New Year Resolution #1

The very first resolution I have on my list for 2014, is to save more money. In my orginaly post, I mentioned how this is a personal goal for us. I say this because, I am super good at eating out, buying cute little girl stuff, and over spending. Since the finances are primarily my responsibility in our household, I feel most of the burden when something isn't going the way we would like. Why I ended up with this responsibility is beyond me, because C would most likely do much better than I do.

Here are some tips for saving:

1. Keep a spreadsheet. The way I manage my finances is by creating a spreadsheet. In this spreadsheet, I outline what gets paid each and every check and how much we need to pay. I usually have everything planned out for at least 4-5 months in advance.

2. Have a list of reoccuring expenses. I have a list of every single bill we have, how much we need to pay that bill and the due dates. This helps so I don't forget to pay anything.

3. Only use your checking account for bills. We only keep the amount of money we budgeted for bills and necessities in our checking account. This helps us not to overspend (although I still do, just not as bad). The rest gets withdrew from the account and stashed away. "Out of sight, out of mind" is the key to saving more. I forget how much we have and that it is even there. I don't even consider that money when we go to pay bills, I just consider what is in our accounts. I do keep a small buffer in a savings account connects to my checking, just in case we over spend. 

4. Be reasonable. You really dont need another clippe for E hair do you? Specially when she is just going to take it out two seconds after you put it in. 

5. Don't rack up credit cards. They are super hard to pay down if you dont have a ton of money to do so. Instead use cash. If that means you have to wait to get something, then thats just the way it is. 

6. Check your checking account daily. This helps you by knowing where your money is going and helps prevent over spending. I am a visual person, so as soon as a bill come off, I cross it off the spreadsheet to show that it is all taken care of.

I hope this helps others in their money saving journey. I know it has changed our lifes when it comes to saving.