Our new emphasis in 2010 is getting back to a budget. We finally got a program for our Mac that we hope will work. So back to entering bills and receipts and and watching my money be spent.
As we were looking for a recent budget we came across some from our glory days as students. And I know why I struggle to spend money here was our budget as newlyweds in 2001.
Expenses:
Rent $450
Grocery $120
Tithing/FO $150
Telephone $35
Medical $84
Gas&auto Maint. $50
Savings $150
Investments $50 (this one never happened)
Entertainment $50
Clothing $50
Misc. Household $20
Total Expenses $1240
Income:
BYU $908
Pruning job $330
Total Income $1238
My favorite line item was the Entertainment budget. That was the money that we would use for our dates that consisted of dinner out 2 times a month usually splitting the fajita entree and then $1 movie rentals at Albertsons. When we moved on from BYU and finances were especially tight, (and we now had a baby)we dramatically slashed that entertainment budget. And the truth is that we are now back to just $50 now which is probably why we never go on dates because that barely covers the cost of the babysitter for 4 kids.
Back to the budget though- we lived like that for 4.5 yrs. We were blessed so that his $ went up a little at UMN but we really did save money through those years. During that time we were able to buy 2 vehicles with cash and have 2 babies. Though we did get a help with state medical coverage during our years in MN and Dave's parents paid our car insurance and Dave's education paid for with his research degree, we were mostly on our own. We never got student loans or went into debt. Most of our savings came from our Tax Refund/Earned income credit but we just stuck it in bank. Everything we got was either free from the lovely giveaway tables at church and our student housing or we got it on sale at the Thrift store-national holidays were 50% off.
I loved that period in my life and in some ways I have never felt richer. We were greatly blessed of the Lord and never felt poor. We had fun, we had friends and everything that we needed. I hope I never go back to that budget but at the same time it hasn't completely left me. Just ask my husband who tries to spend money once in a while and then come home and see his wife cringe because he spent $50. I am also figuring limitations out and so when the kids come home with calls for money from school I send them to Dad because I know that he is much more ready to part with the $10 than I am.
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