Roxy's Personal Finance Blog

I've been really slacking on updating my blog. Just lazy I guess. I have decided not to do the $20 challenge after all. I have done our budget for this pay period and every penny is accounted for so if any unexpected $ comes in I'll just make a deposit into savings.

I am however, trying out the no spending challenge for this week. I have planned out free excursions for the week and will pack a lunch. I have the menu set for the week as well. We went grocery shopping on saturday (stayed w/in budget) so we're all set for groceries.

I am going to end the challenge on friday. I have budgeted for Matt to go get some work clothes and he'll have to go do this on saturday. I am also dropping off some clothes for consignment so I plan on hitting up another consignemnt sale since Alex will need Fall clothes big time. All of this is our budget so I don't think that it will go against my challenge. Dave Ramsey talks about putting clothing on your budget and I'm going to go ahead and get myself some things too. I look like a homeless woman sometimes and there is no need for me to look so homely.

I have also cut our phone service to the basic plan saving us around $25 a month. We both have cells so we will use these for long distance calls. I can't convince Matt to cancel the phone all together. It seriously rings twice a day and it's normally telemarketers.

Ok, so that's my update.

I did something today that I have never done before. I went to a party and didn't buy anything!!! It's a huge change because I always buy something at these parties. I can normally never afford to shop but do anyway. I did however book a party for late August. I couldn't resist. I feel too guilty not contributing.

So I have my $20 cash for my challenge but won't add anything for today since I drove around and used up gas.

Thanks everyone for the great tips and comments that will help us kick our savings into gear. I've been reading about the $20 challenge and I am going to start this tomorrow. I unexpectedly sold something on craigslist for $20 and will get the $ tomorrow. Funny how it's the exact amount that I needed!

I just have to now come up with a good chart to "pay" myself for doing the right things. I think that I'll start with this and add to it as I think of more:

Staying Home instead of eating out - $10
Buying only what's on my list - $5
Staying home for the day - $2
Packing our lunch - $2

Can't wait to see how quickly this adds up. Any tips from those already doing this?

I'm seriously thinking of talking to my DH about taking a Financial Peace class that's coming up in August. We believe in everything that Dave Ramsey teaches and listen to him pretty regularly on the radio. I just can't put a finger on what exactly is our problem with saving money. We don't ever go clothes shopping. I'm 7 months pregnant and haven't bought one single item of clothing in forever. I haven't even bought anything for the baby yet. My DH doesn't spend $ either. He comes home for lunch every day and rarely eats out.

I know that living on one income isn't easy. It just seems like a never ending cycle that we want to break. I have looked over our expenses and I am tackling one of the biggest ones now. Our grocery bill. I used to spend at least $250 every pay period (every 2 weeks or so). So far I have spent $130 on food.

This doesn't include $25 that I used to sign us up for a food program. I can't think of what it's called right now but it's run through a church and you get a ton of food. I have had a couple of people tell me about it and hopefully the food is of good quality. It'll make a serious dent in our grocery bill so hoping that it works out. I pick the food up on saturday so won't know for sure till then.

I have been lurking at so many blogs dealing with personal finance that I wanted to use this as my way of getting our savings up and our spending down.

Walmart Trip -
Generic Claritin for Matt 9.00
Gift for Donovan 10.00 (inc bag/tissue)
Toy for Alex 5.00 (potty prize)
Groceries 60.00
Total Spent Today: $84

I made sure to hit the ATM before I shopped. I can never leave Wally World with less than $100 spent. I have been going in with just cash and I've yet to go over. I make my menu for the week and write down anything that I'll need. Next to the item I'll estimate its cost and round up a little for tax. I spent $10 over what I wanted because I had only factored in $5 for a gift and shouldn't have bought Alex that toy. I told myself that I could go to the consignment sale with any $ left over but I only had $3 cash left so I came home.