Posted: 7/26/2005 9:04:16 AM EDT
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I read Dave Ramsey's book. I'm gazelle like in my intensity of paying off my debt. Luckily I do not have much but my problem is staying out of debt because it costs me more to live than what I make. I'm trying to rectify this problem but on the same token get things at home as tight as possible. With that said I have a family of 5. In a nutshell my husband gives me 1000 a month to live off of. From that I have to make the house payment, pay the electric and phone bill, buy food and groceries, school clothes, gas etc. I am a stay at home Mom but I run 3 part time businesses out of my home. The most lucritive of my businesses is my dogs. I raise GSPs and have 2-3 litters of pup a year that sell [profit] about 4500 a litter. I also build websites which bring home about a 100 a month [I have a difficult time getting my clients to pay me] and I guide in the winter which brings home another 4-500 dollars a month [2-3 months]. Its pretty slim pickings when I'm not making money. I've added up my gas and grocery expenses for the past two months and both have exceeded the money my husband gives me. How much do you guys spend on this? We eat mostly game [meat] so I buy very little meat but I spend about $600 a month on food alone. I've been traveling a lot with my dogs building them up so I can start professionally training [I have never charged for training before] so that is why my gas bill is so high. I doubt that'll go down anytime soon. Patty |
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Well as for food and stuff, i shop very agressive on prices, I'll find stuff thats real cheap and get alot of it so I dont have to get any more for a year or so. The other week I was able to find those dry noiodle/rice meals for 50cent each and since that makes a meal for one person I got alot. Same way with drink, last time drinks were really cheap I got about 6 months worth. Now that those have run out I figured I can save 50%+ on drinks if I only drink koolaid instead of soda. I dont buy meat unless very cheap due to costs. Gas Im stuck paying about $40 a week, but that I cant avoid. I just try to be cheap on everything and have to justify every purchase of anything including food. On the other hand if you want to get a bunch of stuff for free, call the companies that make food and complain the worse you say the problem is (spiders in the ceral) the mor stuff you can get, can get about $400+ in free stuff that way. |
Good idea! Patty
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I am not sure what I spend on food a month.......it is probably more than you do on your entire family for just me. In fact, I know it is. I don't think you are doing bad with your budget......if fact I doubt many could even come close to doing what you are doing with $1000. How much of a shortfall do you have every month? I don't think food would be the place to cut it. You are only spending $4.00/ day / person. That is living pretty frugally. |
Well I get by but its a struggle. I do try to buy a side of beef when I have money from my dogs to save money during the short months. The main problem is there is never anything left over for doctors or Christmas so I end up using my credit card which I pay off when I get money from my dogs. Long story short I'm always about 2K short every year. Patty |
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Patty there are two sides to the budget. Expenses and income. I'm willing to bet you're pretty darn careful with the expense part. So work the income side just a bit by selling some stuff on ebay. Take a look around you right now. If you have things you do not use auction them. Let someone else give you money for your unwanted stuff. In my case, I have a bunch of old car parts I've aquired over the years, most for little or no cost. Think hubcaps from the side of the road.  I list a 3 to 5 parts a week to finance my AR addiction.Oh and you deserve a hearty ATTAGIRL. 
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Thank you SouthHoof, I would like to beef up the income and am thinking of ways. Ebay is a good way, I'll have to pay more attention to that. I have a load of stuff to sell, no doubt about that. I'm actually wanting to build up my dog training business - I turn down more money each month then either my husband or I make because I'm not set up for it yet. However its a double edge sword - if I charge [or take out a loan] to start the business and something wacky happens and the business fails then where am I? I wish I could just squeeze this turnip a couple more twists and just get ahead a little while! Patty |
Being single and living alone, I've never understood the concept of "my husband gives me...", or "my wife allows me..." Why don't married people just pool their money and work the budget together? It's not my business, but maybe you need to squeeze the husband for more cash. It sounds like you're responsible enough to handle it. |
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I agree with the others that you re doing quite well given your situation. Food: I eat for super cheap, and one of my main hobbys is body building. I will eat more than two of your kids when I am in a gaining phase. I eat a lot of oats, as they are .44/lb from the bulk food bin at Mijer. Also, I pick up just about everything else at Costco. Cottage chese is like an extra $1 for twice the ammount you can buy at the grocers. I drink table spoons of olive oil for fat, and I drink a lot of protein that I buy in 10lb. bags which is the cheapest source of protein that I can find any way any where. I would agree with the Ebay thing. I have brought in about $500 this year selling off some of my extra car parts. My father's buddy has a wife that picks stuff up from garage sales in the .01 bin, and sells it on ebay for a couple of bucks. After a while it adds up to about 25K/year. Not bad. |
