A Penny Saved

Back in January Ryan and I decided that we would make our best attempt to stick to a better budget this year. Thinking about a budget had left me feeling anxious in the past and I feel like a lot of that was due to relating the term budget to the idea of spending less money. Of course it  doesn't seem fun to have to spend less. This time was different. Yes, we still wanted to spend less, but I think the way we've gone about it has made it more fun. At least as much fun as budgeting can be :) First, we looked at what our exact income was. You can't know how to budget if you don't know how much money there is to start with! Then we created an excel spread sheet of columns and categories. Yeah, I know there are fancier ways to do this....but we didn't want to spend money on a program (although there are some great ones out there that can incorporate your iPhone) and we wanted something simple. We looked at what expenses were set in stone (like rent) and then created specific amounts for each of the other categories (like gas and groceries). I'm sure to some of you this sounds like "blah blah blah...." but for me having a designated amount for each category made budgeting was less intimidating and more fun. If I know I can only spend X amount on groceries then I can look at it as a whole and then track what I spend each week as the pieces. I really try to tell myself that I cannot go over. Sometimes that means having meals that aren't my favorite or trying to be creative with ingredients we already have instead of buying everything for new meals each week. It has never meant that we didn't have nutritious food on the table. We have a set amount to tithe and a set amount to save. And with the way our budget works out we have a small amount of money for "luxuries" such as eating out or buying something that is not a necessity.

Since it's been 7 months since we started, I thought I would share a few ways that I've cut back expenses, a few of the struggles, and a few of the blessings.

Here are some ways we've saved money:
1. Buy in bulk. We only have so much storage space so we are somewhat limited. Also it only makes sense to buy in bulk the things that you normally would use fairly quickly and regularly. For example, we know that we will use toilet paper. We use it already. We save money buying it in the huge package. Keep in mind that just because you are buying a huge amount of something doesn't mean you are saving money. You could just be spending money on a huge amount of something you wouldn't normally buy.
2. Make it yourself. Laundry soap. Household cleaning products. Meals. Home decor. There are tons of ways you can do it yourself and save money. I truly, honestly have liked making my own laundry soap and cleaners. It is cheap and quick and easy. Plus I feel like a "mad scientist mom" when I'm putting everything together. Yeah, I'm a nerd.
3. Put money in savings. Okay these seems pretty obvious. But we weren't consistent about putting money into savings until we put that amount into our budget. We've had to use our savings for some medical and car stuff, but at least that money was there!
4. Use fans. They are way cheaper than air conditioning. Also we've adjusted to keeping our house slightly warmer to save some money in the summer months.
5. Cut your husband's hair yourself. Some things are worth paying for.
6. Buy used clothing for your child (and yourself, sometimes). Eva does get some brand new pieces for her birthday or Christmas from family, but generally if I've purchased it for her it is from a resale shop or garage sale. She's still very stylish :)
7. Make your child's clothing last longer. Okay, it probably helps here that Eva is petite. I have been lucky to make most of her wardrobe pieces last way longer than expected. When a dress is too short to wear by itself I can  pair it with some leggings. Even as she gets bigger there are so many cute dresses that can eventually be a top with shorts or pants. When I do pick out new clothing for her I buy it a size up so she can wear it longer.
8. Don't waste leftovers. If I make more for a meal than we can reasonably eat within a few days I try to portion it off and freeze what I know we won't eat. I know some people hate leftovers. I dislike wasting food.
9. Access your competitive side. Think of staying within your budget as a game. When you stick to your budget, you win! I like winning. This really does motivate me to spend less on unnecessary items. 
10. Pray for contentment. We are already so blessed! Whenever I get the itch to go shopping or want to complain about how we can't go out I try to change my thinking. I have a closet full of clothes and a home full of fun (and food). I'm definitely not perfect in this area but I'm learning.

Here are some of the struggles I've faced:
1. Contentment. Like I said above, I'm not perfect. It's normal to want to spend money on things
2. The out-to-eat monster. Going out to eat is fun. It's easy. It's getting out of the house. It's social. When people ask if you want to go out to eat you feel like a downer saying that you can't. I wish we could go out to eat multiple times a week, but it's really not in our budget. Learning to adjust to this has been hard.
3. Gift giving. I love to buy gifts for people! I want to celebrate special occasions like birthdays, holidays, etc. with the people I love. I would love to shop for the perfect dream person for each person for every occasion. I'm learning to be creative and think of gifts people will enjoy without going over budget.

Here are some of the BLESSINGS I've experienced:
1. Contentment. As much of a struggle as it can be, it also brings such peace!
2. Accomplishment. I feel so good about my contribution to my family when I make smart choices to help us stay on track. I may not have a job to bring in money, but I can budget our groceries and meal plan well.
3. Thankfulness. The Bible teaches us to pray "Give us this day our daily bread." God has provided what we need for this season of life.
4. Wisdom. I am way better at budgeting than I was a year ago when I was just hoping to spend less money.
5. Awareness. I have a way better picture of where our money is actually going.
6. Perspective. There are families all over the world living off of much less. We are fortunate to have what we have. We should be generous in helping others who are in need.
7. Being a role model. I want Eva to learn that things do not ultimately create meaning in life. Things are fun to have. It's okay to shop sometimes and to spend sometimes. Getting birthday presents is awesome! It's also good to know when you have what  you need and to enjoy people more than stuff. 
8. Freedom. We strive to be debt free for as much of our marriage as possible! One day will will hopefully purchase our own house, but other than that I would rather live off of what we have than take on debt for things we don't need.

Last week in his sermon on debt our pastor said, "Debt is a way of saying that God didn't give you enough." (He did say that there were some exceptions such as buying a home or medical needs that you can't always control).  I know for us that God has absolutely given us enough. We have food to eat. We have clothes to wear. We have cars that work (with air conditioning, thanks to our savings fund)! We have a safe home. I really am enjoying learning to be a better steward of the provision God has given us. You can do it, too!