Saving Isn't An Option

I read an article today that reminded me of my previous post about budgeting. In this survey, researchers found that not only does a high percentage of Americans not have an emergency fund, but about a quarter can't even afford to skip a single paycheck.

This is exactly why it's so important to include savings - retirement, education, and emergency fund - into your budget. Make savings an expense you must pay, not just an option if there's any left over.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americans-across-all-income-levels-lack-savings-financial-education-282546601.html

A Quick Coupon Search

One habit I've gotten into is taking a few minutes to do a quick coupon search before I visit a store or restaurant. About a quarter of the time, I am able to find a coupon. I've listed a few sites below that could be worth a quick visit before you venture out.

• RetailMeNot.com -  Originally known more as a resource for people to post online coupon codes, RetailMeNot has gotten classier lately and partnered with different retailers to host "official" online and in-store coupons.
• Company Website - Many retailers and restaurants will offer coupons for their locations directly on their website. These promotions are usually prominently displayed on their homepages. Kohl's is one example that frequently offers printable in-store coupons on their website.
• Email List - While on the company's website, look for an opportunity to sign up for the company's mailing list. Many companies will offer coupons when you sign up, and more often than not, the coupon will arrive in your inbox right away.
• Local coupon site - In Indianapolis, for example, coupons4indy.com offers coupons that can be printed for tons of local restaurants.
• Groupon - Groupon, Amazon Local, and other comparable sites will occasionally have long-term offers, especially with local vendors.
• When all else fails, try Google - Do a search for "coupon" and the name of the store or restaurant and you might find something posted by another customer or a coupon hiding in a spot you haven't looked yet.

Budgeting

I'm sort of obsessed with my personal finances. But truth be told, we didn't have a household budget until last year. I'm very lucky in that my husband is as frugal as I am. We both obsess over every little purchase, so our expenses never exceeded our income, even when we were first starting out and made very little money. Over the last few years, as we grew in our careers and started to earn a little more money, some of that feeling of panic over every little purchase started to dissipate a little. Then came our first child and a need to move, which forced us to really step back and evaluate where our money goes and how we need to monitor our spending to ensure we stay in the black each and every month.

Starting a budget isn't as easy as you'd think. Even to this day, I make changes to our allotments and how we stay organized at least once a month. But I offer the following tips to help you on your budgeting journey:

• Make a budget even if you don't think you need one. It's worth your time for a few reasons. First, you might be surprised to see where your money goes once you start bucketing it. Those weekly trips out to eat don't feel like much until you aggregate that cost across the month and year. Second, you never know when a life event might force the need of a budget, and having one already created will make it much easier. It took me three months to get my budget prepared. You may not have the luxury of that much time when the need for a budget suddenly arises.
• Start by just focusing on the facts. It's tempting to use the creation of a budget to make drastic changes to your spending habits. Avoid that at all costs. Instead, think of the initial creation of your budget as just a way to get organized. Make the focus simply the creation of your budgeting system using your current balance sheet rather than making changes. Only once you've established your system should you start to focus on gradual changes to your spending habits. The changes should feel natural, not painful.
• Integrate your budget into your current household financial management system. For me, I used a spreadsheet to track my checking, savings, and other investment accounts. To create my budget, a created a new worksheet in my workbook with a column for budget items, budget amount, annual average, then a column to track each month. Every transaction that occurred was documented in my budget worksheet for the month. Having everything in once place makes it very easy to keep things organized.
• Touch your budget at least once a week. If you wait until your bank statement comes at the end of the month, it will be easy to get overwhelmed at the amount of work it takes to keep your budget updated. Instead, dedicate a little time each week to documenting the income and expenses that occurred that week. Further, this check in will help you evaluate your progress for each budgeted item and can shape your spending habits for the following week. In addition, if changes in your life require budget changes (e.g., an increase in a utility expense), you can capture that change in your budget right away to determine where you need to make adjustments to get your budget balanced.
• Be specific. Break out your expenses in detail. For example, rather than having a bucket for Utilities, break out the cost for each of your utilities. Rather than having a bucket for food, separate groceries from dining out. The more specific, the better. It's much easier to aggregate than to break apart.
• Balance. It should go without saying that your income less your expenses should never be negative. If it is, you need to change your budget. If the number is positive, consider the best investment of that overage and build that into your budget to get the balance to zero.
• Expect the unexpected. Auto repairs, appliance breakdowns, medical expenses. There are a lot of expenses that will come up that you can't anticipate. What you can do is predict that these unexpected expenses will always arise and build them into your budget. Each month that you don't use these funds should go to your emergency fund.
• Document your goals. If you want to start saving to build up a retirement, college savings, or emergency fund, build that into your budget. That's the beauty of having a budget - it makes it clear where you need to make adjustments in your spending in order to achieve your goals.

Healthy Spending

Think of managing your personal finances like dieting:

• Calories in/calories out - You only have a certain allotment of calories in any given day. Consume as much as you burn and you'll maintain your weight. Spend as much as you earn and you'll break even.
• Losing control of your weight - Getting into the habit of not exercising and consuming too many calories is far easier than beginning a diet and exercise plan. Similarly, it is far easier to spend money than to cut back.
• Avoid crash diets - When beginning a new routine to obtain a healthier lifestyle, it's important to be realistic. You won't eat salad alone three meals a day for the rest of your life. Smaller, less drastic changes are much more likely to keep you on course and avoid the dreaded binge. As they say: everything in moderation. When trying to cut back on spending, it's much more realistic to implement small changes and set long-term goals than to immediately give up on spending on things you enjoy.
• Know what you're putting in your body - Anyone that has tracked calories has had that moment of shock when something he ate had far more calories than he estimated. Tracking calories typically has the consequence of helping people not only better understand how many calories foods have, but helps people avoid overeating. It's also important to track what you spend. This goes beyond just a checkbook register. Truly tracking how much you spend on a monthly basis on things like groceries, gas, dining out, and clothing will allow you to have a much more robust understanding on where your money goes and where you can begin to make small changes to cut back.

About This Blog

I have a piece of paper on my desk with notes all over it. A few weeks ago, I randomly began contemplating the idea of starting a blog about ways I've found to save money while not feeling as though I'm depriving myself of the things I enjoy. I quickly dismissed the idea as I figured I'd start the blog, then quickly run out of motivation or topics to discuss. To prove it, I began to write down the topic ideas that were top of mind. I had three.

I kept the note on my desk. Randomly, an idea would pop in my head and I'd write it down. Before I realized it, the note paper was full and the ideas were still flowing. The more I wrote, the more excited I was about sharing my thoughts with others.

We'll see how long the motivation lasts. We'll see if anyone reads this. In the meantime, I'll have fun documenting something about which I'm passionate.

With this blog, I intend to share some tips and tricks I've found to live a more frugal life. I simply intend to share small changes you can make every day that will add up to big dollars over the long term. My personal philosophy is that I look to save money so that I have more to spend on the things that matter most to me.

This isn't a blog about how to live on $1,000 a year. It's not about how much to budget or what you need to save to retire at 35. I am not a financial expert or a life coach. My approach will not work for everyone. Take the tips you want and apply them and disregard the things that aren't for you. And always feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and your personal tips on living a more frugal life.