Year of The Budget

So I have been trying to write a post about this year and how we have decided to start living on a budget. But I have been so consumed with meal planning, writing an actual grocery list, making a budget spread sheet, shifting through bank statements, finding coupons and taking two hours to shop cause I am adding stuff up that I dont have time now to sit here and tell you much about it.

I am glad we are doing it though. Our goal is to pay more into our LOC and create some more savings. I've always known where our money goes but we want to control it a bit more so that we can do things like travel more often and buy a bigger vehicle. (just ask me about the months we spent more money on coffee than gas-and gas was at 1.40!)

I dont think it will be the easiest thing to do. But we are both comitted to it. The one nice thing I think about creating it is that we gave ourselves a weekly spending allowance (thanks Deni). Before we'd always worry about spending money on coffee or a book or whatever it was that we wanted but felt wasnt a 'wise family spending' item. Now we each get a weeks allowance and can spend it on whatever we want without worrying about it because its a part of our budget. And if I want to save it up and buy new jeans-I can-and know that we really could afford to buy them.

We also know that in order for a budget to work for us it needs to have areas for extras. A rigid budget with $40 a month for eating out just wouldnt work for us (for one theres five of us) . So when we did the budget we made sure we left room for fun things. Now we know that each month we can spend X on entertainment and X on eating out, etc. We're allowed the coffees and timbits and we can go see movies.

Nobody wants to feel deprived of things that make them feel happy. I know that sometimes a grande, non-fat, extra-hot, no whip, caramel machiato from starbucks is a needed expense if it gets me through the day without screaming at my kids or being mean to my husband.