Do you run a household budget? Years ago, when both my husband and I were working full-time and making serious money, I didn't run a budget. I just paid bills as they came in and put a certain amount into savings. The rest I just spent like a drunken sailor, lol.

These days, our financial picture has changed, and although we live comfortably, for the first time in my life. I have to stick to a budget. I have it on a spreadsheet, and I've become a budget wizard.

Do you budget your money, write it down, etc.? If you're married or living with someone, who handles the budget? :dollar: :dollar:

My dad handles the money in our house because he's, like, a math whiz.

I have always handled the budget in the house and stick with it. I learned my lesson the hard way.

I've been trying to budget and save up my money for 4 years now, but unfortunately, with all the money troubles my household has been having, that's been nearly impossible to do. I was able to save up over $1,000 at one point a few years ago when I was saving for my own place, but once everyone found out about it, it was gone within a few weeks. Right now I'm actually in debt for the first time in my life, owing $480.00 to my brother and sister in law, who were nice enough to lend me some spending money, and airfare for my trip to Detroit last month. It'll take me a couple months to pay that off. Hopefully the financial situation here will get better soon, and I'll be able to save money, and have more of a budget, but right now I just can't see that happening anytime soon.

I do the bills and my hubby and I decide together what we can and can't afford to buy. Im a stay at home mom now so money is not as abundant as it was before but it's totally worth it to be at home with my baby boy. :)

We try to stick to a budget but something always happens, like having to put new brakes on my car when the old ones went out on me and having to get a new washing machine, the old one lasted a really long time but the motor burned out on it. I mean its always something that cuts into your savings or else you have to put it on a credit card. I guess thats life though.

Do you run a household budget? Years ago, when both my husband and I were working full-time and making serious money, I didn't run a budget. I just paid bills as they came in and put a certain amount into savings. The rest I just spent like a drunken sailor, lol.

These days, our financial picture has changed, and although we live comfortably, for the first time in my life. I have to stick to a budget. I have it on a spreadsheet, and I've become a budget wizard.

Do you budget your money, write it down, etc.? If you're married or living with someone, who handles the budget? :dollar: :dollar:



I have a Entertainment Budget and LunchMoney/Eating out Budget. I don't have a Budget for clothes, i just usually buy clothes after Entertainment

I've been trying to budget and save up my money for 4 years now, but unfortunately, with all the money troubles my household has been having, that's been nearly impossible to do. I was able to save up over $1,000 at one point a few years ago when I was saving for my own place, but once everyone found out about it, it was gone within a few weeks. Right now I'm actually in debt for the first time in my life, owing $480.00 to my brother and sister in law, who were nice enough to lend me some spending money, and airfare for my trip to Detroit last month. It'll take me a couple months to pay that off. Hopefully the financial situation here will get better soon, and I'll be able to save money, and have more of a budget, but right now I just can't see that happening anytime soon.



What do you mean when your Family found out about the $1000 it was gone in a few Weeks?-lol

What do you mean when your Family found out about the $1000 it was gone in a few Weeks?-lol

They started asking me if they could borrow some every other day, and being that it was my family, and they needed it, of course I couldn't say no. Would have been nice to have that money as a little nest egg, but hey, family's got to come first.

They started asking me if they could borrow some every other day, and being that it was my family, and they needed it, of course I couldn't say no. Would have been nice to have that money as a little nest egg, but hey, family's got to come first.


I have $2476 in the bank now and my goal is to have $10,000 in the bank this time next year and believe not one family member will know about it-lol

I have $2476 in the bank now and my goal is to have $10,000 in the bank this time next year and believe not one family member will know about it-lol

That's cool!! I hope that works out for you better than it did for me. :lol:

I've been trying to budget and save up my money for 4 years now, but unfortunately, with all the money troubles my household has been having, that's been nearly impossible to do. I was able to save up over $1,000 at one point a few years ago when I was saving for my own place, but once everyone found out about it, it was gone within a few weeks. Right now I'm actually in debt for the first time in my life, owing $480.00 to my brother and sister in law, who were nice enough to lend me some spending money, and airfare for my trip to Detroit last month. It'll take me a couple months to pay that off. Hopefully the financial situation here will get better soon, and I'll be able to save money, and have more of a budget, but right now I just can't see that happening anytime soon.
Whenever I'm trying to save money, and I'm tempted to buy something, I just don't buy it and put the money that I would have spent in a jar.


This works.

Whenever I'm trying to save money, and I'm tempted to buy something, I just don't buy it and put the money that I would have spent in a jar.


This works.

Fortunately for me, I've never been much of a shop-aholic, so being tempted to spend money has never been a huge issue with me. For me, it's mostly a matter of a feeling of obligation, rather than of temptation, (Did that last line make anyone else think of Jesse Jackson??) :lol: as most of my money goes to helping out with bills, and things like that. When I don't have the burden of having to pay more than my share of the bills each month, I'm actually really good at saving money.

Fortunately for me, I've never been much of a shop-aholic, so being tempted to spend money has never been a huge issue with me. For me, it's mostly a matter of a feeling of obligation, rather than of temptation, (Did that last line make anyone else think of Jesse Jackson?? :lol:) as most of my money goes to helping out with bills, and things like that. I've actually always been really good at saving money when I don't have the burden of having to pay more than my share of the bills each month.
That's good. I'm not really a shop-a-holic, I just sometimes see things that are so WACK that I have to have them. Most of the time it's stupid stuff.

