Going from working full time and 'bringing home the bacon' to a SAHM raising our two kiddos has been an adjustment to say the least. I do love the opportunity and I am so blessed to be able to be with my boys while they are so young. But, with this adjusting comes some more worries. Instead of worrying about how many phone messages and emails I will have to answer in the morning when I get to work I now worry about putting together all three meals for us everyday and instead of worrying about the budget for a whole daycare I am FREAKING out about how to budget our money with one income.
I have been asking friends who are also stay at home moms the same questions and searching the internet for effective budgeting, etc. and I think eventually we will get there. I found this site tonight:
www.livingonadime.com
These are some ways I have come up with watching where our money goes so far:
1. making a menu before I go grocery shopping
2. buying generic when possible
3. planning at least one meatless meal a week (I have kind of strayed away from this but plan on doing it again)
Things I want to try:
1. making homemade cleaners and detergent
2. finding an effective and less time consuming way to keep track of our spending
If anyone has some more ideas or suggestions please drop a comment!
I have a few books about making your own cleaners. I'll try to find them in the mess we call home right now, but no later than the fall for sure. Also, check out the blogs at Herb Companion (http://www.herbcompanion.com/blogs/blog-landing.aspx) Those usually have some good ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a budget too. I find that making meals from scratch (including bread and rolls) and planning for leftovers help keep costs down. Good luck. We'll talk soon.
We use an online budget system called neobudget.com. It is kind of like having an envelope system online. We use a debit card, but not credit cards, and it is an easy way to keep track of our checkbook. You set up categories and then use it to take money from each one when you spend it...you can set up your paychecks & allocate money to each category. I like it. You could also do the envelope system with cash. Have you done anything with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace? Good information. I can't say we follow it to a T, but it is good information.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a friend of mine has a blog, rebeccasliferamblings.blogspot.com, and she has a tab at the top for DIY laundry detergent. I have done this before, but not for a while since we moved. I can't wait for our life to get back to "normal" and get into our own house so I can do some things like this again. As far as cleaners, I think vinegar can be used for a lot of things.