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Budget Step Five

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Time To Fine Tune Your Budget!

Take your budget and go line by line through it in it's entirety.

This is one of the most important parts of budgeting. Comparing your spending to your incoming money can be a real eye opener. Then taking it a step farther and comparing your savings amount to where you want it to be can be motivating.

This is what you need to do.

Look for every possible way that you can cut back on spending.

1. Go line by line in your spending report (where you are recording where your money is going) and eliminate anything not necessary. Do you really need an extra large mocha every morning? Start by changing that to a medium mocha and then reevaluate monthly.

2. Next look at the necessary expenses and make them less. Cut your gas bill by carpooling and running all your errands together, maybe even on your way home from work. Could you do most of your errands down by work and spend the time and gas by work and save yourself a hectic commute home? This would save you money, gas and time.

3. Look at your food bill. Are you eating out a lot? Are you wasting money at the grocery store by buying food and then it gets spoiled before you eat it... are you buying a lot of convenience foods that are 3-5 times the price of food you can easily prepare are home? Are you using coupons?

4. Are you spending a lot on medicine? Have you looked into shopping your prescription around? You can save a lot of money by calling different pharmacies and asking them their price on the medication. I've found that Sam's Club and WalMart have great prices on their medication. Shop early and save with Walmart.com 

5. Look at your utility bills. Call your land-line phone company and cell phone companies and ask about cheaper plans. Decide if you even need a land-line phone. Do you even need internet at home or can you just use the library computer?

Keep going through your budget until you have considered EVERY SINGLE item you have spent a penny on. Every bill or expense can be made less. You will be surprised at home much you can really lighten your spending. It goes back to understanding the difference between a want and a need. A want is something that might be nice to have, might even make your life easier, like a cup of coffee, but a need is something you can not live without, like food. It's important to realize that even thought housing is a need, it doesn't mean that you have to live in a property you can not afford. A nice, clean, safe place to live is good enough.


Next look at the
Make More Money sections and get inspiration to make more money. Now get active. Do what it takes today to make more money. Give yourself 30 days to try an idea. Did it work? Can it work? Is it something you feel you can stick with? If it is not going to work than try something else. Just keep going!

Don't forget to keep looking for ways to cut back on your spending! Every penny you spend you should be thinking, can I get a better deal on this? Do I really need this? If you are not able to pay cash for it, and it's not a necessity like housing, medical insurance or food, than walk. You can do without. Make that purchase your goal and prize once you are back in control.

Like this this to shall pass. The initial days on the Budget are the hardest. You have to control yourself. But as you change your way of thinking about money it gets easier. You will appreciate the money you have and your non-necessity purchases will be a lot more meaningful.

Keep reading. Keep a pad of paper next to your computer to write down ideas that you are interested in and be sure to add the No Excuse Budget to your Favorites so you can check back on all the updates and new Money saving News!




 

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