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We are DEBT FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

January 30th, 2010 at 08:58 pm

We are *DEBT FREE as of this morning. I paid the last $1,000 just hours ago. Who would have thought two years ago this girl would ever be standing here. AND it all started with one little computer click of "Living beneath your means", and the adventure had began.

Now we are going to get me a newer snowmobile. Our income tax return will be $2,500 and next month we will have another $2,000 from my paycheck to go with it. Crossfire here I come.


Then we will start putting $500 away every month to take everyone to Disneyland or Disney words. It will only take two years and we will have $12,000 to help take everyone the see M I C K E Y M O U S E.


AND I know One Day at a Time, we will never be in debt again because this last two years have taught us tons.


*Except our house. Which we owe under $55,000 on, with an interest rate of 4.78%. We will start paying a little extra each month on it.

Incredible Joy

April 26th, 2008 at 02:26 pm

Who would have ever known that controlling my money instead of it controlling me could be so much fun. AND we don't feel like we're doing without either. (guess that attests to how much money we were wasting.

We have been able in just one month to pay an extra $550 on our focus loan and put $400 in savings. And we have not gone without, nor have we gotten any extra money this month. In fact we budgeted $500 (and spent) for recreation and intertainment and still accomplished the above. I feel like I'm dancing on air most the time.

Just Go Get Happy and Grocery Update

April 14th, 2008 at 12:15 pm



Everything that I think that I need to do is all only in order to propel me to some place that when I get there, I think I will be happier. So, everything that I am doing, no matter what it is, all of my lists of rights and wrongs about spending are all about me getting to a place that I believe I will then be happier… So I think I will just take a short cut and JUMP TO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!



It's important for me to be as happy as I can be while I'm on my journey. I don't want to be thinking I will be happier when this is paid off or that is paid off. My life is all about the journey. That is why I like to look at everything as a game. Right now I am having tons of fun playing the manage my money different game. And every day is like going to the circus it's so fun.

Grocery update........remember I said I would not buy food for last week unless it was something we needed. In fact I didn't even look at the food ads for last week. (Hurray for me.......I also like to cheerlead myself) Yesterday Sunday we started needing a few things. I had written a list as I notice we needed something. (Hurray again for writing a list) So I went and picked up some of things on my list. I only bought one thing that was not on my list and that was because the kind of butter I use was on almost half price and I remember I only have part of a tub left.

Also hubby got paid and we put another $100 on our focus loan and another $100 in savings.(happy drum roll) It just tickles me pink how much extra money we have not that I don't buy on a whim. And we are not having to deny ourselves anything we reaLLY REALLY REALLY WANT.

Irritation

April 10th, 2008 at 02:29 am

When ever I feel irritated it’s always my fault. I can let things others do irritate me; but it’s never their fault, it’s always my fault. Since I started believing this my life has become a lot less complicated and happier. Sometimes I still forget. Then I remind myself no one can irritate you , sweetie, but yourself.

What I have found since I have started embracing this new knowledge is, I don’t stay irritated long. Because if it’s my fault I’m irritated, then I must have the power to pull myself out. I don‘t have to wait around for whoever I am irritated at to straighten up and do things my way. I just have to find something else to focus on until what ever I am letting irritate me passes.

Just thought I would share this beings I was letting my husband irritate me this morning and one of our dogs irritate me this evening. Then I remember it's all about JOY and feeling good and being irritated is as far away from feeling good as I can get. It also makes me want to spend and eat. Oh by the way this is my second NO SPEND DAY in a row.

Besides being irritated ages me twice as fast and JOY make the aging go in
SLOW-MOTION. And this girl does not mind getting older as long as she hardly shows her age. Joy is the fountain of youth.

Being Tested

April 8th, 2008 at 02:48 pm

A good friend of mine has just gotten back from an outrageous Seminar about something we are both really into that I would loooooooooooooove to go to. And the middle of May it's in Seattle, which is close to us. But the way money is right now we would have to charge without cash to back it. Sooooooo I have decided to buy the book for $17 and start getting my feet wet with the book. Now there is still a possiblity that we can go but only if all our ducks figure out how to get in a row on their own. Smile

What was even more of a test was to pay our extra $100 on our focus loan and the $100 to our savings from this paycheck instead of using it to partically pay for the seminar. I'm getting stronger and it only hurt really bad for about an hour.

