There are ways to get creative with a budget on a diet. Planning to take extra work or even having a giant sale of all your extras or unnecessary items is a great place to start. Turning to friends and family can also help to lighten the load on the family budget.

Tips for Stretching the Family Dollar

1. Have a “Blessing Box” that passes around between you and several other families. Place good, quality items that you don’t need anymore or can’t use in a sturdy plastic box and then pass it on to the next family. You could also include a notebook for sharing barter items (I can fix your fence if you’ll bake my casseroles).

2. Share babysitting duties. Instead of hiring the neighborhood teen for the job why not trade duties with the neighbor that has kids the same age. The kids get a fun day and you get a free night out.

3. Check out the local “Angelfood Ministry.” It is a great way to stretch the grocery budget and help out your local church at the same time. Each participating church gets some funds from the program and families have the ability to participate in a food co-op that would otherwise be impossible for most.

4. Have group meals or potluck gatherings. There are times (like after church or during sports seasons) when all families struggle to get meals together and often fall to buying fast food or eating out. Help save on those expenses by doing group meals instead.

Saving money is not the only reason to make changes or cut back. Some times the need is simple survival. During these tough economic times use some creative measures to help you and your family get through and even thrive financially.

The great thing about him is that Dave Ramsey also teaches action. All the hope in the world is not any good if there is not some action backing it up. Planning, preparing and doing are all components of hope.

Yesterday there were a few of us discussing the state of society and how so many of us are dependent on the government. Think about it – could YOU last for a month with out electricity? You rely on the government to get that electricity to your home.

The conversation reminded me of a man that decided to stay in his home along the coast of Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina came ashore. When rescue workers FINALLY found him his house was surrounded by ten feet of debris. He and his dog were on the back deck. He told the workers to go on and find those that really needed help and that he was fine. This man had no electricity, no running water and no cell phone service but he felt he was fine.

Steps to Lead from Hope to Having

1. Create a back up plan. It is impossible to know what tomorrow holds but if you know what you will do no matter what tomorrow holds then circumstances will not be able to steal your hope.

2. Do it yourself. Learning to do things on your own is a great way to explore new hobbies, save a little money and build the ability to do things on you own IF you are ever in the position to have to do them yourself.

3. Reduce dependency. The fewer things you require from others then the easier it will be for you if those others remove their support. You will also reduce the amount of control that others have on your life.

Hope is not a mysterious feeling. It comes from knowing that no matter what the circumstances thrown at you or your family you will be able to survive and even thrive.

This is the only mantra some people heard through out their lives. The job becomes the center of the universe. “I can’t do that because I would have to quit my job and move.” “I have to work longer hours because I could lose my job.” “I can put up with the horrible work environment because the benefits and retirement are good.”

Let it all go and start living life for joy instead of for the paycheck. Start spending time doing the things that you love instead of plowing through work for thirty years HOPING beyond hope to be able to enjoy them when you retire from work.

Giving up the Paycheck Security

1. Forget everything you have ever been taught about how your life should be led. Create your own path instead.

2. Admit there really is no security in a job. The company could go under, the position could be dissolved or the industry itself could become obsolete. The security has to come from your own skills and abilities.

3. Create your own retirement. Set aside a portion of your income each month so that you create your own retirement rules. Don’t focus on shielding your money from taxes because, believe you me, the government is going to get their share one way or another. Focus instead on creating a foundation for the life you intend to lead.

4. Do what you love. There are people that will pay you to decorate their house, do their grocery shopping, maintain their garden or just watch their home. Set up a service doing what you know and are passionate about and provide a needed service to the people around you.

5. Be frugal in all things. Buy what you need, wait to buy what you want and save for all your purchases so that you pay cash along the way. Saving money is the quickest way to get to a place where you can live the life that you desire.

Retirement is just code for living a life that you enjoy. Choose to live that life now – no matter what stage you may be in – by ignoring the normal route and choosing a path less taken.

I heard someone mention the other day that this economic crisis is good because it’s forcing people to look at money in a different way. I think this economic crisis is partly due to the fact that people HAVE been looking at money differently. There was no way that the country could continue to spend like it has been in the past few decades (the government included) and trouble not be an end result.

Things might be tight right now, but this wave of change will pass and the waters will settle down on their own. It would happen much faster if people would quit sending out so many boats to try and save the economy. All the boats are doing is stirring up the water even more.

Change is coming – and this is a change to more fiscally responsible living for everyone. It would be nice if the government would get on board without the need for the ordinary citizens turning the harbor into a big ole cup of tea once again.

I want to go back to a time when family and life were what really mattered. There has to be an age when money wasn’t the only focus – especially when there really wasn’t money. Maybe if we were bartering again with chickens and eggs and labor money wouldn’t be such an issue.

Don’t get me wrong – I like money. It has its purpose and its time. I just don’t like the focus that it has for most people. Recently, I landed a great job and the only thing that my friend asked was “how much are you getting paid.” Although getting the pay check was nice, it was the opportunities that the job would present that was the real perk.

It is possible to look beyond the green.

1. What is the purpose of the job, the move, the change?
2. How does it feel?
3. What is the family saying? Doing? Thinking?
4. Is this the first step or the final leg?

Take the time to look at the person and you’ll find that the money doesn’t really matter all that much after all.

1. Don’t build up debt. There is a difference between credit and debt. Credit is borrowing against money you have (like when you use a credit card to buy something that you have been saving for – the money is in your savings drawing interest while you put the purchase temporarily on your card). Debt is when you borrow money with no means of paying back the purchase (like when you run low on funds at the end of the month so you begin buying things on one of your many credit cards. The new month will not bring enough income to cover the purchases).

