What changes have you made?

[singinjeannie]

What changes have you made in your spending/saving in order to get financially secure?

Example: I've gone to using cash as much as possible. Not using debit cards and certainly not using credit cards for anything! I only use my debit card for gas purchases. It's a proven fact that people will spend much more money if they are using a piece of plastic, as it doesn't feel like they are spending. Also, even if it's a debit card, it's like having the whole amount of your checking account available to purchase items. If you have $30.00 on you, and you are using cash, you'll spend only that $30.00 and nothing more.

By doing this, I've found I spend far less than I used to.

Yesterday I went to the Grocery Store. I had $33.00 in my pocket. I bypassed a few items I would have previously put in my cart, just because I wanted them, because I knew I only had that $33.00 and I would probably close at the checkout counter. My bill ended up being $32.03. Now, if I'd have used my debit card, my bill would've easily been at least $15.00 more.

Can you share your changes to help me (and others) make good changes?

Thanks!
Jean

[miclason]

I'm bringing my lunch with me instead of buying....Like you, I'm using cash only....I make a shopping list (actually, I make a lot of lists...I have an "I want/I need" list, this one is helpful...of course, the I want column goes on forever, but, by placing items on that column (and being honest about what I put on the I need list) I find it easier to avoid temptation...(I tell myself, "no, that's on your WANT list, not your NEED list...)...I have learned to recognize the emotional triggers to my shopping sprees and, am happy to report I am now able to NOT shop when sad or frightened...(of course, carrying ONLY enough cash to buy the necessities has helped a lot with this!!)

[DivaJen]

I think the most helpful thing DH and I have done is to seriously track our spending. We get an idea of what the necessities really cost, and it helps us find areas to cut back on. It also makes it easier for me to set realistic goals in terms of budgeting and whatnot.

[shadon]

I menu plan now, something I have never, ever done before. And what a relief it is too! No more worrying about what to cook that night for dinner and looking in the fridge/freezer to see nothing in there. I changed my shopping from monthly to weekly so that with the menu plan, each Monday I go to the store and buy what I need for the week. Have only started this this week though.

Also, I reduced the speed at which I drive on the freeways. We are limited to 110kmh here but I read that you can save 25% of your fuel by driving at 90kmh rather than 110kmh.

[miclason]

Another change I have made is that now I think about how to get more for my money before spending it....for example, I have been sort of craving a gourmet sandwich for a couple of days now...they cost $4.50...for $4.99, I can buy a large pizza at Little Caesars and have a family dinner (there's only 4 of us, and the most any of us can eat is 2 slices, so it's perfect...) so, for $0.49 more, I could have a small "pizza party", which would certainly be more enjoyable than eating alone- gourmet sandwich or not!...Or, for $0.50 more (than the cost of the sandwich) I can buy a $5.00 phone card that will last me at least 15 days!! (you guessed it! I went with the phone card!!)

[srace]

I have just started using more coupons and trying to plan out what we need for the week. Also trying to use the dryer less and not to use the check book or debit card except for paying bills.

[terry1156]

I've mentioned this in several other threads, but adopting a "one touch" rule has helped me immensely. That is, I take care of things the minute they come up instead of looking at them 4 or 5 times and procrastinating on them. That was the first step that really got us on the way to getting out of debt.

[Tammy]

Tracking all our spending has been a biggie for us.

[lrjohnson]

It's interesting to me-some folks say they are better being frugal by only spending cash, instead of using debit/credit/checks. My experience is exactly the opposite-if I have cash, it disappears - I'm able to account for very little of it. I use debit card for almost everything, even $1.50 Bread Thrift Store Purchases. I enter every transaction into Quicken, so I can exactly track. But if I need cash for any reason, it's really tough for me to spend the $3 at the garage sale without the other $17 from the ATM slipping through my fingers.

I love how people are different-always entertaining.

[PrincessPerky]

I found the only way cash works is if I leave most of it at home, so I take 50 to BJs we spend 50, but if I take the debit card, we spend more.

The same thing works for home parties like PC or whatever, I take 20 I leave only spending 20 (plus I rarely if ever carry my debit card)

But the number one change I have made is wants, vs needs. I want new shoes, I need food . (though my shoes are starting to move onto the need list, found a hole)

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by lrjohnson

It's interesting to me-some folks say they are better being frugal by only spending cash, instead of using debit/credit/checks. My experience is exactly the opposite-if I have cash, it disappears - I'm able to account for very little of it. I use debit card for almost everything, even $1.50 Bread Thrift Store Purchases. I enter every transaction into Quicken, so I can exactly track. But if I need cash for any reason, it's really tough for me to spend the $3 at the garage sale without the other $17 from the ATM slipping through my fingers.

I love how people are different-always entertaining.

This is the case for me too. If I have cash in my wallet I fritter it away without a second thought.

[BillsGirl]

I make my husband his lunch to take to work and buy 12 packs of soda so he wouldn't buy any soda at work, I raise the a/c by 2 degrees day and night, We flush the toilet every 2 or 3 visits depending on the grossness! I make my own baby food, and I started clipping coupons 2 months ago!

[BillsGirl]

Originally Posted by DivaJen

This is the case for me too. If I have cash in my wallet I fritter it away without a second thought.

I am exactly the same way, and I have my hubby do all the budgeting because he;'s great at it and I know I would be crap at it, I am very bad with money!!

[momma4]

I sit down at the first of the month and plan for the the month ahead. I mark down when all bills are due then go and figure out when I can pay each bill. My dh gets paid once a week which helps. the two last checks of the month go for rent I split rent in half and save it so we are ok for food. and i pay the other bills with the other two checks. We try to save a few bucks here and there in savings but it always seems we come into a bind where we need to dig into it to make it.

[momma4]

I think basicly our biggest change is I am in control of the money lOL. Dh use to be in control and all bills were late there there hefty fines and we were always low on food. now with like I was telling you all my methods there are $0 fines so we save over $200 a month right there alone. Plus Dh stopped going to the bar to play darts that costed us $80+ a week. with the way I do my bills I can handle him going to the bar on occations for 1-2 beers(don't like the idea of it in the house with the kids) he only spends $10-$20 and we have plenty of food in the house. we were spending only $65 a week which barely got us threw to now where food costs $140 a week and there is plenty

[BillsGirl]

My husband uses microsoft money and it's an awesome program it calculates cash flow reminds when bills are due and basically an electronice check book balancer, it's such a good program even i can use it and he knows exactly how every penny is spent, it really is a great program!

[PrincessPerky]

I was just talking to DH about changes, and aside form the way we look at needs vs wants, we havn't made any, but then we have, lots of little ones, we just did it slowly and painlessly so we wouldn't be bothered by it. We honestly don't feel any broker now with no CC use than we did a year ago with the CC use. (and we are paying off the CC bill, slowly but paying it off)

[mehmeh]

When one uses a debit card, do they have to punch in their pin or is the transaction just made? -frightened of his debit card

[singinjeannie]

Mehmeh - you have to put your pin number in, even at the gas pump, to use a debit card. What scares you about the debit card? It's pretty simple and straight forward. Just like writing a check -- without the pen.

-Jean

[kashi]

Actually I use my debit card as a credit card all the time and I never, ever put in my pin number.