Interest Denial

April 7th, 2008 at 01:14 am

I was setting up a Debt reduction tickler and I couldn't get my balance when subtracted from the total on the tickler to equal the same balance as my banks.

I kept re-adding and re-adding until I realized you're forgetting the interest, sweetie............all your payment does not go on your loan......You forgot that each time you make a payment some of it is eaten up by interest.

This little situation just went to show me how sneaky interest is. I sure am glad my new journey will only have me dealing with positive interest in the near future.

A Free ride and saving gas

April 6th, 2008 at 02:19 pm

We went snowmobiing Friday and when we got up there the Artic Cat snowmobile tour machines were up there. So we got to pick a machine and do a demo ride. It was only suppose to be a 20 to 30 minute ride but........they had us out for 2.5 hours. AND I found out I could easily get use to riding a big machine......(when we can afford to pay cash of course). I did not feel tempted at all....I was able to enjoy it for what it was an exciting free ride and great gas savings. Because I still really love my little $800 machine and it loves me.

Me and my little machine......see how much fun we have together. Now I bet that big machine would not do this for me!!

Beautifying for me

April 5th, 2008 at 01:40 pm

Got my hair done. I was able to wait an extra 3 weeks this time. Usually I get my hair done every 8/9 weeks.......foil and cut for about $65. (use to spend over $100 for my hair when i use to get it done on the boulevard Smile, but now that I get it done in the slums (close to where I live Smile it's cheaper)).

Did not make myself wait, it just didn't seem to need done so soon. In fact I had scheduled the appointment when I last had it done and my hairdresser had to call me to tell me I had missed it. So i rescheduled then rescheduled again because it still look great.

Now its done and it really looks even more great. But it was nice not to feel like I looked like an old hag just before I went. Smile And the new do is bringing me much JOY and you know how I feel about JOY,

Here's kind of what I look like with my new do.

Yah right......in my dreams maybe!!!

The JOY of Gardening

April 4th, 2008 at 04:17 pm

It's spring break for me. So that means it's get the yard ready for spring time. And the sun has shined for the last two days so.......out in the yard I have been.

I looooooooove working in the yard (but then I love most things) but i especially love working in the yard. It talks to my soul and brings me much joy. And if you read my blog regularly you know how important JOY is to me. (like the most important thing in my world.....what directs my every action)

It's cool how living beneath our means and JOY go hand in hand for me. I'm finding new joy in all my old things now that my focus is not what can I buy next. Besides I'm not denying myself that much because if its a need we get it and if its a really really really want we get it as soon as we have cash to get it. And so far we have had cash for all our really really really wants. The happier I am the happier I am.......

Really really really wants

April 1st, 2008 at 04:22 pm

As you can tell by my blog, pictures inspire me and bring me joy........so after a few day free trail of the My Photo slideshow Screensaver......which i throughly enjoyed.... i just paid $25 for my own copy. And it up and running on my CP. My grand kids love it too because most of the picts. are of them.Smile

More picture inspiration.

The Most JOY

April 1st, 2008 at 01:00 pm



My major aim in life is to live, to love, to laugh, to play AND to look for reasons to feel good!...........And sometimes its saving money and sometimes it's spending money.......What determines which I do is me weighing which will bring me the most JOY!

I'm loving my journey of balanced joyful money management.

Ps. I found two extra places to save yesterday. The first was I canceled a whole life policy that will save us $37 a month and second I took back two of our digital boxes that will save us $10 a month....now for the balance.......we're joyfully keeping our other digital box and DVR because we enjoy having it.

Pss. We needed to use our 1200 saving for a family emergency.......so we are starting over there....

Me knowing even emergencies can have joyful outcomes.

