this is how people get into debt

I was on a message board just the other day where someone asked what a SAHM can do to bring in extra income. There were a lot of great answers like doing daycare, home party type business or a part-time weekend job, but there was one answer that has really stuck with me. It was not about how to bring in extra but how to manage what was going out. The lady had a great post on how important her job was making sure every single dollar that was spent was used as wisely as possible. As important as it is to work hard and earn a paycheck, it's just as important to make the very best use of that money. She pointed out that shopping around for the best deals, using coupons and shopping the sales and only buying things the family needs will often times equal a bigger savings each month then earning a little extra. Making money is one thing, but managing it is another and both are equally important.

Making money has never been our problem. We both are very willing to work hard. Before getting married, I was working a full-time management retail job and another 20-25 hrs a week at a laundromat. Dan worked 13 out of 14 12 hour days in a factory every summer during college just to pay for rent and living expenses through the school year. Neither one of us is even close to lazy, but we have definately been foolish and very poor managers of the money we make.

I have been looking over what we made the last 2 months. I was able to make $800 from doing extra daycare in the month of May and if we had stuck to our origional budget, we should have at least another $1,500 paid off by now. It is frustrating, but I find myself saying things like, it was a lot easier to manage our money in the winter because there is so much more to spend money on in the summer. Parties and gathering, weddings, graduations, vaccations, pool pass, summer activities for the kids etc. etc. etc. Needing new maternity clothes has not helped either.

We needed to buy a few new things for our camping trips this summer. I felt like we did an okay job of planning ahead and trying to budget it all in, but we went over what we wanted to. I then found myself saying that it was okay because we had done such a great job and have paid off so much at this point. We even ended up putting a small about on a CC. I fell horrible about it. I know it's not the end of the world, but this is how is all starts. Feeling like you deserve it and coming up with reasons for why you "need" to be spending extra. I am so exhausted from watching kids and being pregnant and Dan is working extra hours to make sure he is doing the very best job he can, that it's easy to think we deserve it and that is dangerous territory. Don't get me wrong, I don't think there was anything wrong with spending a little extra on things our family will enjoy over the summer, but I know it was not planned for correctly and that is a BIG problem.

Just like the lady from the messaage board said, managing money and spending it wisely is a full-time job and very important. We do this together as a team, but it is mainly my role right now and I want to do it well.

I guess this is why getting out of debt does not, and should not happen over night. It's a learning process and it takes time to change and create new habits or you will find yourself right back where you were. I AM NOT GOING BACK!!!!

Here is what I plan to do in the upcoming months to get focused agian.

Create a new budget plan that includes blow money and budgeted spending money.

Spend more time finding and using coupons and shopping sales.

Start using the envelope system for groceries/diapers/shampoo etc.

Read "The Total Money Makeover" again. I could use the motivation!!


HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY ISAIAH!! WE LOVE YOU!
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