A Busy Mom's Budget

A Busy Mom’s Budget Plan

As moms (or dads for that matter) life is hectic enough as it is. Between houses that need cleaned (kids as well), meals that need made, studies that need completed, and littles that need to play (Let’s not even mention working in between) we often think about things such as a budget and sigh wondering....now where do they expect me to fit this in now!

But today, I want to talk to you a little about preparing a budget....quick and easy! I’m serious peeps! It doesn’t need to be something we hide under our beds from. It really can become a simple habit!

Getting Back to Basics: Cutting our budget further

In my last Getting Back to Basics post, I talked about cutting the necessary items out of your budget! Well, more specifically....your groceries. I want to quickly cap up on this before moving on!

 

In addition to bringing down our groceries, we had to truly look elsewhere too! Firstly, petrol (gas) was an issue. When we received our car, we already knew it was going to be tight on petrol. How were we going to fit this in? We knew quickly that joy riding wasn’t going to work!

Getting Back to Basics

It’s no secret that financially, Hubby and I are not....in the top brackets if you know what I mean! We are blessed, don’t misunderstand me! We were blessed with our house and are blessed with a car! So, one would think that we’d be more...well off. However, it still requires demands two incomes to keep our home stabilized. I say demands because even if we were to consider taking the kids out of crèche so I could stay home....we wouldn’t be able to make it! Yes, school fees cost us a good portion of our income, but when it all adds up....I earn enough over what we pay out for school that we would be in a worse position having the kids at home with me! Does this make sense?

Besides....it’s just not fair to them! Lil Mister LOVES school! He craves the interaction with the friends and we can truly see he is learning! It amazes me constantly how much our school puts into developing him emotionally, mentally, physically, socially, AND spiritually! Yes, spiritually!

Again, we are blessed; I know there are families that struggle much more than our own. And some of the reason we have or do struggle is of our own choices. That is reality and we are more than willing to ‘smell the coffee’ per say.

Budget Vegetarian Lentil Shepherd's Pie

I’ve been writing a little on how Hubby and I are working to cut back on our grocery bill. One thing that we have done is cut out meat twice a week in our lives! Why you ask?

For me, this wasn’t difficult. I went down the whole organic/vegetarian route for a little while just after high school and actually for the most part I enjoyed it! For Hubby, it’s an easy way to save a few bucks and he knows I will still provide meals that fulfill him!

We eat leftovers many days a week for lunch so some days we are eating meat twice a day even! So....two meatless dinners a week. No problem!

I needed to get creative though! We didn’t want to eat scrambled eggs and omelets all the time! ;-) Though we do eat that a lot....I needed something more. So I started rummaging around the internet. Google...you’ve got a friend in me!

Why our groceries are hurting us....

I spoke Friday in the What You Missed post about how God is working in our lives with our finances. To be honest, this is something we have been praying a lot about. We don’t earn huge salaries and we have two boys to bring up.

It isn’t about having more each month though. Actually, that is the exact opposite of what we have been praying! We have been praying for guidance on how to eliminate our debt and live without it. We have been praying for a car. We have been praying on how to live on what we have!!

Rather than asking God to give us more money, we are asking for wisdom in how to better manage our money! It seems simple enough, but this is life changes we are making. It is about changing our mindsets. It is about changing our style of living. It is about TRUSTING GOD to provide for us!

This photo has nothing to do with this. But I hate a photoless post! They passed out before we even finished the 10 minute walk into town Saturday morning! Obviously, all my financial planning wore them out too!

Some Financial Release and What You Missed 27.9

It’s been a rough week on the Organized Chaos front! I spoke before about wanting to change our family shopping habits. Let’s just say this didn’t work so well. But financially....things just aren’t getting easier!

I’ve been praying a lot about what we are supposed to do and for guidance in how we handle situations. A few weeks back though, God spoke to me insurmountably through scripture assuring me that I’m not only supposed to be trusting in Him to handle ALL things but that it is time for Hubby Dearest and I to take a few steps back and reassess the manner in which we are living.

Hebrews 13:5 

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Matthew 6:33 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you

Monthly verses Weekly Shopping

When I started writing this post I was supposed to be cleaning my house while the littles slept. Instead, my heart was racing and my mind was traveling between all possible outcomes like the energizer bunny on crack!

Usually I do monthly shopping. You see, where we live, we get paid a monthly salary. Yep, my peeps, I get money once a frackin’ month. This calls for extreme budgeting. Not only did I leave America where I got a nice weekly paycheck and only had to figure out how to get through 7 days at a time (oh how I miss you…RIP Weekly Check) but I ALSO left waitressing which meant no more money in my pocket everyday.

Oh…what am I becoming. How did the world become so dark and cold???

Ok…back to reality (snap there goes gravity there goes Rabbit he…..you know you’re singing that song by Eminem right now!)

Typically, just after payday I hit the town and do all my shopping…especially grocery shopping. I buy in bulk because bulk equals cheaper right?!?

I have this insane fear that we’re going to reach the last week of the month and not have milk and have no money…so I buy 10 cases of long life each payday. Makes sense to me!

However, fate is shaking up my life a little bit. We are currently without a car. Yep, you read that right…no car! We sold ours because we were walking everywhere as we couldn't afford the petrol! In all fairness, the thing was like a bottomless pit when it came to petrol. It was a carnivorous gas guzzling money eating machine and I hated it!

The reality now is that I cannot walk home with a months worth of groceries! So, I’m planning and switching to weekly shopping.

Thank You Google: If I had to walk with all my groceries, I'd totally get a trolley like this!

This scares me! It means a STRICT budget and no cushy filled pantry cupboards. It means knowing what I’m making in advance rather than just having my own mini grocery store at my cupboard….

I’m literally starting to sweat and my heart is racing just considering the possible negative outcomes!
I've never meal planned in my life. I make a general idea (i.e. mince Mondays, chicken Tuesdays, egg Wednesdays etc etc) and make whatever fits the profile. WHAT AM I TO DO??

Peeps… I need your help! I need my fellow planners out there to step up to bat.

Pitch a few ideas my way. Tell me how you handle weekly shopping. Tell me HOW TO DO IT!!! 

Convince me that there are cons to shopping weekly! Tell me your trick to making it work! Help me keep within a frackin' budget because I'm going off the deep end here people.

Pull me from the abyss of frackin' out!! (It's dark and lonely here!)

Shana..