PERSONAL BUDGET STORIES - WHAT EXPENSES HAVE YOU CUT OUT OR CHANGED IN THE LAST 2 YEARS????

going out to eat..WOW!!!!

Great!!

That house payment makes a big dent in the cc payments don't it? Just wait until you can start saving that house payment for yourself!!

Is everyone got a little something in Emergency Funds???

I used to teach three months of living expenses, years ago but now you need a year or more...not hard to do with no debt, but extremely difficult for the average person...

Yes I would think Now You need 18 mos of cash for basic bills

Depends on your skills and profession...if your career is cashier at wal-mart you could get a job doing that most anywhere...but a friend of mine paid a hundred grand for his son's education, has a degree in business, and he drives a parts delivery truck and still lives at home with his parents at 25.

Everything is cut.
Lower wages. (if you'e lucky to have a job)
Food.
Gas.
Thermostat way down.
No vacation.
No paid hoildays.
No health insurance.
No dental.
Only buy what I really need.
Basic cable/internet.

You name it, it's all been cut.
That goes for many people I know.

Some things shouldn't be cut though...my brother, against my warnings, cut his car insurance to liability only...he was making payments on it too and totaled it. So now he's paying off a car loan with no car...

Yes that is a huge risk ...
I cut my car payment by getting rid of it and buying a cash beater.. I swear the thing makes ugly noises, missing hubcaps and reminds me of a smaller version of the Car From Uncle Buck!!!!

Take Your Pick Of Any One Of These Ugly Cars
[link to jessicafletcherisahack.blogspot.com]

We didn't really give anything up to pay off the house. We came into a chunk of money, and decided that to pay off the house would be the best way to go. Now, I do watch what I buy at the grocery store..I use coupons, I think out loud.."Do I need this?" I have not gone on any trips this year. I've learned that I've already got most of what I want...so down sizing is what I'm into now. Selling stuff on e-bay. Getting many cents off my gas per gallon using my "pig points". (from the local piggly-wiggly). On line I use e-bates portal. I get cash back in my paypal account four times a year. Right now all the extra money I can come up with goes for my daughter's wedding.

Yes, I've got enough for six months. This is not touched at all! I add more when I can.

Bye bye cable.

Bye bye TXU.

Bye bye anything hollywood related. Celebrities. pfft.

Ramped up the gardening.

Good CarolB ... Those Weddings Can Get Out Of Control.. But Sending Blessings For A Bright Future.
Yes I took a hard look at our"stuff" and most is crap!!! I am having a garage sale 1st weekend in October -it will give me extra money for my daughters birthday so I will not go into our food budget

No TXU -who did you go with??

Reliant this time around.

Also, no car payments. Ever again. I've bought one new car in my life (well, van) in 04.

Used cars work just as well!

And no luxury.

This last electric bill was half as much as normal. As you know, we still had plenty of 100 deg days in that time frame.

And the U.S. starts to live.... beautiful

Yes we Fired TXU about 5 yrs ago too!!!

Used car is great ... I dread the day my ugly backfiring Uncle Buck Car won't roll anymore(its a 98 only paid $900cash )

Good news is it is so ugly that I do not have to worry about it being targeted for theft

Haha! Me too! Left a hubcap off on purpose for additional "flair". ha

TOO FUNNY!!!!!!

Last Edited by TXREPUBLICHONEY on 09/16/2011 02:37 PM

Its getting tough for me too.

When i retired I paid off my mortgage (phew) Owning the roof over my head was a priority.

I have a pretty small income, getting smaller by the day.

I have savings to cover my regular bills for about 2 years.

I have made door curtains and draught excluders so i can lower my heating.

When i boil a kettle I put unused water in a thermos flask to save on the electric.

When i walk my dogs I carry a rucksack and collect tree
branches, a weeks collection equals a nights heating ( if you have a chimney unblock it now ! I dont give a **** about zoning laws, if you are freezing burn stuff LOL)

I have gone down to the absolute bargain brands in all my local stores EXCEPT when there is a good offer on good meat.

I have bought a push bike, i do have a cheap car but it looks like that will have to go due to petrol, insurance and road tax prices.

I am going to build a bike trailer !

