Has anyone else recently taken a look at the amount of cash money they spent in the weeks leading up to the holidays? I always think I’m doing so well and being so frugal, but it still adds up. And I’ll admit, sometimes I don’t look at the total amount spent on gifts until January. Simply because I know I’ll probably faint. Not only gifts though, I often find we get off track overall from our budget around the holidays.

We buy more food for baking and for dishes we offer to bring to parties. I slack on planning ahead, so don’t use as many coupons. And it’s just a fun time of year so we go out more, grabbed a pizza here and there, and spent time with friends. All which are fabulous things, but do a number on the budget.

I’ve slacked a little in January too. Most likely out of laziness I’d say, and again, not planning ahead. But, we’re getting back on track now! We’ve reorganized our budgets for the coming year and are up to the challenge of staying with in it. I love a challenge. I’m pretty competitive in case you didn’t know. So when we set a certain amount for say groceries or household items, I always challenge myself to spend even less than that.

I’ve had many people ask me over the past few years about budgeting. Most people think budgeting is for those who are jobless, living pay check to pay check, trying to make ends meat, etc. And yes, it is for them too. But it’s also for everyone and anyone. We started budgeting right after we got married.

It was a way for us to focus on our income, see where our money was going and reach our goals faster. We budget for everything from groceries to hair cuts. At the end of each month we have a budget meeting together to focus on and plan the next month’s spending. Each month is so different. The one constant though, is that we’re planning ahead. Some things you can’t always plan, but we plan for that. See that? We plan for the unexpected. We budget a certain amount each month for unexpected expenses.

We do all of this through Mint.com. It’s a free, safe, online budgeting website that tracks all of your expenses and income. Over the years it has definitely had it’s hiccups, but for the most part it has changed how we look at our income. We had credit card debt in an amount higher than I’d ever like to admit. Between honeymoon expenses and other life altering events that we had dealt with, it added up quickly.

In less than two years we paid it all off and have never had credit card debt since, and never will again. We’ve also paid off our car, significantly reduced our student loans, saved enough for an emergency fund, a vacation fund and aggressively saved to our retirement funds. All from budgeting.

We don’t eat beans and rice every night either. We live normal lives and eat like normal people we’re just conscious of our spending. We look for deals, we use coupons and we maximize every cent that exits our bank account. We don’t deprive ourselves. Our outlook is simple: every cent saved on things we need is another cent towards things we want. We’ve clearly stated our goals to each other and have prioritized them well.

For anyone else looking to start a budget, I encourage you to start slow. But, I also encourage you to do it. You’ll be shocked at the amount of money you spend on things like food. For instance, when we weren’t really caring about where our money went we realized that we had spent over $700 dollars on food in ONE month, for TWO people. One of which can barely eat real food. I mean that’s absurd. We now spend less than half of that, which is still a lot for two people.  With the dietary restrictions I have it’s tough to spend any less, though I still try!

Mint.com is a great resource and I’m sure there are many other budgeting sites out there. I just finished the book Money Saving Mom’s Budget, which was fabulous. Lot’s of great tips and tricks to get you started even if you’re not a Mom. A lot of money saving sites/books/resources are marketed towards Moms, but there’s nothing special about them that don’t make them for everyone.

Anyway, I’ve probably talked long enough. Definitely try budgeting if it’s something you’ve been thinking about and just haven’t known where to start. It could change your life drastically, stretch your dollar and help you buy that new car or pay off that debt. I always love answering questions on this topic so feel free to ask away. And good luck if you embark on the world of budgeting!

Please note: Mint.com and Crystal Paine have no clue who I am. I just love the site and the book and wanted to share my positive experiences with you.