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Budget

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How To Create SMART Financial Goals 2

How To Create SMART Financial Goals

April 2, 2021
Goals. It’s what we all are attempting to achieve throughout...
Read More
How To Create A Budget Routine

How To Create A Budget Routine

March 26, 2021
Getting your finances in order is not something that happens...
Read More
15 Budget Categories You Forgot In April

April Budget Categories

March 3, 2021
It's crazy to think that April is right around the...
Read More
March Budget Categories

March Budget Categories

February 12, 2021
March is almost here, and it's time to start looking...
Read More
February Budget Categories You Forgot 2

February Budget Categories

January 29, 2021
With February right around the corner, it’s time to start...
Read More
January Budget Categories

January Budget Categories

January 15, 2021
A new month, new year, and new a chance to...
Read More
August 2020 Budget With Me

August 15, 2020 Budget With Me

August 21, 2020
Our August paycheck came on Friday, the 14th, and is...
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July 2020 Budget With Me

July 15, 2020 Budget With Me

July 24, 2020
Our July paycheck cames on Wednesday, the 15th, and is...
Read More
How To Use A Budget Calendar

How To Use A Budget Calendar

May 13, 2020
Utilizing a calendar is a crucial step to help you...
Read More
How To Complete A Budget Review

How To Complete A Budget Review

May 1, 2020
Reviewing our budget is a crucial step to making sure...
Read More
Your Complete Guide To Using A Cash Budget

Your Complete Guide To Using Cash Envelopes

April 24, 2020
Whether you want to start using cash envelopes, or someone...
Read More
Items We Stopped Wasting Money On

Over 30 Items We Stopped Wasting Money On

April 17, 2020
As we began our journey into frugality, I quickly realized...
Read More
How To Track Expenses

How To Track Expenses

April 3, 2020
I've talked about how to start budgeting here before, but how...
Read More
10 categories you forgot about in your November budget.

November Budget Categories

November 8, 2019
Every month there are predictable expenses, as well as expenses...
Read More
July Budget Categories

July Budget Categories

July 12, 2019
It's so hard to believe that half the year has...
Read More
June Budget Categories

June Budget Categories

June 7, 2019
With June right around the corner, it's time to start...
Read More
What To Buy At Aldi 2

What To Buy At Aldi, And What To Pass On

April 12, 2019
I'll admit, when I started working my tail off to...
Read More
How To Make Cash Envelopes

How To Make Cash Envelopes

April 5, 2019
The biggest game changer for our budget was when we...
Read More
March 2019 Debt Update

March 2019 Debt Update

March 29, 2019
March brought our third monthly check, and in some ways...
Read More
April 2019 Meal Plan

April 2019 Meal Plan

March 26, 2019
April in our family for the last 3 years has...
Read More
Why Your Budget Needs Sinking Funds

What Are Sinking Funds

March 15, 2019
What if I told you that there was a budget...
Read More
February 2019 Debt Update

February 2019 Debt Update

March 1, 2019
February brought our second monthly paycheck, and with it a...
Read More
March 2019 Meal Plan

March 2019 Meal Plan

February 26, 2019
March is a welcome sight in this house.  All February...
Read More
Five Money Saving Apps You Need To Use Today

Five Money Saving Apps You Need

February 22, 2019
I am forever looking for ways to save money, but...
Read More
How To Save On Groceries 2

How To Save On Groceries | 4 Tips To Save Before The Store

February 15, 2019
It's payday.  There's nothing left in the fridge or pantry,...
Read More
How To Determine Budget Categories

How To Determine Your Budget Categories

February 8, 2019
When you start budgeting, it can seem so daunting.  At...
Read More
January 2019 Debt Update

January 2019 Debt Update

February 1, 2019
This month we transitioned to a monthly income versus the...
Read More
February 2019 Meal Plan

February 2019 Meal Plan

January 29, 2019
Every month when I make our monthly meal plan, I...
Read More
December 2018 Debt Update

December 2018 Debt Update

January 11, 2019
December... the time of year when it feels like everything...
Read More
January 2019 Meal Plan

January 2019 Meal Plan

January 8, 2019
Hands down, the easiest time I have making my monthly...
Read More
40+ Financial Habits To Develop

