I woke up one morning and all our money was gone

My husband and I, like a great many people in this world, are hard-working, caring, often creative, and generally intelligent. Why can't we get our spending under control? In place of cash, we found we had a lot of EXCUSES.

 A few years ago, full-time school and full-time work for both of us at the same time significantly diminished our free time, justifying constant fast food purchasing.

Hubby's college program did not yield him a career; headaches and boiled blood resulted from this situation. We spent more money on distractions and entertainment (a new motorcycle, two mountain bikes, sports equipment, gaming system after gaming system, and OH SO MANY DVDs) to keep our minds off the setback while planning for the proper college program he would take the following year.

Moving three times in less than a year, then me not finding a job for over a month after the final move made matters worse. My credit card limit was reached and that line of credit I had set up for emergencies was brutally assaulted during this period.

The estimation of cash flow has probably been the most ridiculous aspect of this whole mess. With fluctuating paycheques and frequent errors in our calculations, we spent money before we made it (usually on dinning out or toys) and were too often disappointed when we came up short for bills for the month.

With school and vehicle loans, pet expenses, the different types of insurance we were paying, the debt from moving and our trip to get married, and of course our monthly rent and bills, we still spent on the obviously unnecessary. Eventually, it was time to talk to Collections. This was our ROCK BOTTOM. WOW! NO MORE.

Our life feeling nearly ruined, a mysterious shot of optimism and determination entered us. We're now working on adhering to our budgeting system, which in itself wasn't flawed. Our combined income more than covers our monthly expenses. My first step: plan and account for each dollar we spend for three months. Then re-assess.

Some ideas to help us save money:

1) Make a list of meals to prepare for the week. Create a grocery list based on this meal plan and do not deviate from it. Stay on grocery budget!

2) Make a list of things we can easily live without and cut them out.

3) Find more economical alternatives for certain products/services.

4) Take full advantage of my freezer to cut down on food waste.

5) Pack a picnic when we take our long walks so that we’re not stopping for liquids and food.