Sunday, April 27, 2014

Weeding Out Those Expenses

Ah, even though spring is in the air, I really haven't taken advantage of it due to juggling two jobs. Again, my budget has gone out the door, and a few overdue gifts probably pushed me over the limit this month. But now that regular paychecks are underway, paying the bills should become much easier, along with keeping track of my spending!


Hope you guys have been getting out and about and working on those gardens! Now that spring is in full force, it's the perfect time to start weeding out that small plot of land and planting those seeds. Along those same lines, it's the perfect time to consider weeding out your budget. There might be some expenses that are no longer relevant, or there might be some that have gotten wildly out of control.

Evaluating your budget before the summer gets in full force allows your to know where you stand before going on vacations. Hopefully you have been saving money all year long for these trips, but perhaps you still haven't set up your budget for eating and souvenirs. If you find yourself overspending month after month on pleasures in the here and now, you won't have enough to splurge on that restaurant that is a must try. It's also never to early to start thinking about Christmas spending at the end of the year!

As for me, I've definitely been looking at my budget and seeing where I can and need to cut back. Now that my job has no places for me to easily eat out at, my snacks budget is almost non-existent. However the bf and I will not be taking any vacations this year, so we are more likely going to have date nights and spend a bit more exploring restaurants in the area. Making sure that weeds don't grow over the important parts is what makes gardening and budgeting worthwhile!

What are the areas in your budget that need to be looked at? Do you know which areas you can readily cut down or need to increase? 









6 comments:

  1. We just cut our satellite. It literally shuts of tomorrow. Its going to suck, but thats 100.00 bucks in our pocket and 100.00 less going out of account like clockwork each month.

    I think it will be really good for us. We are not looking forward to it, but I know in the long run it will be a good thing.

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    1. Exactly! It all helps out in the long run. And there are so many other fun things you guys can look into doing together!

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  2. There are some extras I could cut out, but often instead of "going out" I opt to spend the night in, so I'll keep paying for my satellite dish and Netflix. Thank for the reminder though :)

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    1. Staying in is always fun! Especially on the rainy/windy days with a bag of popcorn and a few good movies or boardgames!

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  3. Well, apparently I need to increase my car maintenance planned spending by about another $25/month. I'm trying to keep my spending under wraps and my budget seems to be doing OK, but my debt repayments are pretty stagnant (the whole living off my EF at the moment).

    Honestly, I've been trying to figure out how to cut our cell phones. We don't have a landline, but our two cell phones (smart phones) are nearly $150/month. Insanity!

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    1. That's a lot of money for two cell phones! Is there any way that your company offers rebates or a monthly discount if you sign up with a certain provider?

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