40+ Financial Habits To Develop

December 14, 2018
No matter whether you're beginning to get your finances together,...
Read More
November 2018 Debt Update

November 2018 Debt Update

December 7, 2018
After feeling off kilter the last few months, November was...
Read More
How To Reach Your Savings Goals

How To Reach Savings Goals

November 30, 2018
I'll be honest, before we started budgeting, we had no...
Read More
December 2018 Meal Plan

December 2018 Meal Plan

November 27, 2018
December in our house is a hectic craze before the...
Read More
Our Bare Bones Budget

Our Bare Bones Budget

November 23, 2018
I talk a lot on here about paying off our...
Read More
7 Steps To Get Your Budget Back On Track

7 Steps To Get Your Budget Back On Track

November 16, 2018
Occasionally on our debt-free journey things go off the rails. ...
Read More
October 2018 Debt Update

October 2018 Debt Update

November 9, 2018
This month was an eye-opening month.  After trying to find...
Read More
November Meal Plan

November 2018 Meal Plan

November 6, 2018
November for us brings an end to the chaotic soccer...
Read More
Summer 2018 Debt Paid

Summer 2018 Debt Update

October 5, 2018
Each month I chronicle our progress on our debt free...
Read More
October 2018 Meal Plan | Frugal Living | Feeding A Family of 5

October 2018 Meal Plan

October 3, 2018
After my whirlwind summer, I figured it was time to...
Read More
April 2018 Debt Update

April 2018 Debt Update

May 2, 2018
Each month I chronicle our progress on our debt free...
Read More
May 2018 Meal Plan

May 2018 Meal Plan

April 25, 2018
May is right around the corner, and it's time to...
Read More
May budget categories

May Budget Categories

April 18, 2018
May is right around the corner.  I don't know how...
Read More
March 2018 Debt Update

March 2018 Debt Update

April 6, 2018
Each month I chronicle our progress on our debt free...
Read More
Frugal Spring Fun

Frugal Spring Activities

March 30, 2018
Spring time brings the end of winter, and a big...
Read More
April 2018 Meal Plan

April 2018 Meal Plan

March 26, 2018
With a new month around the corner, it's time for...
Read More
9 Simple Steps To Pay Off Debt

9 Simple Steps To Pay Off Debt

March 21, 2018
Does this sound familiar? You work hard at a job...
Read More
Bill Pay Checklist

Bill Pay Checklist | Organize Your Finances With This Free Printable!

March 16, 2018
Does this sound familiar?  You're so caught up in the...
Read More
Simple Steps Save Money Groceries

Simple Steps To Save Money On Groceries

March 14, 2018
When we started our debt free journey and I was...
Read More
February 2018 Debt Update

February 2018 Debt Update

March 2, 2018
Each month I chronicle our progress on our debt free...
Read More
March 2018 Meal Plan

March 2018 Meal Plan

February 26, 2018
With a new month around the corner, it's time for...
Read More
Frugal Pantry Staples

30+ Frugal Pantry Staples

February 14, 2018
If you've seen any of my recent posts on Instagram,...
Read More
January 2018 Debt Update

January 2018 Debt Update

February 2, 2018
Each month I chronicle our progress on our debt free...
Read More
February 2018 Meal Plan

February 2018 Meal Plan

January 29, 2018
February's meal plan was based around one thing... trying to...
Read More
Debt Snowball vs Debt Avalanche

Debt Snowball vs Debt Avalanche

January 26, 2018
When it comes to paying off debt, the first question...
Read More
My 2018 Planning System

My 2018 Planning System

January 17, 2018
One of my goals for 2017 was to get better...
Read More
December 2017 Debt Update 1

December 2017 Debt Update

January 12, 2018
Here it is... my last debt summary for 2017.  If...
Read More
Zero Based Budget

Zero Based Budget

December 15, 2017
When beginning to budget in order to reach financial goals,...
Read More
52 Week Savings Tracker

52 Week Savings

December 8, 2017
Once upon a time, we had very minimal savings.  I'm...
Read More
October November 2017 Debt Update 2

October & November 2017 Debt Update

December 6, 2017
October and November brought the end of soccer season, the...
Read More
No Spend Month

No Spend Month

December 1, 2017
If you've been researching how to save money, you've likely...
Read More
December Budget Categories

December Budget Categories

November 29, 2017
Hello all!  I'm glad to be back.  The end of...
Read More
Frugal Fall Fun

Frugal Fall Fun!