April Budget

March 31st, 2008 at 05:54 pm

April's budget spending will start March 31 because that when I get paid. Our special goal for April is to play the game of accounting for almost all money spent.

house pymt 1st ...........$942
discover 1st .............$250
auto boat insurance 1st...$290
auto pymt 1st............ $749
TV/Cable 1st............. $130
Heat and lights 7th...... $200
Phone 9th ................$115
sewer 17th ...............$ 38
life ins 1st/12th/18th .. $ 80
aol 29th .................$ 15
Total $2,809

Auto Gas him ........ $150
Auto gas her ............$150
Groceries ................$500
For Fun ..................$500
Misc needs and
really really reallywants $500
Grand total $4,609

April showers bring rainbows and May flowers.

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/19998427@N06/popular-interesting/

Inspired Action

March 29th, 2008 at 12:37 pm

My DH got paid.... he worked 20 hours overtime for the week so it's a large check. We have done so well since we started playing this new money management game,that all the bills are paid and we have kept to only using cash. Plus my paycheck will be in the bank Monday. SO..........

I/We have decide we deserve a reward.......so after putting $200 extra on the focus loan........$200 in savings.......we are using an extra $120 on recreation. After doing all this we are still leaving $300 in the checking account for groceries and padding.

I definitely feel like we are reaching new horizons. What fun!!!

End of the month living.

March 25th, 2008 at 12:20 am

As I continue on my new managing money adventure, I find myself asking what feels right for now. And now, for me, is figure out what the end of the month living adventure might look like. And what feel right for now is buying all that I need by dipping into my cushion money and NOT buying anything I want.... even if I really really really want it. Example I really really really want to get my nails redone and they need a full do......which runs about $30. That will have to wait until our next pay check because cushion money is best not spent for want items even, really really really want, want items. So my nails will look tacky until atleast the weekend. Now on the other hand I needed apples, I eat a ton of apples, and the farmer market has tasty, crisp fugi apples by the box for 55 cents a pound which is a great price if you buy a box, so I purchased a box. The apples I bought a week ago were $1.79 a pound, hence this is truely an exceptionial deal.

Now for the happy picture of the day.

Spring is on its way. In fact my crocous are up.
For more picture inspiration check out my friends site.
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/19998427@N06/popular-interesting/

Easter part 3

March 24th, 2008 at 04:35 am

Had a great Easter and inexpensive to boot...... glad to be learning that they can dance together. There were 13 in attendance not counting our two dogs and our cat.

There was more than enough food everyone brought what ever they wanted to add to what I was supplying which was
ham
pitchio salad (that hb made)
green bean and almonds
rolls
and 4 litres of pop
(which cost me a grand total of only $40 and we have some leftovers)


Stayed with my weighed and measured eating plan.... so i can be guaranteed waking up tomorrow still weighing 128 intead of on my weighK:K) but up to 200+ again. I did fix one of my favorites, green beans and almonds,which T ate 16 ounces of...for dinner my food plan calls for 24 ounces of veggies,,,,,I also had 8 ounces of pumpkin with splenda and olive oil "I can't believe its not butter" margarine. Yes, I do eat fat.....IN fact for dinner I get 1.5 ounces and I looooooove butter...and butter does not weigh much so I get tons......yum yum.

Everything is quiet hear the kitchen is still a little messy but I'm a morning person so I will most likely wait until morning to finish it up......unless my body decides it has had enough sleep at 1 or 2 like it does sometimes and I get up and finish it then.

JOY! JOY! AND MORE JOY!!!!

March 23rd, 2008 at 01:09 pm


The more I find in my life to appreciate, the better it feels. The better it feels, the more I want to do it. The more I do it, the better it feels. The better it feels…the more I want to do it! The Law of Attraction assists me with the powerful momentum of my positive thoughts and feelings until, with very little time and effort, I find my heart singing and I'm filled with joy.

And, in this wonderful atate of JOY all my dreams start appearing in my life. Anything I can imagine being, doing or having — I can be, do, or have. If I can dream it and imagine it and envision it and come to believe it, the powers that be will bring it to me.

My standard of success in life is not the money or the stuff — My standard of success IS absolutely the amount of JOY I feel!
Now don't get me wrong I appreciate nice things and tons of money.

But for me......
Tons of money and things do not egual JOY.

