How do you stay within your budget?

[Nupine]

I'm in my teens, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of this! I feel just a little more prepared for life now...thank you!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

For groceries, I have found that when we make things from scratch we save a LOT of money.

My oldest son likes to make pizzas.
We have a breadmaker and like the bread we make.
We buy the cheap 88 cent white bread the rest of the time.
We use 4 gal of milk a week, and so stock up for two weeks at a time.


Fewer trips to the grocery store = less money spent per month. Proven over and over for us.
We buy BIG bags of rice, flour (kept in freezer), etc. in the bulk foods section of the grocery store. And use them.

We found the cheapest grocery store in town and go there for everything possible.We usually buy the frozen juices now instead of bottled juice or refrigerated juices (but not always).

I save all the soap bits leftover from showers and combine them with washing soda and borax to make laundry detergent (grate them first).

BUT I don't skimp on our chickens' food.

Also- I cut up all our old clothes and use them for rags in the kitchen instead of paper towels. We hardly ever buy paper towels anymore. I use rags for cleaning the house too. When too soiled I throw them away- but I usually am successful in washing them.

We all use handkerchiefs that I make with my sewing machine instead of kleenex.

We shop at Goodwill and consignment stores for our clothes- and Walmart.
We keep our cars until they run in the ground.

 

[calicokat]

For just starting into this "budget thing" you can't beat The Total Money Makeover by, Dave Ramsey. It shows you how to do a budget and WHY, and gives you great advice for keeping out of debt.

We do a monthly budget ahead of each month (I usually have them drawn up for 3 to 4 months out) and then stick to it. I go to the grocery with a list of essentials we are out of, but as to planning the meals, I first go to see what's been marked down in the meat counter. If nothing is marked down (rare!), I know what is in the freezer at home and will plug in "old standby" ideas (spagetti, chix cassarole, tacos, etc.) and then continue the shopping from there. Having a plan is the key! We buy store brand/generic whenever we can. Food is one catagory that you can save tons on.

And really nothing will help you get on a budget more than carrying a small notebook around for a week and writing down every single solitary penny that you spend - where you spent it, and what you bought. When you sit down at the dining room table and total the families purchases for the week - you will be astonished, amazed and likely a little ashamed.