October 20, 2017
Wow, that title had way too many F's in it....
Read More
How To Freeze Sliced Peaches

How to Freeze Sliced Peaches

October 18, 2017
Hello again all!  Sorry I wasn't around on Monday to...
Read More
How To Can Fresh Peaches

How to Can Fresh Peaches – with tutorial!

October 11, 2017
For as far back as I can remember, canned peaches...
Read More
October 2017 Meal Plan

October 2017 Meal Plan

October 9, 2017
Hello again!  It's been a long while since I've posted...
Read More
October Budget Categories

October Budget Categories

October 6, 2017
While I was making our October budget, I found some...
Read More
Cash Envelopes

Our 30 Day Experiment with Cash Envelopes

July 14, 2017
Some of you may be shocked right now.  I mean,...
Read More
June 2017 Debt Update

June 2017 Debt Update

July 12, 2017
Welcome back friends!  After updating you all on how the...
Read More
March 2017 Budget Debt Update

March 2017 Budget Debt Update

April 5, 2017
Our March budget, while it didn't go as I hoped,...
Read More
February 2017 Budget Debt Update

February 2017 Budget & Debt Update

March 6, 2017
For February's budget, our expenses started before the month did....
Read More
February 2017 Meal Plan

February 2017 Meal Plan

March 3, 2017
When February started, I hadn't made our monthly meal plan....
Read More
Our Income Is Changing Here's How We're Preparing

Our Income Is Changing, Here’s How We’re Preparing

February 22, 2017
Strap in folks.  This post has been a long time...
Read More
January 2017 Budget Debt Update

January 2017 Budget & Debt Update

February 20, 2017
It's been a while since I've gotten on here and...
Read More
December 2016 budget debt update

December 2016 Budget & Debt Update

January 18, 2017
December was a crazy busy month for us, and honestly,...
Read More
How To Cook Freeze Dry Beans

How To Cook and Freeze Dry Beans

December 7, 2016
Beans are one of our favorite frugal foods not only...
Read More
November 2016 Budget Debt Update

November 2016 Budget & Debt Update

December 5, 2016
November brought some normalcy to our lives again.  While we...
Read More
Must Haves Packed Lunches

7 Must Haves for Packed Lunches

November 17, 2016
For the last 6 years, I've packed lunches for my...
Read More
Homemade Laundry Detergent

Homemade Laundry Detergent

November 9, 2016
Throughout the past few years, I've been researching on how...
Read More
October 2016 Budget Debt Update

October 2016 Budget & Debt Update

November 4, 2016
This month is our last month for full on soccer practices...
Read More
meal planning worth time

Is Meal Planning Worth My Time?

October 21, 2016
"I don't have time for meal planning.  Is meal planning...
Read More
Why We Still Use Credit Cards

Why We Still Use Credit Cards

October 14, 2016
Yes, you read the title of this post correctly.  We...
Read More
september 2016 budget debt update

September 2016 Budget & Debt Update

October 7, 2016
This month was the first full month with the boys...
Read More
summer 2016 budget

Summer 2016 Budget

September 2, 2016
Since we've had a busy summer, and I wanted to...
Read More
didn't give up landline

Why We Didn’t Give Up Our Landline

August 26, 2016
When I started researching ways that we could save money,...
Read More
How To Freeze Corn In 6 Easy Steps

How To Freeze Corn in 6 Easy Steps

August 24, 2016
Hub's favorite time of year has got to be when...
Read More
How To Create A Monthly Meal Plan

Create A Monthly Meal Plan In 5 Easy Steps

May 3, 2016
I thought I would take this Tuesday to do something...
Read More
april 2016 budget

April 2016 Budget

April 30, 2016
I was looking forward to our April 2016 budget after...
Read More
March 2016 Budget

March 2016 Budget

April 8, 2016
The last few months I have been posting our budget...
Read More
grocery budget 1

How Much Should My Grocery Budget Be?

