot of money compared to buying DVDs or renting it from Movie Gallery. I also love the dollar movies at Redbox. I just cancelled my netflix a couple of days ago (another unecessary cost I could easily get rid of) and that saves almost 20 bucks a month.

If you like watching movies at the theater, go before 6:00 pm: Matinee's are my favorite ones. We have always done this, because it is quieter in the theaters and less crowded.

Regulate your electric use.: When not in use, unplug electric appliances. I admit I have never done this, but have read about it in two different books. They say just being plugged in, and still being off, still drains electricity.

Plan vacations ahead of time: I always do this, and I also call and find out what peak seasons are, so I can schedule at off season times.

So, see if anything I am trying to do will work for you. We save loose change, and do the little stuff too, but we are trying to really make a difference.

If you google the main thing couples fight over you will see the common word in the response is MONEY!

Any hints about preparing to build a home are appreciated. We still may end up buying something that is for sale instead, but I can tell you for certain, we are on our way to having our dream home, and I am excited~