Whare as.....
Tons of JOY can summon an excess of money and lots of things.

And for me the more fun/JOY I have managing my money the easier my money is managed.

AND THE SOONER..............




Just got back from grocery shopping

March 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 am

Just got back from grocery shoping spent $72 out of our cushion account got lots of what we need for the week to make eating fun but not too much fun. And a few stock up need items that were really great buys some example are.

item...what i paid/ original cost
2 snack pack pudding$1/$2
4 pkg taco shells $1/$2.29
2 frozen lasagna $3/$5.19
2 large blue ch dressing $4/$5.99
1 litre pop $1/$2.39
3 olive oil marg. $1.25/$2.59

sometimes I have to remember this is a Living Beneath our Means and loving it journey.

Rethinking our food budget

March 22nd, 2008 at 06:26 pm

I'm not going to hold us to an exact amount on our food budget. We almost never go out to eat and we deserve good food at home. Plus we make good money. I have extra money I can spend on food without charging. I won't charge food anymore. So the rule is beings we have spent our food budget for the month, I will only buy items that we need to make good dinners, lunches ect. I also want to be able to take advantage of sale item of food we need that we could stock up on. We eat very healthy and I'm alergic to sugar so we never have treats in the house, but I do feel we should be able to eat ribeye steaks at least twice a month if we want too.

I won't be buying them until the first of the month because they are a really really really want not a need. Smile

Living beneath our means!!

March 22nd, 2008 at 10:39 am

It just dawned on me that we have moved into phase 3 which is living beneath our means and loving it........Because when we got paid we had an extra $200 to apply to our focus CC. That was easy.

Feeling great!!

March 22nd, 2008 at 10:31 am

HB got paid was able to pay medium medical bill off and apply $200 towards our focus CC. We also applied $2000 that was in saving to that CC also taking it from $8000 to to $5800. Taking stock of where we set right now
-we have $20 left in regular budget for food for the month.
-$80 left for intertainment-rec. we will be going snowmobiling maybe both days if money allows enough gas.
-$200 padding in checking just incase.
-$1000 in savings
-all bills but 1 paid (i think)

It sure feels good to be so in control and on top of this in a flexible, loving it kind of way.

Me day dreaming about laying on a beautiful beach instead of worrying about moneySmile

Reviewing this months plan

March 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 am

Thought I would take a few minutes to review this month plan, goals and accomplishments so far, beings this is all so new to me.

-make this journey fun, by making it like a game.
-allowing myself to be flexible (nothing is set in stone).
-only buying that which we need or really really really wanted. (I have made a list of things we/I really really really want and that list is not all the long will share later).
-decided on a budget amount for recreation, which is a very important part of our lives and making ourselves stick to it. (In fact last night dh suggested we get slurpees at 7/11 until I reminded him they would have to come out of the entertainment rec account when we only have 80 left then he thought a glass of aw rootbeer, which we had at home would be just fine) choices choices choices.
-watching how much gas we are using and how many miles we are driving.
-sticking close to the amount we budgeted for food.
-transferring all he bills that automatically went on visa to our checking account.
-turning off lights (did not realize how many we left on) already bought energy saving bulbs a few month ago
-becoming aware of when we might be wasting but not becoming anal (ie…watching use of paper plates but not saying I can’t use them when I want…..keeping it a game)
OK that’s what I can think of for now.

Shopping and Easter part 2

March 21st, 2008 at 02:10 pm

went to walmart had my groceries split into three sections........
-section 1 pay with cash which comes from the month $500 budget which i still have $25 left and tons of groceries in the house
-section 2 kleenex for work which i put on my debt card and will be reimbursed for
-section three Easter dinner fixins paid with debt card.

which was only $26 plus $14 for the ham which i bought earlier equaling a small total $40. i'm so proud of myself. we will be feeding about 10ish people.

Today

March 20th, 2008 at 12:42 am

Went shopping at costco bought the ham for easter dinner put it on my debt card along with my hearing aid batteries because they are not part of the months food I am paying cash for.

Then I paid cash for my food items. It was fun deciding what I really needed and what i could just push by. Now i have $30 left for the rest of the month (that means I cant spend anymore than that before the first of April).

