Sometimes time really does fly. I cannot believe we are already in May – and already a full week into May at that! How the last four months have just swept on by. And now that it’s May, it’s time our family got back on track in terms of our spending.
After moving at the first of the year, starting a new job, and figuring out the new routine for everything in our lives, it has taken all of us several, several weeks to get our feet back under us.
Getting into a routine has been a slow and bumpy process.
I’m half embarrassed to admit it, but getting our family back into a strict, clean-cut budget has been slow and bumpy as well. As the head budgeter and chief spender in our household, I have struggled keeping our finances in the same discipline that we are used to.
The changes in grocery stores and food prices has taken some adjusting to, as well as the routine of when and where to grocery shop with my crew of very busy helpers.
Restocking our basic pantry supply has been a chore. The grocery stores at our new home not offering the bulk food options that stores in our previous location did – that’s taken some getting used to.
And don’t get me started on all the things that just come with setting up home in a different set of walls.
Those very basic expenses like cleaning supplies and bathroom products, lightbulbs to fit in that light fixture that doesn’t take a normal 60w bulb; garbage cans, mops and brooms; and then the furniture (because not all furniture items fit the same in every location).
To say there has been so much to adjust to doesn’t even begin to scrape the true meaning behind the words. Unless you’ve moved recently and still have the horrors freshly branded in your memory, than you probably can’t fully grasp just.how.much. there is.
So much change. So much. It becomes exhausting.
BUT – this article is all about re-finding my footing after this significant life event. Specifically, my financial footing.
Now before I move onward, I don’t want you to think that I have just gone credit card happy going on shopping sprees (mainly because buying toilet plungers and shower plugs is hardly fun enough to go under the label “shopping spree”). There have a lot of trips to a lot of different stores, buying a lot of random things.
I haven’t gone crazy – well, maybe I should scratch that word. I have gone crazy, many times. I think that comes with the territory of young kids and unpacking the entirety of your possessions with those busy helpers who like to help, but they’re busy. Really busy. And your trying to recurve out your life in new walls, a new neighborhood, new community, new state. Yes, it is crazy, and it’s crazy how much spending comes with moving – but no, not crazily spending.
Lazy, not Crazy
When it comes to spending, I have not gained an indifferent attitude and gone rouge in spending money freely on anything and everything.
I think frugality is too much a part of who I am to do that.
But what I have done is become lax in strictly following my spending. And then lax again in not correcting myself sooner.
I did what I encourage others not to do. I spent, tracking my spending in my head rather than by hand.
I guessed and in many ways flew by the seat of my pants as the saying goes.
Life was busy, and as everyone around me sympathized. I had just moved, so ….
In January, half the month flew by before I even found a notebook or my laptop charger, so meticulously tracking where every dollar went was …complicated.
I graced myself for January.
Then February and March flew by. And April just happened like a whirlwind.
But now it is May. The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining. And the projects on my to-do list are piling up, just like many of yours are .
With spring here and happy, I decided I really have no more excuses for not getting back on track with our family finances.
So here I sit with my steno notebook at the ready. Ready to re-establish two main budgeting strategies into my monthly spending routine to help me stay on budget.
- Track expenses as I go
- Write it down
Tracking as I Go
This is my goal this month – to get back into this habit – but it is also a good strategy for anyone wanting to stay in budget.
Maybe some of you reading this are like me and have just fallen into a short period of poor spending, or maybe you are new to budgeting and are wanting to do a better job at tracking your spending. This right here is for all of us:
Tracking our expenses as we go.
It may sound like a nice idea to spend and spend, and just wave off tracking saying “I’ll get to that later” or “I’ll do a thorough review at the end of the month,” but it can easily suck into an overspending pit if you are not careful.
While reviewing at the end of the month or even quarter can work, you already have to be in a good routine – a solid rhythm – of staying in budget in order to this successfully.
If you are consistently within budget month after month, it’s totally acceptable to offer yourself more calendar room between check-ins.
Much like a healthy person can push that doctor’s visit out a little further before scheduling a routine check-up, you can push out that personal financial review for your next budget check-in.
On the flip side, if you have problem – or even if you don’t know that you don’t have a problem – then frequent routine reviews are essential to keep your budget in good shape.
If you have an addiction (and yes, swiping that card at the store or entering its happy little numbers through your computer or mobile device can count as addictions as well), then don’t put off routine shelf-checks.
And when necessary, find outside help. Ask your spouse, roommate, parent, sibling, or close friend to help you stay accountable and keep up on reviewing expenses. Maybe that means a simple report over a phone call with mom, telling her that you did review your expenses for that week.
There’s really a lot more on this topic that can be said, but in an attempt to keep this short and sweet, just remember to track your expenses regularly to make sure you are not overspending in your allotted budgets.
Second,
Write it Down
I know we all like to think that we have exceptional memory.
And when it comes to spending money, I think we all want to be in control, and we want others to know that we are in control of our spending as well.
…But that is not always the case.
Our memories are not as good as we think, and more important, our mental math is likely not as sharp as we like to imagine it is.
There are so many small expenses that can crop up, and other expenses that come and go without us really recognizes that the expense occurred.
It happens!
We might think we only spent $200 on food this month, but then we forget the vending machine snacks or the lunch order or that quick stop on your way home from work to grab just a simple head of lettuce (and maybe a few other things ended up in your cart).
There are so many expenses that can just creep up on us. And to be honest, we all have a lot going on in our lives. Remembering every little dollar and odd change we spend is not something we need to burden ourselves with.
Now – don’t get excited thinking that we shouldn’t burden ourselves with tracking our expenses. ‘Cause that’s not what I said.
We don’t need to burden ourselves by remembering every little expense.
Don’t rely on memory! Give yourself a paper trail to rely on.
- Write down the expenses in your notebook or in an expense tracker.
- Use paper or an app on your phone.
- Keep receipts. (this one is so important!)
Use whatever method works for – and if you try one that isn’t working, switch it up.
But in the end, just make sure you are tracking your expenses as you go and leaving yourself a “paper” trail that shows the true picture of what your spending habits are.
Busy, but Able
For me personally, this month is going to be just as busy as the last four months have been. But it is time for me to stop making excuses and putting off the consistent, routine tracking of my spending, and to get back to seriously examining how I am spending my money.
Afterall, wise spending only happens when we’re paying attention.
