Budget Website

C.,
Please let me know if you find some helpful suggestions. I'd love to do the same thing.

Thanks,
A. Gonzales

I really like mint.com.

Good luck! Other budgeting tips? If you have options in where you grocery shop, read the circulars to compare prices. It's really helped me as opposed to shopping at one place exclusively (in addition to coupons).

I just had to add another vote for www.daveramsey.com - his philosophy is great and manageable. Taking a Financial Peace University class if you can find one would be the best way to start - a lot of churchs offer them. But if you can't find one, or can't afford one - a lot of his stuff is available on his website - including a lot of his budget forms that you can download and print. Best of luck!
S.

Hi C., I don't have any great budgeting websites to share but I am going to check out the Dave Ramsey site myself. I wanted to add to Danielle's post about meal planning. This has been a tremendous help for me being on a small to nothing budget. I also go to the store with cash which means I cannot over spend. I have gotten into the habit of writing down how much things are and total it as I go so I don't go over at the checkout. I also use as many coupons as possible; this includes the Sunday paper and coupons.com. Good luck to you. You will be suprised at how much less you spend if you total up your savings at the end of the year with coupons!!

In addition to Dave Ramsey's site, www.mint.com is a FREE money management system. I'd also recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0761147489/ref=dp_...
he also has a blog.

The book is under $10. It is a six week program that's easy to follow that will get your finances in shape and set you up with savings and a budget you can actual deal with.

If you're a coupon girl for groceries, there's some super coupon programs out there atm.

Dave Ramsey and the Finaincial Peace University class changed our life too. We were deeply in debt and had lost our home. We now are doing awesome. The envelope system (putting cash into catagories each month and using ONLY that much) is such a relief. We feel like we have so much more money now, just by bugeting and giving each dollar a name. My life before was full of stress everyday about money. Our marriage is even a million times better. We communicate like never before and are a team with our money!

My heart goes out to you and I wish you all the very best for you and your family.

If no one has mentioned this before, there is a web site called pinchingyourpennies.com. Here's a link to find the great grocery deals by your state.

http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/forums/forumdisplay.ph...

It can be kind of confusing at first, but I just look at the shopping lists by the stores that are near me. I actually only did Albertson's deals. I didn't even buy a newspaper for coupons, just used the online printable coupons.
I didn't save any money while I was shopping with their lists, but I got SO MUCH FOOD! I filled up my shelves with all sorts of things. Then my husband lost his job, and I literally only bought milk and produce for about 2 months, and we just ate from the shelves in the garage. And this was all for the same amount of money I'd been spending on groceries before I started. If money's tight, you just don't stock up as much and benefit from the super-low prices.
My friend told me to only buy the things with five red stars next to them on the list. You still have to be savvy and don't buy what you don't need, and just because someone thinks it's a great price doesn't mean that you don't know somewhere else to get it cheaper. But cereal for 65 cents a box, muffin mix (makes 24 muffins) for $1 a box, etc. you know is a smokin' deal!

I have been out of the habit, but I really want to start doing it again. it was incredible! And I didn't even subscribe to 5 newspapers for the coupons like some people do!

If you need meal planning and food budget help I really like dealstomeals website. It does cost 4.95 a month to get on her website to get menus and each weeks grocery ads. But I totally save more than that every month. Her concept is don't buy it unless it is on sale for cheaper than costco and sam's club. She then goes through all the grocery store ads and gives you a shopping list, and she gives you a week of menus. She also trys to help you get your food storage. So when something is on sale like spaghetti sauce or pasta etc. You stock up on it while it is cheap and it helps you save in the long run. I get too impatient with coupon shopping so this has been a great tool for me. Then I always have food on hand to cook and it saves money by not buying take out.

For budgeting the rest of your money. I've heard Dave Ramsey is really good but haven't used him. My concept is if you don't need it don't buy it, don't use your credit card unless you have money to pay it off. If you have credit card debt pay the highest interest cards off first. The other thing my husband and I have done is really look at what we are spending money on. Do we need satellite or cable tv. Cancel it or just go for the local channels with a basic package. Same with phone service. Do we really need caller Id, voice mail etc or can we get by with an inexpensive answering machine and basic phone service.

Anyway I hope you find lots of great advice.

I have also heard about The Good Book by Pam Young that is about getting out of debt and facing your inner brat. If debt is an issue it might be worth checking into.

good luck

I do everything in cash. I pay my bills first then get my groceries, then anything else that is needed, if I have the money. I do not own any credit cards, and if I can't get it I just can't. My cousin uses the coupon system, which with the food allergies in my family I haven't been able to use, but if you go to www.fabulesslyfrugal.com they will help you with the coupon system and have all different types of coupons you can use. I know she went shopping one night and used 2 coupons each item and ended up spending $4.00 when her cart full cost over $100.00.

C., kudos to you on your frugal determination!
One thing that has really saved me money is planning a whole week's worth of meals at once. I plan meals on the day the grocery ads come out, then I make one trip to the store to buy ingredients for a whole week of dinners. I always take a list and don't stray from it. This cuts down on aisle-wandering, and it ensures that I always have stuff for dinner at home so we don't have to eat out. It sounds like you probably don't have a ton of time to cook big meals from scratch, but whatever you can do yourself instead of buying already-prepared will save you a ton of money. For example, do you really need instant oatmeal? Quick Oats in a big ol' can cook just as fast, for a fraction of the cost. Same thing with Hamburger Helper, Easy Mac, etc. There's almost always a cheaper alternative to something pre-prepared.
I also recommend the daily e-newsletter Everyday Cheapskate (found at everydaycheapskate.com) It's put out by Mary Hunt, who I think some other ladies have mentioned, and it contains tons of sound financial advice and practical thrifty tips.
Good luck to you!