March 24, 2016
It's one of the most often asked questions in the budgeting...
Read More
saving on groceries

9 Do’s & 1 Don’t to Save on Groceries

March 10, 2016
With food prices constantly rising, it can get tricky to...
Read More
February Budget Update

February 2016 Budget Update

February 29, 2016
Income Hubs: $3,660.71 January Debt Savings {& Interest}: $117.29 Remainder from Instrument...
Read More
Annual Savings Account

Annual Savings Account: Why We Have One, & How We Use It

February 18, 2016
Earlier this year, one of the goals I set is to put...
Read More
leasing band instruments

Why I Stopped Leasing Band Instruments

February 4, 2016
Bookworm has always had an eye for music.  It's not...
Read More
February Budget

February 2016 Budget

February 1, 2016
Income Hubs: $3,658.40 January Debt Savings {& Interest}: $117.24 Remainder from Instrument...
Read More

January 2016 Budget Update

January 30, 2016
At the beginning of the month when I set up...
Read More
Ways To Increase Debt Payment 2

6 Ways to Increase Debt Payment

January 7, 2016
When budgets are tight, trying to increase debt payments can...
Read More

January 2016 Budget

January 1, 2016
This is our budget estimate for January.  This month, my budget...
Read More

December 2015 Budget Update

December 30, 2015
Income Hubs: $4,587.02 November Debt Savings (& Interest): $132.59  November ATM Rebate: $0 ...
Read More

Learning From A Failed Budget

December 17, 2015
If you've ever had a month {or even a few...
Read More
why i bought a sam's club membership

Why I Bought A Sam’s Club Membership

December 1, 2015
As we started into our journey of debt freedom, I...
Read More

December 2015 Budget

December 1, 2015
>>>Check out the updated version of our December 2015 budget...
Read More

