1. Make a budget, make it realistic, and stick to it!!
Live on a cash diet!! Here is how to do that. Purchase a dozen canning jars, 500mL. On the labels decide what things in your life you will need money for. Here's an example at our house:
- Mom
- Dad
- Son
- Household (new pan, bookcase, cleaners)
- Personals (toiletrees, shampoo, diapers)
- Trips
- Vehicle (gas and maintence)
- Entertainment
- Clothes
- Gifts/Cards
- Groceries
- Other
Each month, you can save more and more. Say I put $50 into dads jar. If dad only spends $25 that month, he now has $75 for the next month. If dad has been wanting a new tool or car accessory, he can save up. Applies to all jars. OR you could take the remaining amount from each month and place it in a savings account.
Now if you forget to bring cash and end up using your debit card, this is what you do. You create an envelope titled, Debit Transactions. Every time you use your cards, you put the amount in cash from the jar into this envelope. This cash now becomes part of your cash for next month. The trick is to stop using your cards though, so try not to use this envelope to often.
One last thing you need is a book or proper way of tracking your cash spending as it's hard to track cash. We have this budget down pretty good, so we don't track, but we sure needed to in the beginning. Purchase a small scribbler and commit each page to a category. When you spend money from the jar, put the recipt in that jar and write down the amount in your scribbler, add it up at the end of each month to make sure your not spending over budget, make improvements, and continue on. Budgets are all works in progress, but the pay off is amazing if you stick to it!
You will find, even within the first month, you have money left in your bank account (even after all your automatic transactions have gone through) to put down on those credit cards!! Or, if credit cards aren't your problem, go to your bank and ask to open a second account. Transfer the remaining amount into that account, (what you have saved). We do online banking so I can easily move money around. You could have only $50 to put into that account or $500, doesn't matter. The point is you are saving money! After a year of $50 a month, that's $600! And to help the matter even more, make that savings account accountable.... what I mean is make it mean something. We are putting money away each month so we can purchase a second home. You might want a new car or go on a nice vacation.
2. How To Use Coupons
First, go to the Coupon page on my blog and sign up for the coupon websites (choose to sign up to all or just a few). Then go through and decide what coupons you want sent to you.
Second, you need a place to put the coupons. I went to the dollar store and you can buy an accordian purse folder for $2.00
- Baby
- Personal Care
- Cleaning Products
- Eating Out
- Frozen Foods
- Canadian Tire Money (lol)
- Milk Products
- Baking
- Non-Perishable Food
- Perishable Food