I would suggest crown financial, they have a website that has a ton of great information - crown.org. good luck!

Dave Ramsey has a great program for getting out of debt, but even if your not in debt his program is great for everyday living and spending. The book is the "total money makeover". I think is website is daveramsey.com

Hi C. I would recommend signing up for a personal finance website that will help you budget and keep your finances in check. There are a lot of them out there, but my personal favorite is Green Sherpa. It's the best one out there, and it was created by a mom! They also have a great blog. The COO regularly contributes to the blog, she just wrote a post the other day about being a mom in the working world http://blog.greensherpa.com/index.php/personal-finance/pi...

Hope this helps!

www.youneedabudget.com

also check into if there are any food co-ops in your area, you can get produce for incredible prices through a co-op. I am not sure of what is in CO. but since Colorado is all about being healthy state I would guess you would have some.
Hugs and hang in there. Good luck.

Hi C.,

Go to www.daveramsey.com

If you can find a Finacial Peace University class near you I would highly recommend going through the course!! It's awesome and will change your life. My husband and I did it about 2 years ago and it has been a HUGE blessing to us. I tell everyone about the Finacial Peace class because I think everyone should go through it. It would be awesome if all of our high school students would take it too!! I wish someone would have made me when I was 18. There are also bugeting forms and things on the site to help you get started. I hope this helps! Blessing to you!

Here are some some ways I've found to save:
Costco membership: I usually save the fee in the first trip. Consider going in on a membership with a friend.
Big Lots: Watch out for quality, but you can really find great deals for necessities and gifts.
Dollar Tree: Of all the dollar stores I've tried, this is my favorite. Again, watch for quality.
Website coupons: Many manufacturers have coupons for their products, just by going to their website or signing up for emails. I would keep a separate email address for these, as they can be overwhelming.
Savers: Specific locations have great selections, while others' aren't so nice. A great option for finding clothing and not paying retail prices. (I still have to draw the line at underwear - Target or sales at Victoria's Secret work fine).
KOOL 105: Their website has weekly restaurant deals where you can get huge discounts. If you want to be able to eat out once in awhile, this is a much cheaper way to do it.

Hope this helps!

Hi there,
I used Dave Ramsey's book, good stuff! One thing I do I am not sure they do in the book though is I do my entire yearly budget and then divide it by month. I try to go by the previous year on areas like health/medical, car repair and maintenence, kids activities. That's great you are thinking about this, it adds alot of peace if you know where you stand.

I can give you food tips for frugal living.. At one point, we had a $50/MONTH grocery budget for 2 adults/2 kids & $12 at the end of the month for "whatevers". We ate a toooon of beans. I've found that we're kind of lazy-living now (buying store "fast food" from the freezer section) so I'm getting us back to basics. I went to a farmer's market (don't do a building, they cost more, find an open-air market) & got a bunch of tomatoes, squash, onions, green beans & am in the process of cutting them up & freezing in meal-sized bags. Look online for cheap or possibly free deep freezers if you don't have one-post on craigslist.org as a "need". Maybe you'll find somebody who's willing to work with you payment-wise.
I buy 1 big steak for meals & we do it "Ohana style" (our Hawaiian neighbors taught us to share-I cook 1 or 2 pieces of meat, cut it into strips & serve it w/a filler like rice or pasta). It costs less, we eat less & I'm sure we're healthier for not consuming a steak apiece. I buy dried beans, soak them til soft enough to eat (MUCH cheaper than canned even) & I'm going to attempt to freeze those as well for quick meal prep. I buy 1.5 lb ground beef & split it into 1/3 into baggies to freeze-hambuger helper may say 1 lb of meat but it doesn't need that much! I individually freeze pork chops & chicken legs/breasts. I treat myself w/the boneless, skinless breasts when I can, but I've gotten good at extracting every last smidge of meat from between the rib bones too. We rarely have meat meals, we have meat-containing meals (stroganoff, casseroles, stir fry) I save all of my veggie scraps, except the peels & including leftovers from meals, & put them in a gallon bag in the freezer labelled "soup guts". Currently it's got everything from some steak pieces to celery, to brussel sprouts & jalapeno pieces. And make soups-they go so much further & you can freeze the leftovers in bags (lay flat to freeze & stack sideways once frozen-takes up less space) for another meal. I shop at the breadstore whenever possible & I check coupons whenever possible. I can tell you on a near-weekly basis who's got better instant oatmeal prices (between our commissary & Walmart. Walmart wins lately) & that it's sometimes cheaper to buy name brand than generic-you've got to start watching price tags & price per ounce. I have a giant laundry jug that I refill w/a mix of Cheer & a less expensive brand. The Duggers have a recipe for homemade laundry detergent on their website but I've not tried it yet. I also buy generic Walmart fabric softener, which works just as well for about 1/2 the price.
Send me a message if you need any more ideas...
Good luck!

Google "Mary Hunt". She's the author of several books about debt-free living and money saving ideas. She's author the founder of a newsletter named "Cheapskate Monthly". I think you'll find a lot of great ideas and advice from her.

Best wishes,
L.

www.grocerygame.com can help you save $$$ on groceries

have no idea where you are from but Utah Saves (i think it is utahsaves.com, not sure) has some great ideas, resources, and even classes if you are in the area!