Creating a budget and then living with it can make you realize how much money you don’t have (don’t worry – it won’t always be this way!). There’s nothing like taking control of your money to realize how badly it had controlled you before (at least – that was the case with us!).
Living paycheck to paycheck is hard. Not having enough money in the account to cover a check you just wrote is hard. Running out of money before you’ve done your last grocery shopping trip for the month is hard.
So, it can be really frustrating when you finally get it under control only to feel like there is never enough.
I believe that this is totally normal and will not always be the case. But what can you do if you literally do not have two pennies to rub together, let alone any extra cash to start funding your emergency fund? What if you’re traveling out-of-state to your sister’s wedding in six months and just realized you have no idea where that money will come from?
It’s time to get creative, y’all.
There is money to be found. There are expenes you can lower. There are ways to save on the things you need.
Here are some ways we’ve come up with extra money when we needed it most:
- Craigslist – I’ve found that this works best when you have a bunch of stuff and can spend a day listing it and dealing with buyers. If you have lots of like items, sell them as a lot (I’ve sold maternity clothes and baby clothes this way). Also, to make it easier on yourself, be sure to specify in the listing if the buyer is responsible for pick-up and that the first person to show up with cash takes it – this can save you a lot of time dealing with people! You can also sell things in Facebook groups (search for local groups near you).
- Call the electric company – Ask if you’re getting the best deal possible. Call other providers, and don’t hesitate to move if you can save money elsewhere.
- Cut the cord. With all of the different ways you can consume media, re-think whether you need traditional cable/satellite TV anymore. We made some changes to our TV watching arrangement and save more than $50/month – I still get The Bachelorette, so I’m happy!
- Meal Plan – Meal plan, and stick to your meal plan. Shop the sales. Take a look at your local grocery store’s sales that week and plan your meals around what’s on sale – and stock up on anything that is a great deal and have it for dinner later in the month!
- Trade – You’d be surprised what people are willing to trade for! Don’t be afraid to ask.
- Consign – If you have kids, you probably have hundreds of dollara just waiting to be made. Between Craigslist and consignment sales, you can probably make a nice chunk of change. Here’s a consignment sale I’ve used before to sell kid clothing. If you don’t have a sale near you, you probably have a consignment shop that accepts clothing, toys and baby equipment. Don’t expect to make as much as you would at a sale, but it can be a good way to make a few bucks (or trade in old things for new stuff the kids need without having to pay for them).
- See if you have any unclaimed money – YOU GUYS. I’m totally not kidding. We found $30 of our own money (including a check I apparently never cashed after my donkey won a competition at the State Fair – HA!). But we have a family member who found $3,000. And my dad found several hundred dollars, too. Totally worth checking out (and if you find any money, come share in the FB group – so fun!). You can look for unclaimed money here.
There’s no homework this week – I just want you to focus on your budget – staying on track, tweaking as necessary, and even starting to prepare for next month!
I would love it, though, if you have some great money-saving (or money-finding!) ideas that you could bring to the Facebook group. We’ll see you there!
