When we are budgeting, part of what we do is start to organise our lives. This is only natural for our finances – and very important – if we want to understand money and be better at managing money. A budget organises the expenses and income of a household, sets targets and strives to help people reach their goals. And it lowers overall stress in the lives of everyone involved.
And lowering stress can also be done through organising the household in general. While for most people it starts with the budget, it can also start with better organised schedules, getting rid of clutter, and general cleansing of the whole home. And if it doesn’t start there, perhaps the budget concept is useful to keeping the whole household organised and can be applied there. Getting the home organised leads to a higher level of happiness and ease in the household. Organising also leads to less clutter, a cleaner and healthier home, and can be a source of pride! Imagine how you would feel with visitors in the house who really notice that the place is in good shape and always presentable.
Like a budget, we can start by trimming the excess by decluttering. From there it is easier to manage what does belong in the house and what doesn’t, finding a place for everything and keeping it categorised where it belongs at all times. This means dishes in the kitchen or dining room, not on the coffee table or in someone’s bedroom. And from there the categories can be trimmed as needed. Does one really need 25 pairs of shoes? Can things be rotated by season?
And once the current categories are organised, then keeping track of “income” can be better managed as well. What objects is the hosue gaining, and are they necessary? This can tie directly into the budget exercise and bringing the two of them together can really help keep a house organised and clutter free! Don’t get anything more than what is truly necessary for a house. Not every wall need have a picture. And knick-knacks really don’t serve a purpose.
Find places for necessary papers and objects (and not all papers are necessary). Put things away right after they’ve been used. Never handle anything more than is necessary. And if something hasn’t been used in a year, it probably can be donated, given away, or trashed. Organising and sticking to the organisation “budget” can help lead to a happier, easier life. And organising a house can also (surprisingly) mean less cleaning is needed overall. Hmmmm… for me that’s motivation enough to keep it organised!
For a few tips on home organisation, I found a good article called “The twenty-seven most important rules for keeping your house in order.”
Some Ways to Spend Less This Season (or Any)
It’s something that we all want to think about – spending less for the holiday. But for many people, thinking is as far as it goes. The most common concepts involve “Secret Santa’s” and gift pooling. And there is also making gifts. There really are a lot of ideas to save on spending for the season. Maybe this should be done every year (and throughout the year) in order to keep our sanity and a little cushion for “just in case.”
Here are a few brief ideas…
- Make gifts – these can be anything that you honestly think the recipient will appreciate, whether it’s putting together a gift basket of teas and sugars or hand-crafting a hope chest for a child.
- Gift pool – go together with someone in order to afford buying a gift that would be out of reach for either of you alone.
- Special certificates – NOT store gift certificates! These are certificates redeemable for your help in areas that the recipient would really appreciate and could help in the daily life of that person!
- Time – similar to the above, but not for chores or similar help. One of the best gifts I ever got was a card that was redeemed for one day of whatever I wanted from the giver, redeemable at any time. Of course I was good about not making her take a day off, but it was a great (and inexpensive) day spent together. That was very memorable!
- Trade – yes, trade. If you have something that you can trade with someone for another object that you know someone else would like, then do it!
I’m certain that there are many, many other ideas out there. Why not let me know some of yours?
To read more on this topic, see my article on suite101.com: Holiday Budgeting in Tough Times
Tags: budget gift ideas, frugal giving, gift savings, holiday gift giving, saving on gifts
How to Properly Shop with Coupons
Coupons are often touted as great money savers and the greatest way to save on groceries, household supplies, even clothing and home construction. Need some eyeglasses? There is certain to be a coupon for it. Whatever your needs, you can find a coupon for some supplier.
The way that coupons are touted by some finance and budget advisors, you would spend half of your Saturday scouring the internet and newspapers looking for the best deals and clipping coupons. This is a waste of your time! How much will you really save if you clip all of the coupons that you find for items you like or need?
Firstly, look at what the deals are that each coupon shows. Now ask yourself if you really need the items on the coupon. If the answer is “no” then you aren’t saving anything, since you are either wasting money on something you don’t need (so you are throwing money away), or you have just wasted your time with the coupon. Don’t clip it or give it a second glance. Coupons are really just advertisements that are used in order to get new sales or promote customer returns and loyalty. And they are effective advertising!