I am a gardener but the short gardening season (and small garden size) here in the UK means home grown is a welcome addition but certainly cannot provide enough to live on.

Ah well enough from me, good luck all, its going to be a rough ride

i have cut down on magazines i used to buy loads but now i buy so few i cant even recognise most celebrities.

i stopped buying or renting dvds, instead i record any movies on tv, even ones i wouldnt normally watch.by doing that i have recorded some crap which i turned off after ten minutes, but i also have seen some really good movies which i might otherwise have missed out on.

i stopped buying chocolates and coke at the local shops and waited till i went somewhere to buy them much cheaper
(about a third of the price) in bulk and used these instead.

i started to shop at cheaper stores eg aldi

i am trying to cook what i need now rather than buy it readymade

i am doing things like buy a really nice scented shower gel which is a bit more expensive but also but plain ones really cheap and use half and half of each which works out cheap

save bits of soap to make another bar out of by melting them down

if i see a bargain buy lots of it at that time

instead of using a whole pack of chicken at one meal, divide it in four and get four meals out of it, in a sauce with vegetables nobody realises there is less chicken

start using less expensive brands some are really nice and you cant tasts the difference


turn out all lights except one room.

In winter i have thought that we will only live in one heated room all winter and make that room really warm using blankets, slippers, cozy cushions, etc, windows covered.The rest of the house will be a little cold but we wont be using the other romms for long anyway, and put hot water bottles in bed to warm it up.I think that'll be really cozy especially if it snows and we are all cuddled up with hot chocolate.

I bought some land - went solar...everything off-grid. So i no longer have utilities.

Spending only on (essential) groceries, fuel for the car and propane gas.

Little income, little outgoings - only way i could get out of the rat-race.

Life is harder but i do have all my own time back instead of giving it all to someone else, every friggin' week of the year just so i can pay for some conventional house.

I harvest my own crops aswell as wild food - so grocery shopping is getting more and more minimal.

I aim to not need to go grocery shopping soon...i aim to not need cash. Cash is king - only for now.

Thanks so much for sharing my UK Friends!!!
You are really thinking ahead especially about picking up the sticks when you walk your doggie !!! If the cheap car is paid for..you can keep it in case of severe emergency so you and your doggie can get out of the area .

Yes making due for 2-3 meals with 1 large package was a big adjustment - That is where I discovered my new best Friend MR CROCKPOT ...

Yes Cash is King for Now ... But I am so glad Credit Is Out of My Life

AnyMore Budget Stories?????

Everything has become Need over Want. I only do Starbuck's now for my occassional want and my gadgets if I have money in that account. The only debt is $19k left on my 2010 Prius.
My Budget:
Food: $75
(mostly home cooked from scratch and a garden.)

Cable/Internet: $50
(local channels only and 20mg speed..got a year special)

Netflix: $10
(download only)

Computer/Gadget:$50
(I put $50 a month away in a Credit Union so I can buy a new gadget whenever I want)

Car Payment $500
(I over pay by $35 a month. I should sell it and get a pre 1973 car, in case of an EMT)

Space Rent $575
(I went into foreclosure and moved to a mobile home 6 months ago. This includes garbage, sewer and water.)

Gas/Elect $50
(Yep, only $50! Set to 80 in summer and 68 in winter. All windows open from sunset to sunrise and anything I don't use daily, like the TV, microwave, etc, is unplugged completely.)

Clothes $5 (if that-I repair or thrift shop)

Grooming $2 (haircut every 4 months for $5)

Misc $25. (movie, music, etc, soap, bleach)
Car Ins $100
House Ins $50
iphone $80
Gas oops $75
Total $1650ish
and I'm single and really don't need anything else. Take out the car and it would be $1025ish a month. I have accumulated nice things over the years, so my trailer, which I am embracing, is very comfy. I am rich. Poor is a state of mind. If I have a book, my eyes and my health, I'm good.
I put the rest in a Roth IRA, A 6 month Rainy Day fund and a 403b. Oh, I usually spend about $25 on an extra bag of beans or rice, or coffee, for reserves. Since I'm a teacher in CA I will not be able to get Social Security. It's Obvious I'm prepping to be making very little down the road.

Last Edited by Fhre A'an on 09/16/2011 07:35 PM