This is more of an observation I had this weekend. Budgeting is a lot harder for us to keep on track. We do better than most of our friends with budgeting, and much better than we did in college. We live below our income but we are not saving as much as we could be. And for some reason that irks me, I'm not really sure why it irks me either. My personality is very much a planner, organizer, & worrier. DH has me paranoid about how much a house is going to cost and moving. And I feel like we may never be as prepared as we'd like.
I guess part of it is I also don't say no, and force him to buckle down. Minor example-He wanted to go to olive garden with our friends and then to a movie Saturday night so I agreed....I used a coupon but it still was a $50 night out. These nights out happen more often in the summer time, and I think he's trying to spend more time with everyone because we'll be moving away. Example #2- At the grocery store DH really wanted a loaf of white wonderbread. I never buy it because it's $3.19. I make it at home in the breadmaker or buy the $0.99 store brand bread. He rarely asks for food items, I planned for $200/per month we should have spent $1,000 so far as of the end of May and we're well below that for the year (We've been eating out of the freezer mostly). I'll post our exact grocery totals later tonight. So since we are extremely under the food budget I of course said yes because well it's just a loaf a bread and sometimes it's nice to treat him.
I basically realized this weekend I don't say no so I don't have anyone to blame but myself. I run all the household finances and when he asks I feel guilty telling him no because he doesn't ask very often. We talked about it while we grilled hotdogs last night and enjoyed the patio. We're going to try to bring him in more of the finances and do them together sort of a bills/ checking account/savings account date night. He's got the I don't care attitude about money as long as when he goes to the atm he can get $20 he's happy. So we both agree he needs to work on changing that mind set.
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You definitely have the right idea. Budgeting is so much easier when you are both on board.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your plans! But don't beat yourself up if either of you fall off the plan once in a while, just climb back aboard.
Thanks for the encouragement Precious! I always appreciate the prospective of other people :) And I have to admit I've borrowed budgeting ideas/practices from others too as we tweak things and try to learn what works for us. Funny how being adult seemed so nice when we were kids :)
ReplyDeleteI think you have the right idea, you both need to be on the same page. And it is hard to say no sometimes when the other person wants to do something. I was really bad about this. Or I'd say no but end up giving in. I guess it helped when it finally seemed to click for B. I don't know what finally sunk in but when it did he was on board with paying off the 0% debt early and saving money.
ReplyDeleteI found some old bank statements/debit receipts from when we first graduated and B had a real job. I was amazed and a little sickened at the amount of money we just blew eating out, going out, movies, etc. Everyone needs a little fun but it doesn't always have to be a $50 dinner out.
Agreed Cassie! :) I need to continue to look on the positive, we've come a very long way from where we were.......I looked at those numbers during my lunch break today.......my eyes bugged out.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. G,
ReplyDeleteYeah I remember that too! But now I want to be a kid again! :-)