The key with coupons is to know ahead of time what you need and stick with that, only. Most people will use coupons for groceries, as these are the most common coupons that we see. And they are the easiest to find. They lure you from grocery store or brand to another. And sometimes they include special offers that entice a person to buy more than what would normally be needed or used. For example, the grocery store that I shop at often has a special marked down price on items if they are bought in certain quantities, such as $1.00 each if bought in groups of 3; $1.28 for a single item. If you don’t need 3 of the items, why would you buy 3? You’ve just spent $1.72 on something that you didn’t need, and are likely to throw at least one of those three away. This means that you would have spent $1.50 each for the two that you did use. So where are the savings? Of course if you were going to buy the 3 items in the first place, then you will save.
This same grocery store has a large bulletin board posted directly inside the entrance of the building filled with coupons that you can tear off and use for the trip you are going on that day. This is very clever of them, as all of these items are then advertised and the coupons often entice people to buy items that they wouldn’t otherwise. But you won’t fall for that, will you?
The point is to not use coupons except for items that you would already buy!
In order to do that you have to have certain strategies whenever you go shopping or even looking for coupons. The first thing is to make a list of what you need. Complete the list before you look for coupons. Then when you look for coupons seek only those items that are on your list! It doesn’t matter if you see a great deal on something that isn’t on your list that you might like. It isn’t on the list, so you don’t need it. Don’t buy it! Don’t even think about buying it.
Advertisers love coupons and special offers, because these things really do get people to buy things that they don’t need. Take a look around your house and the homes of your friends. Guaranteed that you will see many things there that are never used – probably aren’t even thought of – and serve no purpose. But they looked cool at the time, maybe they were a fad, the advertising for them was good, and they weren’t expensive. And that’s why they were bought. And how much money over the months and years is wasted on buying things that aren’t needed? Do you really want to keep following that pattern?
Coupons and special offers are useful. They allow you to try new brands that you wouldn’t normally buy. [We all already know about brand names being overpriced.] This really won’t make a difference to your pallet, but it can make a difference to your budget, if the special offer or coupon makes the brand name cheaper than what you normally buy. And that is always a good thing!
Remember, there are three steps that must be followed:
- Make a list
- Find any coupons that are on that list only.
- Cut your cost by using the coupons on items you would already buy.
Tags: budgeting tip, budgeting with coupons, coupon clipping, grocery coupon, using coupons
Choosing the Important Jobs for Your Money
The setting of a budget is really about choosing what jobs you want your money to do for you. Whether it is paying your monthly obligations or saving for a vacation, each thing that you assign your money to do is a job for it. As the boss, you have to decide which priority is most important for your money to do. Assuming that you are in a situation where you have enough to meet your monthly basic needs; then you have to choose what job or jobs the rest of the money has to do.
Firstly, of course, there are basic needs: food, clothing and shelter. While there are ways to lower these expenses and limit the jobs that your money has to do there, that is talked about elsewhere. Once these basic needs are met, then the remaining money needs something to do. For if you don’t assign a job to your money, you will spend it on frivolous things, sometimes that you will regret, when you could benefit better by having a pre-set assignment for your hard-earned cash. So where should the remaining amounts be assigned? Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: better, budget categories, Budget Tips & Advice, budgeting system, how to budget, learning to budget, managing money
We all need to shop. In our modern world, we can’t barter or build everything that we need or would like. And there are a lot of wonderful things that can be bought to make our homes look better, clothes to make us look good, and items to help make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Things that are nicer, more attractive, better quality, or simply less expensive than what we could make on our own. And thank goodness for coupons!
I’ve recently been looking at coupon sites, and one that really caught my attention is FindSavings.com. In reviewing this site, I found that the site is very comprehensive and has a huge array of coupons to offer in pretty much anything I could think of. I liked that it has a category menu that is easy to follow and includes feature offers directly on its home page. I also like the menu that allows one to look for coupons by type.
In searching through the site, I found that there are some great stores, including some of my favourites, such as The Children’s Place, Home Depot, Office Depot (hey, I work a lot from home), and more. There’s a discount on a tunnel play set that I bought for my kids from Back to Basics Toys. My kids like the tunnels and tents so much that I actually keep one of the tents set up all the time for them to play in. I even found one for Mikasa, which will help in finishing out my holiday china set!