That's good. I'm not really a shop-a-holic, I just sometimes see things that are so WACK that I have to have them. Most of the time it's stupid stuff.

I can definitely understand that. Even though I'm not much of a shop-aholic, I still do get tempted to buy stuff from time to time. Especially if I go to garage sales, or Flea Markets. Those have always been my biggest shopping weaknesses.

My wife does the budget and I love her for it. I never see a bill. The only catch is that she gets all my money.

I just paid bills as they came in and put a certain amount into savings. The rest I just spent like a drunken sailor, lol.


That's what I do now. I avoid numbers at all cost!


Although this month has been a very expensive one. I'm worried I may not have the luxury of a care free financial situation for long.

But then, I guess it wasn't ever "carefree" anyway.

April has been a HORRIBLE MONTH for me financially, the numbers are defintely not looking right-lol

I have to have a POWERFUL month in May and I'm confident I will. I did not spend WISELY in April

No I don't really budget, I only put half of our salaries into our saving account. And pay bills as they come.

I handle all of the finances for myself and my mom. Have been since 2003. We Virgos are careful with money so that helps.
I did have a living trust written up for my mom to avoid going through probate and the courts in the future.

April has been a HORRIBLE MONTH for me financially, the numbers are defintely not looking right-lol

I have to have a POWERFUL month in May and I'm confident I will. I did not spend WISELY in April
What did you do Solomon? :nonono:

The thing I hate is that it seems that whenever we've doing great financially, something unexpected happens. A perfect example is a couple of weeks ago, we got our tax refund. I was ready to sock it away into our savings, but life had other plans for the money. We had a special assessment on our condo. That's where all the owners have to pay towards a major repair.

My husband got a Christmas bonus from work. Wham, the car needed some repair, no clue what it was...but smart enough to know that we had to kiss his bonus check good-bye. Never fails.

What did you do Solomon? :nonono:

The thing I hate is that it seems that whenever we've doing great financially, something unexpected happens. A perfect example is a couple of weeks ago, we got our tax refund. I was ready to sock it away into our savings, but life had other plans for the money. We had a special assessment on our condo. That's where all the owners have to pay towards a major repair.

My husband got a Christmas bonus from work. Wham, the car needed some repair, no clue what it was...but smart enough to know that we had to kiss his bonus check good-bye. Never fails.

That could go under the mysteries thread. I'd say it happens to everyone.

Perhaps, it's Gods way of giving you the money you need just when you need it. It's not destined to be saved, eh?

What did you do Solomon? :nonono:

The thing I hate is that it seems that whenever we've doing great financially, something unexpected happens. A perfect example is a couple of weeks ago, we got our tax refund. I was ready to sock it away into our savings, but life had other plans for the money. We had a special assessment on our condo. That's where all the owners have to pay towards a major repair.

My husband got a Christmas bonus from work. Wham, the car needed some repair, no clue what it was...but smart enough to know that we had to kiss his bonus check good-bye. Never fails.



Just overspent, so May will be a much different month. I have to start creating a lunch money budget. Where I work everything is so expensive for lunch

Hmm I try. The only thing I deposit in the bank are my paychecks so when I'm paying bills I'll usually always use my debit card. It's also easier to keep track of. All my tips go into a little lock box in my apartment. I take money out of there all the time to buy smaller things while the bigger things I use my card for. But with using that money, I still manage to have around $5000 in there. Luckily I live by myself and don't buy very expensive things so it's easy to save money now. Definitely a better position to be in than the last couple of years where I jumped from part time to part time and had to practically beg for money from my parents. Haven't had to do that for over a year now and it feels great. :)

Perhaps, it's Gods way of giving you the money you need just when you need it. It's not destined to be saved, eh?
Normally I would think that, but in my case, we have enough money to cover everything, and then some. The tax refund, bonus money or what else money we can't seem to hold onto is extra money. Just once, I'd like be able to keep it.

Do you run a household budget? Years ago, when both my husband and I were working full-time and making serious money, I didn't run a budget. I just paid bills as they came in and put a certain amount into savings. The rest I just spent like a drunken sailor, lol.

These days, our financial picture has changed, and although we live comfortably, for the first time in my life. I have to stick to a budget. I have it on a spreadsheet, and I've become a budget wizard.

Do you budget your money, write it down, etc.? If you're married or living with someone, who handles the budget? :dollar: :dollar:My Wife does the bills at our house. She does the spreadsheet thing too.

I budget, but for the next few months I'll probably splurge a bit b/c of moving with my new job. I have a company car, I'm getting per diem, I'm getting time and a half for overtime, and I'm working minimum 60 hours a week. It's tiring but fun. I have a budget and in the budget I have spending money to play for the next few months.

D

Well, i'm not married or living with someone. I'm just a college student that knows the value of a penny. With Schwarzenegger as governer, I have no choice but to budget myself or else I won't be going to school. The way I look at it, i've been without debt for 20 years, there's no need to now. If there's something I want, I buy it if it's within my means, if not I save up.

i handle the money in our house