This is the first real paycheck in our new budget style of sending a ton of money to the card. I sent a ton of money to it a few weeks ago, but since then we’ve had a vacation that was hedonistic to say the least. I’m starting my spending fast with this check as well. I will be spending on needs only from here until eternity it feels like, but it’s only a year. I fully expect that Hubby will want to go out to eat at some point or go to the movies, and we’ll do that, but I won’t be the one to suggest it. We do have some play money left over after bills are paid and necessities are taken care of, but I’m going to try not to spend any of it.
I focus a lot on meal planning because that’s the last area besides books that I really spend a lot on. Books are out unless I trade them in for credit. No new books, even from the thrift store. That’s going to hurt but needs must. Food is going to be from the list and once a week. I’m going to start taking inventory of the pantry and freezer each week to see what we’re running low on and be a devotee of the sale ads. I’m all caught up on laundry, so now is a good time to recommit to hanging it again. I have a nice, sturdy garment rack that does an admirable job of holding an entire load. I have plenty of hangars, too. No excuses. I will use up my reserves of store bought cleaners (laundry and dish soaps), and then start making them again. This time I’ll make them in large quantities so that the ingredients don’t all get rock hard and unusable again.
I spent a lot of time and money shopping in the past. Even lately I’ve been shopping more than I had in the last year or so. I’m going to have to stop cold turkey. I have made out a list of needs vs. wants based on the reverse budgeting that I did with the Debt-Free Living book. All those little bitty $4 to $11 purchases on Amazon really added up. I have deleted the Amazon app from my tablet. No more shopping to pass the time.
I can’t believe I got back into that habit! Just goes to show what happens when you lose focus. It was sneaky, too. We had more money available because I was paying minimums to the debt. I started buying things with coupons which is always bad for me. I will buy things just because I have a coupon for them, or I buy ready-made things rather than take the time to make them myself for way less money (like the soaps). I collected coupons and bought a ton of something even though it wasn’t actually on sale. “But I have a coupon!”. I stopped meal planning and paying attention to what we ate. I started shopping for whatever I wanted rather than what we actually needed. Soon enough I was back to my old spendthrift ways. That wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t have debt, but we do. Paying the minimums was never going to get us out of debt. It’s never a good idea.
For now, we are sending a hefty portion of our paychecks to paying off the credit card, and I’m going to learn to be vigilant even after we’re debt free. For now, we are going to pay off $11,887.51 in debt and save $10,050 before we move. That’s the goal and I will accomplish it. We need to give a carpet allowance with the house because the carpets weren’t great when we got the place and they’ve been through 11 years, several animals, and two kids. Carpet allowance ahoy!