Tag Archives: budget

10 Ways to Save on Your Next Trip to Hawaii

Last year, my then six-old daughter celebrated her 12th visit to Hawaii. However, to her, the Aloha State is more than just a top tourist destination, it’s also home to grandma, grandpa, and a huge network of aunts, uncles and cousins. I kid that she would have been marking trip number 20 if it weren’t so dang expensive to fly from Wisconsin to Hilo. Fortunately, once we land in the “Land of Aloha” we score free room and board. Bottom line: traveling to Hawaii is not cheap. However, there are ways you can save on your next vacation there provided … Continue reading →

Getting Out of Debt: How Did We Do?

Our goal in 2011 is to get out of debt and start building wealth. We have been taking Dave Ramsey’s Financial Freedom course and have been really motivated to be more purposeful with our money. If you have been following our adventure so far, you know about the ups and downs that we have been facing, from unexpected expenses to accounting groceries down to the penny. march was our first full month working with a zero-based budget, and I am happy to say that not only did we get through it but we actually spent less in some areas than … Continue reading →

Getting Out of Debt: It Begins

My husband and I are furiously trying to get out of debt. We just started Dave Ramsey’s Financial Freedom course and have learned a lot about doing just this. Follow us on our journey as we try to follow the plan and meet our goals. If you are thinking of taking the course, I highly recommend it. Even though my husband and I are pretty well practiced at saving money, we have already learned so much more than we thought we knew. While some weeks speak to us more than others, each weekly lesson has something that we take from … Continue reading →

Never Too Late to Set Up a Budget

Newlyweds are the most likely to set up a budgeting plan. This is especially true when they begin the adventure of saving for a house and then eventually purchasing one. But budgeting is something we can benefit from no matter how long we have been married. Lately my husband and I have come to realize that we need to get back onto a budget. Since I work as a freelance writer my work is kind of like feast or famine. I have my really good months where we can spend a little extra on things like going out to dinner … Continue reading →

Frugal Family Meal Ideas

Whether you are cooking from your pantry or just trying to knock down your food budget, it helps to have an arsenal of some great frugal family meal ideas. And while beans can certainly be part of your recipe book, it doesn’t have to be the main part. Here are my favorite ideas for frugal family meals that both the kids and your wallet will love. Kids love pasta. That is a given. So one of my favorite frugal family meals uses it, but with a twist. Everyone enjoys eating this slightly more sophisticated (notice I said slightly) and much … Continue reading →

Lifestyle Maintenance on a Budget

For many people the financial crisis hit home. Soon, things that we were able to afford before without a blink could get us into financial harm now. Still, we get used to living the way we normally live, and it can get tough trying to get used to living differently. As a result, we can get into real trouble when we continue to maintain that level of lifestyle, even if it means a ton of debt or even bankruptcy. So the trick here, is to find ways to maintain your lifestyle without spending the same amount of money that you … Continue reading →

Preparing for a Layoff

If you are worried that a layoff might be in your future, then it is important to start preparing right now. Make sure that you do the following now, so you will be in good financial shape if you do get laid off. Medical Costs Now is the time to take advantage of your insurance. If you get laid off, you may not be able to carry insurance, depending on how long your were in your job and whether or not you can afford private insurance. Have every member of the family get physicals and well visits, so you can … Continue reading →

How to Control Your Spending

Saving money is easy, the experts will tell you. It is just a matter of spending less than you make. But this simple explanation doesn’t take into account real life. Controlling your spending can be hard work. Here are some tips. Track your “no spending” days Challenge yourself, your relatives, your friends on Facebook, your friends here in the Families.com forums to no spending days. Basically, you see how far you can go without spending anything. Sometimes the days will be easy, such as when the weather is bad and you stay home. Other days will be harder, such as … Continue reading →

Lowering Your Frugal Setpoint

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to help out at a children’s outgrown sale. It was so much fun interacting with the staff and with the shoppers, plus during slow times or when we were fixing up the racks, the people working the sale were able to take a closer look at some of the items themselves. One thing that emerged for me was the fact that everyone there, staff and shoppers included had their own frugal setpoint. A setpoint is the point or highest price that you are willing to pay for something. This can vary by the … Continue reading →

Paying Off Your Debt for the Summer

Whether you have a large mortgage payment or owe your best friend $50, paying off your debt can be satisfying, not only for your financial well being, but for your self esteem as well. But how can you pay off debt when you are overwhelmed? Summer is a great time to pay off some debt. Here are some tips. Go on lock down Stop adding to your debt and avoid spending money on anything new. Obviously, you will need food and shelter. Unless you are going around naked, new clothes are not a necessity. Stay home, cancel the gym membership … Continue reading →