There are more ways to being frugal then just cutting your grocery bill. Developing a household budget is a crucial part of the quest to being frugal. There are many sites that you can visit that will help you to develop a household budget, many of them offer free templates and training. It may seem a little overwhelming and daunting at first, but what you put into it you will definately get back in the end..
Just as important as the budget, is discipling yourself to stick to that budget. I am not going to lie, it is very difficult at first, but anything that is hard to do usually has big rewards in the end. It took me a while before I could really stick to it, but once I did the rewards were really gratifying. I am now very dilligent at sticking to our budget, however twice a year I make revisions, usually in mid-January and mid-July. Semi-annually I take a look at our expenses over the last six months and do some fine tuning.
Before I begin tweeking our budget, I do some research looking for new ways to cut costs. I check to see if there are any new programs that the utility companies are offering. I check to see if I can lower the rates on our homeowners, automobile and life insurance policies. I also do some home maintance, which includes: changing the furnace filters; replacing old light bulbs; checking/repairing slow leaks in our toilets, faucets, and showers; replacing smoke detector batteries; cleaning dryer exhaust vents; checking electrical devices to make sure that they are working properly and not drawing to much electricity. Doing all of these thing semi-annually can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
When I am done doing my research and maintance that is when I begin tweeking the budget. I examine each expenses, from the previous year, and compare those figures to our budget, then I adjust them accodingly. I will then plug in any new figures that I recieved from lowering insurance premiums, adding new utility programs and/or income increases/decreases. I have to say it is really a rush when you're done and you have been able to cut your budget even further.
If you are not ready to start a budget, you might want to start by trying to lower your current expenses. Take a little time to see if you can get a lower rate on your insurances or your utility bills. Every little bit that you can do to lower your expenses will help you to "Keep More Money in your Pocket".
Good Luck! Be sure to come back and share your success stories.
Just as important as the budget, is discipling yourself to stick to that budget. I am not going to lie, it is very difficult at first, but anything that is hard to do usually has big rewards in the end. It took me a while before I could really stick to it, but once I did the rewards were really gratifying. I am now very dilligent at sticking to our budget, however twice a year I make revisions, usually in mid-January and mid-July. Semi-annually I take a look at our expenses over the last six months and do some fine tuning.
Before I begin tweeking our budget, I do some research looking for new ways to cut costs. I check to see if there are any new programs that the utility companies are offering. I check to see if I can lower the rates on our homeowners, automobile and life insurance policies. I also do some home maintance, which includes: changing the furnace filters; replacing old light bulbs; checking/repairing slow leaks in our toilets, faucets, and showers; replacing smoke detector batteries; cleaning dryer exhaust vents; checking electrical devices to make sure that they are working properly and not drawing to much electricity. Doing all of these thing semi-annually can save you hundreds of dollars every year.
When I am done doing my research and maintance that is when I begin tweeking the budget. I examine each expenses, from the previous year, and compare those figures to our budget, then I adjust them accodingly. I will then plug in any new figures that I recieved from lowering insurance premiums, adding new utility programs and/or income increases/decreases. I have to say it is really a rush when you're done and you have been able to cut your budget even further.
If you are not ready to start a budget, you might want to start by trying to lower your current expenses. Take a little time to see if you can get a lower rate on your insurances or your utility bills. Every little bit that you can do to lower your expenses will help you to "Keep More Money in your Pocket".
Good Luck! Be sure to come back and share your success stories.
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