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More Money Means Less Spending

It is almost the first of the month AND it’s a brand new year. We got a raise. It would be easy to say “why worry about a budget – we have plenty” or to add lots of new items to our budget. Instead, I’m determined that we will stick to our original budget and move the savings into an account all its own.

1. I will write down every penny we spend. I bought a ledger to be able to keep up with all the monthly expenses by category. I have already marked in that ledger what is allotted for things like groceries, gas, etc. Every time a check gets written or a card gets swiped, I will record it in that ledger. You can’t save money if you aren’t aware of what you are spending and where you are spending it.

2. I won’t spend money that isn’t in the budget. That means that if I run out of grocery money then I have to make do with what is in the pantry (it’s not like the pantry is any where close to empty). If I see the perfect shirt on sale, it will have to wait. I don’t have money in the budget this month for mommy clothes. If I don’t feel like cooking – tough. I’ve laid out a menu for the month and there is no excuse for not putting the food on the table.

3. I will put the extra in a savings account. I always SAY I’m going to save, but if I leave it in the general fund then I’m generally going to use it. Today I am going to open an account specifically for this money.

4. I will continue to push my writing so that more money continues to come in. My goal is that I will be earning the same paycheck as my husband. If we continue to set all that money aside then we will be in a position to pay off our mortgage in the blink of an eye.

5. I will set aside certain funds from my writing for my writing. Anyone who works from home knows there are expenses that will come up. I have determined that all money I make from print work will go specifically into my writing account. That way any expenses I incur I can pay.

Our budget doesn’t have to expand just because our income expands. We have been living a good, comfortable life over the last year. Instead of throwing the new money away, I am going to work harder to make sure that money makes its way into savings.

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