Coupons really are a great way to help stay within your budget. And online shopping can help to save you stress (not to mention time and travel expenses), by making it easier to see what you want. The majority of the coupons offered at FindSavings are for online shopping, I discovered. The only disappointment I had with it was when I saw the Safeway link and found that the coupons there were for online shopping only. I sometimes pick things up at Safeway when I am near there. It saves me time to buy things at a store I’m close by already, and having a coupon to use in the store would make it even better!
One store I just have to mention is Swiss Army Knife – I just love their stuff. But I’m a bit of a knife nut and outdoors enthusiast, so I’m biased in that way. With the coupons offered I could spend my entire entertainment/toys budget just on that store alone, and not feel too guilty. 
With categories of coupons for just about anything you can imagine, a site like FindSavings can really help. Whether it’s books, electronics, food, clothing, pets, travel, toys or hobbies – or more – coupons can really help with keeping your budget by lowering your costs. Why pay full retail when you don’t have to?
Sometimes sticking to your budget is very difficult. You want a little better dinner one week, or you really need a night out. Or maybe it’s someone special’s birthday and you really want to show how much you care. Reasons like these are things that can easily cause one to skip on the budget and end up getting into trouble financially.
Depending on how tight your budget is, even a few dollars or a night out can make it hard to continue – and you may end up suffering for weeks because of it. Therefore, forethought and planning can really help you to stick to your budget, regardless of other factors. Have a serious look at the effects of not sticking to your budget.
For some people, not sticking to the budget can actually mean losing other things in their life. The effects of this over a longer term can mean repossession of items, creditor calls, or (worst of all) bankruptcy. In order to stick to the motivation of staying on budget, always review your reasons for having a budget in the first place.
- Is there something that you are saving for?
- Are you in trouble with creditors?
- Are you desperately trying to get out of debt?
- Do you simply have a very limited income?
Whatever your budgeting reasons, they should be your motivators.
Sometimes it really is hard to stick to a limited budget. It takes strength. It takes perseverance. And it takes a lot of will.
But looking at the bad effects, especially over the long term, really can help you to motivate yourself. So, no matter how desperately you want to spend on something that you shouldn’t, use your original motivator for a budget to keep you in line. Review your reasons. Write them down. And read them daily! Maybe even read them several times a day. Even discuss your reasons with a trusted friend or family member. It’s amazing how much having someone that you trust can really help you.
And find something to help make you feel good. Preferably something that won’t affect your budget.
Maybe you can do something that doesn’t cost much (or is free!). Or maybe you have some room to move a very small amount from one budget category to another to do something to help you. And sometimes, just a hug and talking with a good friend can really help!
Tags: better managing your budget, budget help, budget management, budget strategies, motivation
Money Wasters You May or May Not Have Thought Of
(This is one of my more tongue-in-cheek articles)
Everyone always wants to find ways to save money. Why? There are so many ways that it is easier to just throw money away, without even really thinking about it. Here are a few of those.
- Never wash a full load of laundry. In fact wash only one or two pieces of clothing in a machine load. It is so much better that way, as not only do you waste power, water, and detergent, you can get the extra work in that it takes to wash clothes in several loads. Use lots of soap, so that you have to run them through the rinse cycle twice to get it all out. At least your clothes will be clean!
- Wash your dishes with the water running all the time. Make sure it’s as hot as you can possibly stand it, too. With both of those, then you can waste water and gas at the same time!
- Always take baths. Baths use more water, so that way you can throw money down the drain. Of course, that isn’t the case if you decide to have a shower that is so long that you run out of hot water. That would be even better. And make sure to do it every day, twice a day, if you can.
- Water you lawn every day for the greenest grass in the neighbourhood. Heck, make sure that the water runs all over the sidewalk and is on full blast! Also do it at the hottest time of day, that way the water evaporates quicker, making it less efficient. And do it for at least two or three hours, just so that the lawn gets a really good soaking!
- Use every light you can in the house. Never open curtains, as that lets in natural light that is better for your eyes. Always use the old style light bulbs, too. These bulbs take more power and don’t last as long, so that makes them even better for the electric company.