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makingcentsmatter

makingcentsmatter
Only you can determine what your financial goals a Only you can determine what your financial goals are. If that means you're adding money to your savings account, or contributing to your retirement, while you are paying off debt, then so be it!⁠
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Do what looks right for you and your personal finances.⁠
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#budget #budgeting #savingmoney #savings #cashbudget #cash #cashisking #frugalblogger #frugalmom #frugalliving #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogress #makingcentsmatter #financialfreedom #debtfree
The trick to meal planning is to make it predictab The trick to meal planning is to make it predictable. But predictable doesn't mean the same thing week to week. You could have a chicken meal, a soup meal, a pasta meal, a leftovers meal, a family favorite meal, and so on.⁠
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We always try to go with themed days, but some weeks are so hectic the theme is literally "fast". Thankfully that hasn't been the case lately.⁠
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#mealplanning #mealplan #budget #budgeting #monthlyincome #savingmoney #savings #cashbudget #cash #cashisking #frugalblogger #frugalmom #frugalliving #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogress #makingcentsmatter #financialfreedom #debtfree
I can only hear about my extended warranty I never I can only hear about my extended warranty I never purchased so many times. 😣⁠
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#makingcentsmatter #budgets #monthlyincome #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #savingmoney #payingoffdebt #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #monthlyincome #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom
March Debt Paid numbers are in!⁠ .⁠ House: $51 March Debt Paid numbers are in!⁠
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House: $511.13⁠
Citi: $0 – this has a residual $3 in interest charges since payoff, due in April⁠
D NelNet: $100⁠
K NelNet: $100⁠
K Chase: $600⁠
Explorer: $336.27⁠
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Total Paid in 2021: $8,258.84⁠
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Extra Payment: There isn’t one this month since we were $25 away from zeroing out the budget for our February 15th monthly paycheck. That $25, and monies left from our January 15th paycheck, covered our OOP costs for Hubs’ filling. We also have some savings goals coming up that need to be met, making our debt payments a little lower for the time begin.⁠
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#makingcentsmatter #debt #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #savingmoney #payingoffdebt #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #monthlyincome #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom⁠
The battle for who can charge what tonight is abou The battle for who can charge what tonight is about to begin. 😬⁠
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My kids run off with my charger, plug it into one outlet 5 feet from where they found it like that particular outlet is the only one in this house, and then proceed to fight over who can charge their device first at night.⁠
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Then they get grumpy when it's their turn and it's not the proper input cable. #itwasmychargerfirst #dontlikeitgofindyourown⁠
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#parentingteens #parentingtweens #momlife #realife #budget #budgeting #savingmoney #cash #frugalblogger #frugalmom #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogress #makingcentsmatter
A needs his wisdom teeth taken out. I've talked a A needs his wisdom teeth taken out. I've talked a bit in our February Budget Check-In about how much of this I think we'll owe, and you can check that out on my YouTube channel if you're interested, but I wanted to say here...⁠
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To the mother with little kids struggling to get your finances in order, it will get better. I wish I could have heard those words years ago.⁠
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Nearly 10 years ago we were facing a $1,400 out-of-pocket portion for A's Phase 1 orthodontic work (I looked it up after I uploaded the video... we had a $1,400 portion).⁠
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It was a lot of money for us at the time. Our kids were 6, 2, and 3 months old. I don't think we even had $500 in savings, and I just left a part-time teaching job because it wasn't paying the part-time daycare bill, so paying our portion in full was just a dream I didn't think was achievable.⁠
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I was even stressing about the monthly $100 payments. We were so strapped. It was our breaking moment to start cutting costs and budgeting more effectively. We've learned a lot in that time period.⁠
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What we've learned is that it does no good to stress about it all the time. Life happens. All you can do is try to plan ahead, and if it's something that's unplanned, readjust. It won't always be easy, especially at first, but it will be worth it.⁠
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Nearly 10 years later, we are still paying off our debts. Student loans suck. But I see this bill as a reminder of how far we have come. Seeing a bill like this doesn't stress me out like it used to, and I know we can easily create a plan that can get it done and out of the way.⁠
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Will it delay our debt-free date more? Yes. But it's not worth stressing over. Life happens, readjust, and continue on down the path. It's called a journey for a reason.⁠
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#wisdomteeth #personalfiannce #personalfinancetips #financialgoals #budgeting #budgets #savingsgoals #savings #cashbudget #zerobasedbudget #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress #adulting #lifehappens #realife #realbudget #makingcentsmatter
It's almost payday! Here's how our variable budget It's almost payday! Here's how our variable budgeting categories are working out for the pay month.⁠
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Food is looking good this far into our paycheck, probably because miscellaneous - which includes eating out - took a hit with unexpected purchases. Pet is low for this time of the month, and Household is spot on.⁠
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Fuel looks like it'll be lower than last month (yay for weeks of snow days & delayed school starts), and Therapy had one more appointment than initially planned.⁠
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Garden, Dental, Medical & Propane are not included in these estimates so far because those expenses are coming from sinking funds. Once we're done with the month and review the budget, I'll move over the total amount spent from those sinking funds.⁠
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How's your paycheck budget coming along?⁠
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#realbudget #monthlyincome #monthlybudget #budget #budgetupdate #budgeting #savingmoney #variablecategories #savingmoney #savings #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #cash #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #frugalliving #frugalblogger #budgetblogger #makingcentsmatter
Automating your finances makes saving money and bu Automating your finances makes saving money and budgeting more convenient, and therefore easier on you. Out of sight, out of mind, right?⁠
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What's one thing you can automate this week to make your finances easier?⁠
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Me? I'm going to set up our sinking fund transfers to automate every payday (the 15th of every month). Our bank set up a feature on their app where we can schedule savings transfers now, and I'm going to take advantage of it!⁠
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#personalfinance #personalfinancetips #budgeting #budgettips #personalfinancemadeeasy #savingmoney #savings #sinkingfunds #cash #frugalblogger #frugalmom #frugalliving #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogess #financialfreedom #makingcentsmatter
Oh my word... our miscellaneous category has gone Oh my word... our miscellaneous category has gone a smidgen overboard this month!⁠
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I foresee a goal for March's paycheck to at out less than twice. That's where this category went awry. $99.16 of it went to eating out. 😑 Some of it was avoidable, but not all of it. Having to drive to multiple appointments in one day during snow squalls and rearranging our whole day was one of those unavoidable instances.⁠
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Tracking our expenses - much like a budget review - is vital to sticking to your budget!⁠
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#makingcentsmatter #debt #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #budgetcategories #monthlyincome #savingmoney #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom #expensetracking #budgetfail
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