You know that I think everyone should track their income and expenses to really know where they stand. We personally do this a few months of the year. But when I discuss this with others, I sense a resistance – maybe it’s too complicate, a time issue – I don’t know. So I am going to discuss budgeting from a different angle.
These are the things that we have chosen to give up, don’t have or do it ourselves – it’s our choice.
· No data plan on our cell phones – just calling and texting
· Driving older cars – they are 1995 and 2006
· Home maintenance – we do our own yard work, snow removal, house cleaning, etc
· Trash – we take our trash and recycle to the dump ourselves
· Personal care – I cut my husband’s hair and I stretch the time between haircuts. I do my own pedicures, etc.
All these are the choices we have made for our lives. These choices let us travel. We have been to most of the Caribbean, a good part of Europe and more. We are able to take yearly vacations all because of the choices we make day in and day out to do with less in our daily budget.
Budgeting is about choices – where you chose to spend or not spend your money. Everyone is different and has different values / priorities and will make different choices about what they do with their money. I wanted you to see how the money works in our household. Now you can see what we don’t do that lets us do more of the things we want to do.
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