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Budgeting Tips

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AllBudget Tips
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...
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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
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
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
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
40+ Financial Habits To Develop

40+ Financial Habits To Develop

December 14, 2018
No matter whether you're beginning to get your finances together,...
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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...
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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
May budget categories

May Budget Categories

April 18, 2018
May is right around the corner.  I don't know how...
Read More
Frugal Spring Fun

Frugal Spring Activities

March 30, 2018
Spring time brings the end of winter, and a big...
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
Frugal Pantry Staples

30+ Frugal Pantry Staples

February 14, 2018
If you've seen any of my recent posts on Instagram,...
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...
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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
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
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
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
Must Haves Packed Lunches

7 Must Haves for Packed Lunches

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

Homemade Laundry Detergent

November 9, 2016
Throughout the past few years, I've been researching on how...
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
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
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...
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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
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
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

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

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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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