- Keep your thermostat as low as you can in summer, so the A/C runs full blast. In winter, keep it as high as you can tolerate, so the heat works overtime. This will make sure that you use the maximum energy you can. Don’t ever change this for vacations or when you’re at work, either.
- Use your gas fireplace at every opportunity, even in summer. Hey, it looks cool and makes for great conversation! If it gets too warm, you can always open a window.
- Always buy brand name! This work for everything, from groceries to clothing. Everybody knows that generic products are usually brand names repackaged or something manufactured exactly the same way with the same ingredients (for drugs and food), but just to be sure you’re getting your brand buy the ones with the right labels. At least you know what you’re getting, then.
- Always buy new! This is especially true with technology. Having the latest technology trends shows how cool you really are. It doesn’t matter if the price will drop in three months to 50% of what you pay, and then all the quirks and bugs will be fixed. You gotta get it now!
- Wait on auto maintenance as long as you can. If the manual says 3000 miles / 5000 km for the oil change, then wait twice that, that way you know you’re getting your money’s worth. Of course if the engine seizes, that might be cool, too. Who has seen that? At least you’ll have something new to talk about! Same goes with tires. Don’t check them, ever. Just wait for the inevitable blow out, so that you can have a little adventure on the freeway when it happens.
What other wasters are there? I’d love to hear them!
Tags: better managing your budget, budget planning, budget tips, Frugality, learning to budget, saving on household expenses
Anyone who actually sits down and does a budget realises that setting goals is important. The objective of having a budget is to actually set and meet your financial goals. Budgets follow some pretty simple principles. You write down what the goal is – such as paying all of the bills and having some money for savings and entertainment; then you write the objectives – these are each of the actual amounts that you need financially, including where the income to meet these is coming from; then you itemize the tasks to meet these objectives – paying bills on time through the use of your budget spreadsheet. And voila! You are able to meet your goal!
It sounds pretty simple. And sometimes it is. This principle can be followed in order to meet any goal in life. State the goal. Write it down! Read it and make sure it’s measurable, just like your budget is. A goal that isn’t measurable isn’t really a goal. There needs to be a timeline associated with it (just like a budget). Then write down what objectives are needed to accomplish that goal. If it’s financial, then it’s very easy to measure. But if it’s not, then measurement might be a little more difficult at first. This sometimes requires some real thinking about the goal and what it is that you really want. A fitness goal, for example, Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: financial goal setting, goal setting, meeting your objectives
We all know that the future is uncertain. It’s a fog that we cannot see through and understand the exact events and timings of what will happen. Regardless of how well we plan things, we know that events can conspire to change what we expect to occur. Some people use this as an excuse to simply live for the moment and do not even plan beyond the next day in most things.
Is this really a good idea?
Living for today is always a good thing. If we cannot live for the time that we are actually living and instead live in another moment, whether it is the future or the past, then we are not truly living. However, only living for the present moment is not a good thing either. It has been stated (I forget where) that most people truly do not think beyond two or three days in the future. And this is also why people don’t truly make long term goals, for the most part. And perhaps it’s also why budget planning is not a big part of what we learn growing up. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: budget planning, handling money, making goals, personal budgeting, retirement planning
Is Retirement Planning Worth the Effort?
I recently heard someone comment that saving and planning for retirement really isn’t worth the effort. The idea here is that people who plan to sit around and read or just simply relax but are presently working very hard to build a financial nest egg probably won’t need it, as they won’t really be able to retire; they’ll get too bored.
While it’s certainly possible that a lot of people will get bored upon retirement – in fact, it’s quite common – planning for financial freedom is still a good idea. But don’t go overboard. There are some people who will work two, even three, jobs simply to save as much as possible, living extremely frugal lifestyles so that they can retire comfortably in ten years or less. Is it really worth it?
What are these people giving up in the present to work so hard for their retirement? Such “workaholics” often have problems maintaining relationships. They pass over invitations from friends and acquaintances to have fun. They tend to be somewhat limited in their outlooks on the world, even if they are well educated. Is it really worth it to have nothing in life but work for years on end? What about building relationships and living in the world as well?
While retirement planning is a good idea, and savings are certainly necessary, the pursuit of money shouldn’t be above all else. Who ever heard of someone on their death bed wishing they had spent more time in the office?
Tags: investing, multiple streams of income, personal finance, retirement planning, starting a business, ways to save money