We have a lot of food in the house now and won't need much to get us to the first. We might have to mix and match alittle....but it will be a fun challenge. Plus, it's only food......it's fine if we eat some weirdish combos towards the end.

I thank my angel-fairies for making everything so fun.

Easter Dinner Part 1

March 19th, 2008 at 08:53 am

I have decided to have Easter at my house.

And I am choosing to have a simple and inexpensive dinnler. This is what I am supplying.

Ham
-Pistachio Salad
-green bean and almond hot veggie(bought - at Walmart in the freezer section ......this is a "to live for veggie treat" and you just open the bag and stir fry)
-Rolls
-a couple bottles of pop
I am expecting it to be very low cost. (I will do an easter dinner part 2 once i have bought the stuff and know the cost)

I was supplying the potato salad too but my brother begged to bring it.......and I leaped at the chance to let him.Smile

and i have told everyone coming to bring whatever else they want.........I am into low maintance living.

I am not considering this part of my food budget......It's will go under my Misc. needs catagory.

I have asked my daughter to bring the candy as I also weigh and measure my food and candy is not something i mess with.

Money or Lack of Money

March 19th, 2008 at 07:13 am


If there is not as much money in my experience as I would want, it means one thing and one thing only: The balance of my thoughta regarding the subject of money is tipping more to the lack of it than to the having of it.

And now that I have deliberately and consciously began offering more thoughts and inspired actions(ie budgeting and loving it) towards managing my money in a smart fun way than towards the lack of it...........my money situation is really heating up in a in a magical way.

Apples apples and more apples

March 19th, 2008 at 01:57 am

I went to the story to get apples and when i went to check them out the machine rang them up wrong and charged me too much the store has a rule that when that happens you get the item free..............now if that was not good enough my angels had me pick up a whole bag of apples so i got over 16 dollars worth of apples free............

JOY!!! OH JOY!!!

March 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am

What’s my big hurry? (It’s all for joy.) All is well.

What’s the big hurry? You're not ever going to get it done, so what are you racing toward?

Every single activity that you’re involved in is for one purpose only, and that is to give you a moment of joy. That’s why it all exists.

Lighten up. Laugh more. Appreciate more. All is well.


This is my crede to live by even when learning to manage my money. Keeping my journey joyful moment by moment is what my life is all about. When my major focus is joyful my life is magical.

groceries

March 16th, 2008 at 10:35 pm

i budget $500 a month for groceries...... i have spent $405 so far used my debit card which works great a lot of the time....... but now i will take out the $95 cash so i won't be tempted to go into the $200 i keep as a base in my checking account. I'm really enjoying this money game I'm learning to play and win. I still consider us in what i call phase 1 as we learn to live within our means and moving towards living beneath our means.

budgeting my weight and my money

March 16th, 2008 at 07:58 pm

I use to weigh over 200 lbs now i weigh 129. i do a food plan called greysheet. greysheet is like AA for food addicts, where you have to call a sponsor daily and weigh and measure your food.

i find that my success with my weighing my food is helping me learn to stay with in my budget. they are both sort of the same. weighing my food is like a budget for my weight. i don't have a before picture but just imagine me 70+ lbs heavier than in this picture.



this is weighed and measured me on the alaskian cruise we took last summer. the next one we take we will pay with cash this one we are still paying on. but not for long now that we are changing our money habits.

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/weight-loss-journals/525925-gail-s-thoughts-become-things-diet-journal.html

Here is the link incase you are interested in my thoughts become things diet journal blog..........just copy and paste into your browser.

My Budget for now

March 16th, 2008 at 06:46 pm


House house pymt 942
Loans discover 250
Automobile Auto Gas his 150
auto gas hers 150
auto pymts 749
auto boat insurance 290
Utilities Phone 115
TV/Cable 130
aol. 15
heat lights 200
sewer 38
Food Groceries 500
Family mom 50
Other life insurance 120
Intertain-rec 400
church 50
misc. needs 500
Total 4649

Income me $3,400
his 2.000+ overtime
Total $5,400+


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