BUDGETING

I've had to re-visit my budget this month. A couple of things have happened like us changing our loan to buy Darren a 4WD as his car was finally beyond repair, and in the same week, Dan came home from school with the opportunity to go to England for 3 weeks to play cricket for the school in 2013. So as you can see, we are taking being frugal to the next level. Last week I was offered 2 more part time jobs but I simply could not fit them in with my other jobs and family life, I was hoping to get an extra morning at one of my jobs but the lady I work with needs her days also at the moment. Oh and lets not forget that in March next year I am driving the kids to visit my sister in Muswellbrook and then heading north for another 7 hours to take them to the Gold Coast. This trip has been in the making for years and we had already paid for accomodation in Queensland before this other stuff came up.

So I looked at our budget and I have to say that I'm pretty happy with it, it's an excel spreadsheet with every conceivable amount that I have to pay throughout the year divided by 26 to give us fortnightly amounts to save. I have now decided that there are some things that I should keep at home as cash so I can't spend over what I have.

I made up these pouches originally to sell at my market but as I looked at them yesterday, I thought how perfect they would be for money pouches. I stamped some linen, cut it out and hand stitched the panel to the front of each pouch. I love the way they look and I will happily keep my money in them.

Our other way of saving is this tin. Any spare change now goes into it as well as all of the can recycling money and my market money.

I am really looking forward to the challenge of saving all of this extra money and I know we as a family will make it happen with just a few little changes to our lives.