Well, it has been 3 months since we decided we really need to start budgeting, and really controlling our money. 3 months of budget meetings, saving receipts, checking the bank statements and writing down everything.
In the last 3 months we have learned:
-we really have no money
-food is ridiculously expensive
-medical expenses kill your savings
-we are poor
-having “fun” money, will save your sanity
-budgeting to splurge, makes the splurge more fun
-living at the poverty line is no fun
Budgeting is really hard. Especially when, you take your paycheck and put it to every bill and then there isn’t even enough for groceries.
Our end of the month budget meeting for October and the beginning of November, really had us questioning, is this working? November is month 4 we should be seeing improvements, or at least that’s what all the gurus say. This month we had to dip into the student loans we took out in August. The loans we were really hoping we wouldn’t touch and could say we don’t want more. The loans that we had to use to buy groceries this week.
This has got us thinking, what else can we do to cut expenses? Go down to one phone? Have me go and get a night shift job? Should we apply for some government assistance? What can we sell?
This Sunday was our Church’s Fast Sunday. We decided to fast together as a couple about what to do.
This is what we know we need to do:
- Get our savings back up as fast as possible to at least $1500.
- Payoff and close that last credit card.
We could just completely drain our savings and pay of the credit card. Be done and able to stop having one more payment due off of our first paycheck every month.
But what if anything happens? What if we have a major car repair? What if someone has to go to the hospital? What if?
Praying for an extra $500 to just appear, is impractical.
Does budgeting get easier with more money?
