Getting started on a budget can be challenging! It definitely took us a few months to get it down, where we were estimating the right amounts for each category... not to mention getting the right categories on the page! But what if you're still going into the red after a few months? If your budget...
Buy or DIY – Is it worth it to make your own?
I love to DIY stuff, and I’ll freely admit I like to save money. (Not cheap, just like to save!) But let’s face it. Sometimes I’m exhausted and I just want to sit down with a glass of wine and let someone else do the work. So how do you decide if it’s better to...
7 Things to Remember in your August Budget
We’re already a few days into August, and if you haven’t written out your monthly budget, there’s still time before the month really gets away from you. Sit down and take about 20 minutes and put it on paper (or in a spreadsheet), and then rest easy while you finish out the month with confidence...
11 School Supply Shopping Tips to Save Money
School supply lists can add up to big bucks, fast! Did you know that families with kids in elementary through high school are expected to spend an average of $696.70 in 2019*? Yikes! Granted, my family won’t be spending so much this year, because we thankfully don’t have some of those technology requirements yet. But...
An Early Amazon Prime Day Deal?
Looks like the Prime Day festivities are starting early. In 2018, the biggest sellers during Amazon Prime Day were mostly Amazon electronics, with the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote coming in at #1, the second-generation Echo Dot at #2, and the Instant Pot Duo60 pressure cooker at #3, according to eMarketer. Note: This...
7 Items you Must Include in Your July Budget
July is upon us! How did that happen? It seems like spring was just here, but now we're full on into summer. Each month has different spending activities, so you need to adjust your personal budget with the seasons. Here are 8 things you can't forget to include in your July budget. 1. 4th of...
Make the Most of Amazon Prime Day 2019
Do you have your Prime Day shopping list ready? Prime Day is coming up! (Insert Kermit flail here) This is one of, if not the biggest sale of the year for Amazon. It's a great time to score some deals at Amazon. If it's in your budget this year, you should mark this event on...
10 More Great Staycation Activities for Families
Staycations are great for the budget, but sometimes they can be a hard sell for the kids – or even for you and your spouse. Because you immediately think of staying home, watching TV and sitting in the backyard. Sounds boring, but it doesn't have to be! When saving money is priority, here are some...
Easy Meal Planning for Beginners
Meal planning may very well be the best thing that happened to my grocery budget. I've used coupons for years (more about that in another post), but the act of planning my family's meals for the next week or two (or more) made the biggest difference in our grocery expenses. Meal planning, step by step...
How to budget with a yellow columnar sheet
How do you use a yellow financial pad for your budget? When I started actively planning our budgets, I wanted something that wasn’t necessarily on the computer, something I could physically stick under my husband’s nose and get him to look at and review. Some people recommend a legal pad, but I'm an Excel junkie...