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Sticking to a budget, what does it take?

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Subject: Sticking to a budget, what does it take?
 
 Posted on Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:20 am  
What does it take to stick to a budget? What are some suggestions that you out there have used and really been helpful? I find that I get real motivated at first but then life gets busy and the budget starts to slip. Using Mvelopes to work on my budget has really helped, now I need advice to help keep that motivation up and strong. What do you suggest?
Richard
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 Posted on Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:23 am  
welcome to CreditMagic forum


One thing that I've found to help me stick with my budget is using cash only for everything other than bills. I don't take my checkbook or credit cards to the store with me. When I'm tempted to buy something I hadn't planned on I can only get it if I have enough cash. This helps alot with impulse shopping!


richard
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TexasGuy

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 Posted on Tue Sep 12, 2006 5:25 am  
do not go food shopping on an empty stomach (it just makes you buy things you don't really need), thats a pretty useful tip i always remember Very Happy
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smilenyc07

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 Posted on Sun Sep 23, 2007 5:54 pm  
Quote:

One thing that I've found to help me stick with my budget is using cash only for everything other than bills. I don't take my checkbook or credit cards to the store with me. When I'm tempted to buy something I hadn't planned on I can only get it if I have enough cash. This helps alot with impulse shopping!


The "cash-only" strategy is something that I have been doing for a while and it does work well for me. I actually fed all my credit cadrs to my shredder last moth and I havent taken a dime out of them since then. I keep some cash on me and some money in my checking account and thats all. All my checks go to pay bills, and a put some money away in a savings account and in a 401(k) account. This way I feel tempted to buy, but not as much as when I can take my card out and swipe it. You just dont feel the money coming out of your poscket, when you swipe the plastic. It is a weird psychological "side effect" that I really dislike Very Happy

Quote:


do not go food shopping on an empty stomach (it just makes you buy things you don't really need), thats a pretty useful tip i always remember



That is a good advice also. I have actually read about it before and I have tried to go shopping on an empty stomach and then after I ate. When you are hungry you feel like buying everything.

Another thing that I do is just the goold own "brown bagging". I used to buy a lot of ready food and besieds the fact that it was junk it was also expensive. And with my constant appetite I can easily spend $30-40 per day for food only. Thats a lot of money! Buying bulk food from Costco / WalMart is way cheaper. The only issue sometimes is that I dont have the time to prep the food, but that it usually also because of my lazyness Very Happy
Laura

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 Posted on Mon Sep 24, 2007 5:59 am  
Yes I just got out of it. I mean laziness. Now I find a lot of time to work and take care of things Smile
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 Posted on Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:04 am  
The breakfast of champions (caffeine and nicotine) could bankrupt me. Fortunately for me, Sam's Club sells a case of Monster for less than $30. If only I wanted to quit smoking, I'd save approx $150/month.

As for shopping while hungry, I make it a point to eat, wait 30 minutes, then go to the supermarket. Otherwise, I DO end up buying a bunch of crap I don't really want.
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 Posted on Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:39 am  
I am faaaaaaaaaar away from caffeine. Smile
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 Posted on Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:15 am  
"I am faaaaaaaaaar away from caffeine."

I don't understand.
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 Posted on Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:23 am  
Simple....no beverages for me.

Smoking is rather bad. Worse than caffeine. Might think of quitting???? Just a piece of advice.
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 Posted on Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:49 pm  
Caffeine doesnt work for me, unless its in elephant doses Smile There is a energy drink that they sill in NYSC, that is the only caffeine-containing drink that works for me.

Lazyness is a big problem for me sometimes. I am still learning to control it, but this is my worst thing to control in myself.
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 Posted on Sat Sep 29, 2007 6:14 am  
Its only you yourself who can stop smoking. Self control matters Smile
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smilenyc07

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 Posted on Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:19 am  
Smoking is so ridiculous, I mean, you pay to kill your lungs. This one of those things that make no sense. Just like the car insurance rates Very Happy
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 Posted on Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:04 am  
I know...but I got hooked and I don't want to quit enough to make it happen.
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Laura

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 Posted on Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:03 am  
Very Happy excuses....thats ok if you are addicted. perhaps some day you will want to quit it so much so that you will leave it.
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 Posted on Sun Nov 04, 2007 2:36 am  
I use coupons and shop at grocery stores that double them, I pull the sales ad then match up my coupons with what is on sale that week. I save a ton on groceries and household items this way.

I shop on ebay for alot of my clothes and for the kids also. I also buy my tracfone airtime on ebay. Before I purchase airtime, I google airtime bonus codes so that I get the most for my money.

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