2. If you already have debt you can’t pay, call the creditors BEFORE your payments start being late. If you are up front with a company while your account is in good standing then that company is more inclined to work with you during your problem times.

3. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. If you aren’t going to have the payment at the end of the month, then don’t say you will. Be realistic in your promises. A lie now will only hurt you even more next month.

4. Seek financial counseling. There are people out there who make a living helping others get their finances under control. Some of them charge a fee, but some of them do it as a ministry. Look on line, look through the yellow pages, or call a local church to find someone who can help you find your way to debt freedom.

5. Stop buying now. If you are already in debt over your head then you don’t need to buy anything other than basic (food and a roof over your head) necessities. Cut every other spending that you might want to do. Get out of debt and make it a habit to stay that way.

6. Pay off highest interest loans first. Many systems recommend paying off the loan with the lowest balance. This is a good morale booster, but in the long run you will save more money by paying off the loans that have the highest interest.

7. Do consider a consolidation loan. If you have changed your spending habits and you have some equity in your home then you might look at remortgage to consolidate all the smaller debts into one loan that is a lower interest loan. Don’t borrow more than is needed to payoff the current debts. It can be tempting to get cash back for a spending spree – but it won’t help your situation in the end.

Getting into debt is easy. Credit card companies and other lenders send borrowing opportunities to everyone (even the family dog at times). Getting out of debt requires commitment, consistency, and sacrifice.

A debt free life will be a better one for you and your family now. It will also lay the foundation for a better life for you children.

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.

It’s connected to everything else I haven’t done. Because I haven’t washed the dishes, the counters are cluttered. Because the counters are cluttered, everyone piles things on my desk. Because things are piled on my desk, I can’t find the space to get my work done. Because I can’t find the space, the work gets moved over into a different pile until later. My piles are proof positive that later almost never comes.

What am I going to do to fix this mess and not fall behind every where else? I’m going to eat this elephant one bite at a time!

1. Clean off my desk (and keep it that way – even if it means putting things in a box next to the desk until I can find it a home).

2. Utilize the entire day and all weekend to catch up from my sick days – one more reason mom should never get sick.

3. Stay focused on one task at a time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when I pile up everything I have to do in front of me all at once. The discouragement usually causes me to walk away. Instead, just focus on writing my articles for write now (and refuse to look at the sink).

4. Plan rewards (short but meaningful). When I finish this task, I will have breakfast with my family. When I finish the next task, I will go outside and play for a little while. When I finish the next task, I will soak in a hot tub.

5. Get right back to it. The rewards (timeouts, breaks, or whatever you want to call them) have to be short or I’ll lose myself in NOT doing what I need to be doing. It’ll be easier to get back to it with the reminder that another reward is just around the corner.

It may not seem that my chaos is related to me not being able to stay on budget, but I know it is. I can’t know what I’m spending if I don’t keep a record of it. If I don’t know what I’m spending, then there is no way to control my spending.

By eliminating the chaos and clutter, I will be able to get right back on track to my savings plan for the upcoming year.

The last two months have been tight, and I slipped on my payments. The interest isn’t hurting too much, but if I don’t do something fast then I’m going to negate the whole reason for getting the card in the first place – the cash back program.

1. Stop using the card! Go back to paying cash or using the debit card until the credit card is paid in full.

2. Quit pretending. Once interest starts accumulating the rewards programs become moot. Stop acting like money is being lost.

3. Pay before the due date, and pay more than once. As extra money becomes available or as money gets set aside, pay it on the credit card balance. Interest accrues every chance they get.

4. Go back to what works. If the cash isn’t on hand (in the bank or in savings) then don’t charge it – plan and simple.

I made a mistake (which I still haven’t admitted to my hubby, so don’t you tell him ). Instead of getting all pious about it, I’m just going back to what I know works. It will all be sorted out soon enough if I do. It’s waiting that usually ends up getting you in a mess that you can’t deal with on your own.

If you really want to achieve financial security then have to learn to change your mindset. Ask anyone (with money in the bank and no debt) how they got to be where they are and they are likely to tell you that they didn’t spend what they didn’t have. Getting to a place where you feel secure is simple, but it is not always that easy. You will have to make some changes and think differently from before, but you can get to a place where you breathe easy when it comes to money.

1. Decide what is truly important in your life and then save for it. If you have to have the big house then work your way up by buying what you can afford first. If you want a new car then start setting aside what would have been the monthly payment for a year or two and then purchase your car with cash. It all comes down to patient choices. If you rush it, you will most likely regret it at some point.

2. Pay your savings before you pay anything else. Even if it’s just a few dollars each week, you have to get in the habit of saving money. As you grow accustomed to saving, you will find more ways to save and find that you are saving more money.

3. Do one more thing. If you already have a “regular” job then do one more thing to make some additional money. Clean out the attic and sell the items you don’t need or love (which are most of them since they were stashed in the attic). Divide the money into savings, debt reduction and just for fun. Make sure everyone in the family gets a little of the just for fun money.

4. See financial security in a new light. Having the safety net of a “regular” paycheck might be something that you have to have to feel secure in your finances. Learning that you can bring in money no matter what your situation or circumstances will get you beyond the normal walk of life and begin to lift you to the extraordinary.

5. Plan for your dreams. What would you do if you didn’t have to “make a living?” Find ways to make your dreams a reality and then begin to work in that direction.

The world and society has a particular way of determining financial security and it is an issue that each and every person faces at some point and time. Talk to your spouse and work to bring your understanding of financial security to a place you can both breathe easy.