Skip to main content

Living Financially Smart

Many times people think that you have to make a lot of money to have nice things or to accomplish financial goals. That is not true. You have to have a desire to set a goal and have the drive to reach it.

Finances can be tricky. For the longest time the Hubby and I used a strict budget form that we created on the computer. We used an Excel spreadsheet and recorded every penny we spent each day. 

This allowed us to really see where our money was being spent each month. You would be surprised to see what your thought process becomes when you realize you have to write down your purchase. 

For example, I allotted $30 for myself to spend on "Shopping". This meant clothes, crafts, decorations, etc. So it really would make me think, "do I need this?" or "will I want this tomorrow?" If I couldn't answer myself with 100% yes, then it wasn't worth spending the money on, because I knew I would regret my purchase later in the month. 

If money is tight for your family, take a moment to draw up a budget. Even if you just start by writing down your purchases, you will now have an idea of where your extra money is going each day, each week and for the entire month. 

Recording your daily spending habits will also give you the opportunity to see if there is a place that you can cut back on to save money. Many people rent movies from their local store or Redbox. However, if you go to your local library they have new releases you can borrow for free. I love to get on my library's website and place a hold on movies we want to see. Then they just send me a text message when the movies are ready for pick up! 

This is just a simple way to save a couple dollars a month, but $5 a month will be $60 a year. Little things add up, so don't discount yourself by saying, "we are only saving a couple dollars, it's not worth it." 

Choosing to live financially smart is just that, a choice. You have to choose to spend your money wisely. You can't expect to live a $100,000 lifestyle on a $50,000 a year salary. No matter what choices you make, it just won't happen. You just have to choose what is important to you and your family. Budgeting is one step to living a more financially smart life!

Until next time,

Kara

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Friday Things

Blogging has been one of those things that has fallen to the wayside. Life gets busy. Anyone else with an almost two year old knows... you can't turn your back for a minute!  Anyways, I want to try to blog more often. It's a way to look back at things we have done and reflect. Time flies and you forget little things and my blog is a way to look back. So to catch up with us a little. Cassie will be 22 months this week. WHERE HAS TIME GONE? I mean we have an almost 2 year old. It's hard to think about. She is spunky, stubborn, sweet, and funny. She's talking more and more and getting louder at doing it. Our nephew has a bounce house at his birthday party and she loved it! She isn't too coordinated yet, but she will sure try to keep up with the older kids. PS. Do you see that little pony?!? I love it, but seriously if she doesn't have her hair in a pony tail it looks ridiculous. She is at the weird growth stage where she doesn't have a ton but it has a ...

Book & Movie Review- Molly's Game

Joe and I recently read the book Molly's Game. We decided we would read the book while we waited for the movie to come out on DVD. photo credit link It is hard to believe it was a true story and just not made up. I am not one who likes biographies or reading to "learn." I like a good dramatic up and down story and this fits into that category. It's an action packed book about poker, greed, and knowing who to trust.  Molly Bloom- photo credit link The book details Molly Bloom's rise to run a secret celebrity rich poker game in back rooms and fancy hotels. The book drops some big names that many will recognize from many movies we watch on the big screen. IMDb's description of the movie is, "The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier, who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target." photo credit link I would highly recommend reading the book first, because the movie does not use names ...

Being a Mom is Hard Enough...Being a Perfect Mom is Impossible

I'll be the first to say it, being a mom is hard. I LOVE MY DAUGHTER, she is one of my two bright spots in my day (my hubby being the other). I never realized until she came along how hard tackling being a wife, mom, career, house, and life would be. I am a hard-worker and Type A personality. I like to do things well and on the first time, but there isn't enough time in the day to do it all. The expectations that have been set by society or other mom's isn't what I have to be and I need to remember that. I read an article by Simple As That , it was talking about how we need to stop letting perfectionism ruin motherhood. It really hit home. My Hubby and daughter don't care if I'm not dressed in fancy clothes with my hair in place or cook a 5 star meal for dinner, they will remember if I was present and engaged with them in whatever we are doing.  I've felt like I have blinked my eyes and my daughter's 2nd birthday is approaching. Time goes by so quick...