| Another thing you might consider is the type of car you're driving as its readily apparent that gas is eating up a chunk of your budget. Unless you absolutely need a huge truck/gas guzzler, it may be in your best interest to sell/trade for a more fuel efficient vehicle......The savings add up real quick... |
My marriage obviusly has issues that I'm trying to muddle through. I do not throw in the towel easy. But with that said after 8 years of begging, I've learned to live with what I get. Its up to me and I'll get it done. Now on a more happier note! killingmachine123 what type of powdered protien do you get? My oldest boy is 6'5 145. He started school last year at 6'1 120. You might not think he can pack away the groceries but he can. My daughter is 6'1" 150 and she is still growing. I'm always looking for ways to feed them healthy and affordably as possible. Patty |
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Patty, The first thing I would do, is make sure that everyone who owed me money paid me. For all business' it is much easier said than done. The best way I can see for you to improve this situation is to convert ALL of your website customers to Credit Cards. This will help you two-fold. It will first ensure you get paid. Second it will allow you to bill the card when it becomes due and not have to wait for them to "cut you a check" Then I would attempt to expand the most profitable part of your business. I would try to expand the breeding business to have more litters per year. I realize this will be a long-term solution to a short-term problem, but I don't see how you will cut expenses. You must increase income. Good Luck. |
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Thanks krpind, I can't really produce much more litters as its a fickled business. You can be labled a puppy mill pretty darn fast and get on a black list -- even though all of my dogs are titled [many nationally ranked] and have had all their health clearances. I do run a very good, produce ship. I am trying to secure the opprotunity to live in a place that will allow me to train more. I turn away 3-4 dogs a month for training and I've never ever have avertised for that. That would put [granted not all profit] an extra 1500 - 2000 dollars in my income bracket but its going to be difficult for me to swing on my own. I admittedly am pretty nervous about it. I'm a very conservative person and I hate taking risks. Patty |
Believe in yourself. If you do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it, you will be successful in business. It already sounds like you know these things, since you are turning away business. Good Luck with the new house and I hope all the other issues you have, will resolve themselves. |
I used to be hooked on Snapple ice tea because we got it free at work. But that stuff's a $1 a bottle at the stores. You can buy Lipton ice tea mix, use a 2 liter plastic drink bottle, rinse it out, use a funnel to slap the ice tea mix in, fill with water, shake, and chill. Bingo! 2 liters of ice tea that tastes just as good and about 1/5 as cheap |
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As a formed food retailer: WORK those SPECIALS and COUPONS!!! My X was expert on both, she'd come home with $600 worth of food for $400 when working the specials, freebie and coupons. She was very deadly when the Supermarket paid double or triple on those days. Hope this helps. |
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I do try to work the sells but since I'm so far away from a grocery store, its pointless to drive to more than one store so I try to do my shopping twice a month at one store. I have no qualms buying generic but I have to admit I'm pretty picky about what goes into my kids bodies. I want them to have good healthy nutrition. They do not get a lot of sugar, starch, preservatives etc. We bake cookies and etc for treats. They are not allowed sodas or kool aid - they make their own ice tea [brewed on stove or sun tea] and have learned to drink it unsweatened. I shoot most of our meat - however we're for all purposes out of meat right now. I'm hoping to find a Bear when the season opens next month so I'm buying meat galore right now. Patty |
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It is optimum nutritions 100% whey protein. Tastes pretty decent for protein and I get it for cheap at Edge Nutrition. THey are the cheapest place in town or in the net for tha matter. $48 for 10lbs with more protein per serving than just about anything out there. This stuff is pretty much how I was able to eat through college. Ojn a side note, if you dont use your AC in the car, or it does not work you might be able to cut off the belt that drives the compressor. I noticed an extra MPG or two when I did this in my little charger a couple of years back. |
Blah blasphomy! Turn off my AC? I might be tight but I don't squeek! Actually my cars get pretty decent gas milage. I just got to cut down on my running around. Patty |
On the generics, never buy "junk" - if the family doesn't eat it - OR not healthy for them - don't purchase again, try something else. Tires slightly over inflate, weather permitting, squeezes a few more MPG out of a gallon. |
That's easy for you to say, you don't live in Texas. I believe if I had to make a choice between fixing my A/C or brakes......the A/C would win hands down  
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Last summer I drove a car with windows that would not roll down. No AC. I think I could handle Texas so long as my windows roll down to get a breeze. |