Introducing: Penny Pinching
I'm bringing it back y'all! It's time to start, as Dave Ramsey would say, "acting my wage." Marty and I have had a pretty significant life change happen to us in the last couple months. I eluded to it a couple of posts ago, but I think it's finally safe to say: we're moving! We're finally moving back home to Etown! I'll go into more detail later, but we're leaving our little starter home for a bigger home, more suited for our family and closer to the ones we love. But with a new, bigger home comes new, bigger expenses. Bigger utility bills. Bigger problems. Bigger upgrades and work I want done to make the house the one of my dreams. And Marty and I can afford all this (obviously, or we wouldn't be moving in the first place), but I don't want to get to the point where we're scraping together our pennies and dimes because we've strapped ourselves down with a bigger mortgage. So I'm taking the first step to discipline myself. I don't have to. I WANT to. I'm the world's worst about buying crap I don't need. I go to the grocery and I end up with probably $30 of stuff that wasn't on the list, I just felt like I needed it. I go into a store and end up buying myself two shirts off the clearance rack because I felt like it was a deal I couldn't pass up. I don't spend money with my head. I don't logically think about what I should or shouldn't be buying. I shop with my emotions...the worst kind. I impulsively buy things, get them home and then later feel guilty about not saving the money for something more important. I'm HORRIBLE about going out to eat. Getting a Coke in the mornings. Grabbing myself some breakfast. Hitting the drive through for lunch because I was too lazy to get up early and make myself a lunch. Well, no more. Not only am I resurrecting the "Penny Pinching" idea, I'm going to put myself back on a shopping ban. I did it a couple of years ago, and I was successful. But I limited myself to not buying anything for myself--meaning new clothing, shoes, a pair of earrings. I'm taking that a step further. I buy NOTHING. For 90 days. Unless it's a necessity. I spend absolutely no money except on groceries, necessities for the new house and necessities for Avery. That's it. No more little knickknacks at Kirklands or cute little home items at Target. No more shoes from the clearance rack or craft items that I don't need. I am going to start crafting and selling again when we get moved into our new house to make myself a little extra "cushion" money (a.k.a. I'm saving to treat myself to a new couch!), but if it's not a necessity for the specific craft I'm making, I won't buy it. Now, here's where you come in. Hold me accountable. Ask how my shopping ban is going (and then be a shoulder to cry on when I tell you about an adorable purse I had to pass up). Tell me about great deals and how to save money at the grocery (where I fail miserably at saving money). Tell me where I can get good discounted clothing or deals on Avery things. Let's make this a group thingy! You share deals and penny pinching tips with me, and I'll do the same for you (here's my first--start by making your own laundry detergent!). And hopefully later, we'll both be in excellent financial shape and be able to brag about being debt free (hey, I dream big, okay?).
I'll leave you with a couple of Dave Ramsey quotes that are going to be my motivation for the next 90 days.
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No, shoes. I don't need you. No, unnecessary Walmart crap. I don't need you. No, Marty. We don't need to go out to eat tonight. Let me make dinner tonight.
Printing this off and putting it in my wallet. Right by my debit card.
Goodbye Michaels and Target. I'll see you in 90 days.
3 comments:
How I save money at the grocery:
1. Meal plan.
2. Aldi, Priceless Foods, and Sams. The three cheapest places to buy groceries. I have shopped everywhere. I have a price list. Even with the "sales" of others these are the cheapest (and Aldi has awesome produce). Go to Sam's early in the morning when you get a chance and buy their discounted meat and produce. Priceless Foods also has awesome meat specials. Aldi is just cheap (some things I do not like).
We are bad at eating out as well. REAL BAD. Especially at lunch.
We have made a commitment to only eat out if we have been invited or going with someone. That has helped cut back on our eating out. It seems like we do really good throughout the week but then we eat out the entire weekend. So we are putting a stop to that. However, with that said, with my mom in the hospital and revival being this week we have had to eat out some...but after this week we are sticking to our plan! Luke is getting ready to get a raise at work. So our goal is to pay everything off using the “snowball strategy” from Dave Ramsey. It is very hard to stay disciplined. ..maybe your blog with help me stay accountable too! If Luke gives you mean looks Sunday just ignore him. It will be because I am going to issue a spending ban in our family too. Thanks for the idea!
Hahha. I will gladly welcome any mean looks from Luke, if it means I have a partner in my shopping ban! Once we get moved and settled and get a handle on the new bills, I'm going to practice the debt snowball method too. Hopefully we can do this together!!
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