How I saved $1,000 this year pt. 2

Marketwatch.com

...So I took the Financial Peace University class with a girl I knew from my church. It was challenging, inspiring, and pretty fun! We took it at another church because their class schedule worked well for us. We learned the tools that we needed to be think about money God's way including how to:

- set a budget and stick to it
- get out of debt
- save for emergencies and other important purchases,
- invest, and
- give.

The class just really helped me to think outside of my box of how money works and to see possibilities that I never thought of. I learned how to do more with less money in my pocket while saving more in a higher interest savings account. This has been both challenging and awesome! It took a whole lotta discipline and accountability. I now meet with the girl from my church once a month to go over our budgets, goals, exciting money updates, and bitter money failures.

During that class and in the months following, I paid off over $4,000 of debt, completely taking me out of debt. I saved $1,000 for emergencies, then used the money and had to build back up over $1,000 this year.

Now, here's how I saved the $1,000:

I set a budget and have limited the amount of cash (yes, cash) that I can use each month to buy groceries, eat out, hang out with friends, get my hair done, etc...and I've stuck to it for several months. A few slip ups here and there, but I get right back on the bus. I also put aside enough money each month to saved $1,000 this year. By doing that, I've come to the end of the year with over $1,000 in savings, instead of coming to the end of the year with nothing to show for it as I used to! I have also saved for vacation!

Have you taken Financial Peace University? You should check it out! It's a great class (other people are talking about as well!) that I'm sure will change your life, too! Tell 'em I sent you!

How I saved $1,000 this year pt. 1

MarketWatch.com

At the end of 2014, I was in quite a bit of personal debt. I'd started trying to keep up with the Joneses on a non-profit salary. I wasn't saving money and was giving money away. I had no idea how much money I was really spending except I watched my bank account closely enough to know that I wasn't overdrafting.

I had a lot of credit cards. I would open an account in a second just to get the discount for applying or the reward that was promised. Not paying off the balance each month sure added a lot of fees. If I had a car repair or some unforeseen expense, I'd charge it.

For a co-worker and I, this was the first time that we'd made "this much" money. She pitched the idea of us making budgets and holding ourselves accountable. Sounded good but I was lazy about tracking my spending and was not up to speed on Smart phones or apps at that time... Still not too technologically savvy now.

I kept hearing about Dave Ramsey and this "Financial Peace University" class. My roommate encouraged me to take it because she took it and it really changed the way she started to relate to/with money.
Since she offered to let me use her book and materials, the class would be free for me...

Just being honest

Thinking I was cute

For some reason, I've become a consumer of hair. So far, this has only affected me during the last two summers. One of my excuses for this is that I'm growing my hair out. While this is true, I'm also loving how I can change up my look by simply adding new tresses.

I still want to be a good steward of my finances because I have a set amount of money that I can use toward this reach month per my budget (I give a lot to charity and I also want to retire someday and have dinero saved for emergencies, ya feel me?) I want God to be pleased even in the way that I spend the money that He so graciously gives me. So pray for ya girl to steward her money well and not get caught up in being so fabulous.

Collecting experiences

HELLLOOOOO OWWWT THERE!  Hope you are doing very well. Oh, me?  I'm fine, thank you. Ha-ha-ha. Ok, so I read an article in the September issue of Ebony magazine in which the writer talked about "collecting experiences" rather than possessions.  Ya know?  That makes so much sense.  I actually practice this but hadn't thought of terming it "collecting experiences."  I have found that this is much more fulfilling for me than buying a bunch of things.  Ya see, I really do NOT like clutter (I mean, my space is cluttered at times BUT STILL.  I don't like clutter) and when I have a bunch of things they tend to create clutter for and to me.  I like simplicity.

For example, I had lunch with a spunky cousin of mine recently and even though the meal hit my wallet like a train wreck that I stood and watched I REALLY enjoyed the time we spent together.  And food doesn't tend to stick around like a new bag, shoes, clothing, TV, book, magazine (I got that copy of Ebony from the library...so I was able to return them their stuff), hat, hair extensions, piece of exercise equipment...ok, I think you get my drift.  I would rather spend my time and money gathering experiences with people I care about and love than on something that I really don't need.  Don't get me wrong, the aforementioned items may be something that I pick up (I will definitely need a new pair of sneakers soon the way my current pair are lookin'!) but they don't give me as much pleasure as time spent with people.

Some experience ideas I'd like to tackle:
1) Learning more about some of the elderly people I know (their lives; asking them about certain decisions they made; old desires, etc)
2) Serving a meal at a local soup kitchen
3) A cross-country trip with a north-western stop in Alaska
4) Preparing a meal with a loved one
5) Making Christmas cards with little kids to hand out at a local hospital or nursing home

What experiences would you like to collect?  Ponder that...

Til next time,
U.M.