In order to get my efund to my target goal I have kept my budget really tight. Probably too tight in some areas but I feel like I have been managing well... until now.
This pay just feels like there is so much money to be spent but I have no idea where it's going to come from. Most of it is from "entertainment" that I feel like I can't avoid.
I have also kept my grocery budget pretty tight. I include personal care items in my grocery budget. I needed to purchases some conditioner and face wash this pay so that takes a pretty good chunk ($17.00 (from $75 budget) for 1 litre of conditioner at $9.99 and face wash at clearance at $5.00 plus tax). I picked up only a few items for groceries and now I have $20 to last me for another week and 1/2.
On top of all of this I will be doing more than normal trips to the next town over for various reasons and I'm not sure I can stretch my tank of gas until next pay.
So I am feeling the pinch and I am not liking it at all. It feels stressful and reminds me again why I am so set on getting rid of the debt! I am hoping to top off my efund with my next pay and then I will feel more comfortable loosening the belt a little but not too much since I want the debt gone ASAP!
Any advice? Words of wisdom? Are you feeling the pinch too?
Thanks to the gas prices, I felt the pinch big time. I could not contribute to my Murphy Fund like I wanted. It truly hurt.
ReplyDeleteI am lucky I don't have a car.. yet... but I will need to get one by the end of this month beginning of next, sadly. Can you live off Mr. noodles for a while?
ReplyDeleteSorry you are going through this, all I can say is some months (pay periods) are better than others. It is impossible to come in under budget every month.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first started budgeting, we made everything really tight too. Then I started giving us a little more leeway in out budget categories. Like $50 here $20 there. I started doing that because I was tired of those unexpected b-day parties or oh yeah car registration is due, this helped and then if we had leftovers at the end of the month we put that toward debt/efund.
Good luck!
Niki has given the same advice I would give.
ReplyDeleteLoosen up a bit. I know you want that debt gone but it will be in time. Don't overly stress or punish yourself for a mistake you are currently working to correct,
Don't lose sight of your goal to be debt free but also don't let it ruin life now.
Kick back, smile and be happy :)
I'm not sure exactly what you've designated your "emergency funds" for, but to me, anything that is unexpected and a "necessary" expense (ie: a gift or repair) comes from the emergency fund, AS LONG AS I REPLENISH WHAT I TOOK ASAP.
ReplyDeleteI don't know... I sort of feel like if you're just trying to live, it's not worth stressing over the unexpected things in life that are supposed to be enjoyed. Maybe I'm too lenient, though? :) I am of the believe that if the rewards stop out-weighting the sacrifices, it makes it harder to stay on-target. In my humble opinion, of course.
Keep it up!
Gas and grocery prices are causing some real problems here. Summers are also very tight as one of our businesses is not fully operational, but the bills are still the same. I try to check a lot of books and dvds out of the library in the summer and also try to be outside a lot. These things are free!
ReplyDelete@ Rhitter94 - I agree. Gas prices are stupid high!
ReplyDelete@ Sarah - I'm not to the Mr. Noodles point yet but it's certainly not below me! :)
@Niki - You are absolutely right. I will be a bit more flexible after my efund is fully funded. Which should be next pay day.
@ Rafiki - Yep, gotta relax and enjoy life while still meeting goals. It's the balance that I need to find.
@ C.M.C. - my emergency fund would be for things that are totally unexecpted and require funding right away. But I tend to think of those things as more "serious". i don't think I could, without guilt, take money from it for something that just popped up, like a gift. However, I could create a fund for just such things. Which I may do. Thanks!
@ Out My Window - I love being outside and most of the activities are low to no cost - running, biking, rollerblading. I do enjoy going for a coffee with friends but again I can keep that low cost by staying away from the pricey shops. Free things are great.
Thank everyone for all your comments, advice and encouragment!
I am feeling the pinch especially with the trip we are adding but I am taking it one day at a time. I am carefully planning out my budget for food, watching every dime. We are turning everything off that we dont use and are cutting things we don't need.
ReplyDeleteIt hard but you can do it. Don't think about the things that dont get done instead think of the things you are getting done
Judy