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Do you find more money going out than coming in?
You aren’t alone! I struggled with this for a long time before my husband and I got on the same page and started budgeting. Household expenses can get expensive.
You can reduce your monthly spending even when you think there is no where left to cut costs.
Have you started a budget? Is it down on paper or in an app? If not… you can try this one for FREE for thirty days. Use the free trial to get your bills and expenses in order. If you like the program keep it (members are know to save $200 within the first few months). If you get everything in order and don’t need the program anymore cancel You Need A Budget before your free trial is up. Having a budget will save you more money than you think. And trust me this program is great it takes all the hard stuff out of setting up a budget.
Once you have a budget you can see where your money is going. You can see that you are over spending on eating out, or on coffee drive thru or on groceries. A budget will put your spending down on paper. It will also show you how much money you are making. You can also plan for future investments, taxes and vacations with a budget.
So where are you spending your money? What can you cut? Where can you reduce?
7 Ways To Reduce Your Monthly Spending:
1. Get your family on board and set up a household budget. Nothing will kill your spending more than if the kids are adding things to the grocery buggy or if your spouse is spending money out of the savings account without you knowing about it. Getting your family on board with your spending reduction plan is important. If you and your spouse need to come together on spending I recommend Financial Peace University. My husband and I went through this program and it has made a huge difference in our finances. If you need help getting your kids on board with your spending reduction Financial Peace Junior is great.
2. Stop buying things that are costing your budget. Opt for cheaper items. Opt not for the brand name item, buy the generic this month. You can learn about the 7 things we stopped buying that saved us $750 a month.
3. Set up a meal plan. Is a majority of your money going to the drive thru window or restaurant bills? Ours was! Setting up a meal plan is real easy you simply assign meals to the days in your calendar and shop according to your meal plan. No more drive thru window. If you use a slow cooker dinner could be ready when you get home. If you are stuck for meal ideas MyFreezeasy has a great meal plan program and they have yummy meal options even the kids will like. MyFreezeasy even creates your grocery list for you so you can save more money.
4. Look for ways to cut your household expenses. Is your cable bill to high? Are you running 10 loads of laundry on hot water? Are you paying for things you aren’t using. Here are 101 Super Frugal Living Tips To Cut Your Household Expenses.
5. Grocery shop with a plan. Shop the store sales, use coupons, buy generic. Buy produce in season and you will save money. Purchase cheaper cuts of meat and use a slow cooker for amazing meals. Investing in a grocery budget program like The Grocery Budget Workshop can also help you to cut your monthly grocery bills in half. $5 Dinners also has some great meal ideas that can save you money.
6. Spending time with your family is important. You can have an amazing time with your family without breaking the bank. Checkout these 75 Super Frugal Budget Friendly Family Activities. Have an amazing day together and make memories.
7. Spending time with your spouse is also important. Nurturing your relationship and communicating about life and your expenses, your dreams and your goals. You can do all of this on the cheap. You can have an amazing time with these 75 Date Ideas That Won’t Break The Budget.
You can reduce your monthly expenses. You can get your financial life in order. If you need more inspiration try The Total Money Makeover. This book changed our life.
Have an amazing day,
Cynthia
Saving & Simplicity
Are you looking to save money? Checkout these money saving resources:
Are you looking to get your finances under control and learn how to budget? You can get our free budgeting printable here. Another great resource for budgeting and learning all the ins and outs of personal finance is The Total Money Makeover. This book changed our personal finances for the better and is a must read.
If you have read my blog before you have heard me talk about MyFreezEasy meal plans and how much I love them. You have also heard me talk about all the time and money meal planning saves me. I use to choose take out or drive thru coffee or dinner at a restaurant after a long hard day. Learning to meal plan effectively helped curb that habit and now we are enjoying yummy homemade meals that our family love.
Is your grocery budget stressing you out? Are you trying to figure out how to feed our family healthy meals while you watch the price of groceries rise? You are not alone.
The Grocery Budget Workshop taught me how to save money at the grocery store. It taught me how to cook efficiently, manage a grocery budget, shop sales and coupon quickly. It also taught me how to save over $700 a month on items our family really didn’t need.
Are you ready to earn money while you shop? Yes, I said earn money while you shop. Have you heard of Ibotta? Earn cash back on everyday purchases. Simple select the items you will be shopping for in your easy handheld app, go shopping, redeem your rebates and earn cash. Simple and easy.