It's like a diet

When you begin thinking about saving money, or living on a budget, or not spending... the FIRST thing you want to do is go shopping! It is JUST like dieting. You decide you want to diet.... but you wait til Monday so you can stuff your face all weekend. Thats how it goes. Money is no different. It takes a "get serious" kinda attitude.

When I first began talking to Jere about us going on a "financial diet" he said "lets go eat and hit the mall." Funy thing is, well I guess its not so funny, is that he was serious! He couldn't think about anything BUT going to spend money. And I get that... we all are that way to some degree. But at some point we have to REACH that point if we want to change.

It's baby steps... you can't do everything at once like I told you earlier and I was serious. It doesn't happen over night. Even if you quit spending, started saving, lived on cash, never ate out, no vacations for the year... you STILL are not going to accomplish financial freedom over night. So take it small...

Because its like a diet, as I told you earlier and in other posts, you HAVE to pick something. A really good first step would be to try and live on cash. Try paying your bills and cashing out the rest of your money. Whether its $10 left over or $5,000 take that money and do it the envelope system way. Put money in the "Grocery" envelope. Money in the "gas" envelope. and NEVER forget the "Fun stuff" envelope. That will keep you sane.

A lot of books I have read say start with the budget... and while that is HUGE....SUCH a large part of your financial diet... I believe firmly in starting with the envelope system.

Any questions about how to get started with budgets and envelopes? Email me at cararoxanne02@aol.com. Or leave a comment.