8 Tips to Help You Stick to a Budget!

We're getting to the end of my husband's two week pay period. And since we use his paycheque to pay for groceries, things usually start getting pretty skimpy around here towards the end of the two weeks. It's a lot of searching the back of the pantry and the bottom of the freezer to use what we have. I find it kind of an exciting challenge! It's like the Food Network show "Chopped" - where they give the chefs a random basket of weird items like cotton candy, a rabbit's foot, rutabaga and coconut milk and they have to create a gourmet dish based on those ingredients. I tell ya, we've made some pretty interesting meals around here while we've been budgeting! If we needed to, we could take money from another area, but I hate messing up my system!

Here are 8 tips to help you stick to your budget.

1. Write it down

Every dollar should be accounted for and you should have each dollar spent on paper before you spend it for realz. You have a finite amount of money allocated to each area. Each dollar has a name. Each dollar has a purpose.

2. Step away from temptation

Are you a mall-aholic? A Starbucks fanatic? If these places throw you into a spending frenzy, just WALK AWAY. It's time to get serious with your budgeting and spending, so why tempt yourself unnecessarily?

3. Stick to your envelope system

If you want to find out how to use an cash envelope system, you can check out this post. By using cash for all your purchases, you really do have a lot more control over your spending, because if there isn't any money in the envelope for it, you shouldn't be buying it! At the beginning of each month, really think about the expenses you will have that month that may be different from previous months. Things like birthday parties, swimming lessons for the kids, Christmas, hockey equipment, etc. You get the picture. If you know there is an expense coming up in a few months, start budgeting now.

4. Only buy what's on your shopping list

This is not the time to try Kobe beef! Stick to the basics, make as much food from scratch as you can, and learn to shop using sales from flyers and coupons. And remember to take advantage of reward systems like PC Plus Points or Shopper's Drug Mart Optimum Points (in Canada).

5. Exercise at home

I discussed this in a previous post but last time I checked, you didn't need a gym membership to get healthy. Walking works, and you can get lots of FREE workouts on Youtube. Jillian Michael's has a bunch. This is my favourite one! Imagine how hot I'll be after doing this workout for a few years and paying off my debt? Rawr....

6. Visit the library

It's a free place to take your kids for a fun little outing, and you can go home with books, DVDs and audio books. And it doesn't cost anything. Plus reading is really good for your brain. It makes you way smarter than watching TV will. Blogs are great reading too ;)

7. Carpool

Have any people at work you can carpool with? I know sometimes we just want to rock out alone in our car to Iron Maiden but you can save so much money by splitting the cost of gas and parking fees. Just make sure you pick someone you actually like, and who has good hygiene.

8. Create a vision board

Some people think this is a little too much woo-woo for them but in my opinion, a vision board is a road map that everyone in the family can follow, and it helps remind them why they are making big sacrifices. Take a bunch of magazines and start pinning up the fun things you're family will be able to do once you've paid down debt, and have been able to save.


Have any great ideas to help us stick to a budget! Send me a comment. Please, oh please?

5 Tips to Being Fit While Budgeting

I'll be the first to admit that I am not the thinnest person in the world but I have lost over 50 lbs and continue on my weight loss journey, one that has taken a longggggg time. Although I don't have a sexy bikini body, I am pretty fit because I exercise almost every day, and really make an effort to eat well. The food part is definitely the most difficult for me! Mostly because I love to eat so cutting calories and focusing on eating whole foods is not my strong suit.

A few months back, I remember seeing a post on Facebook from a woman who said she had no choice but to be obese because she was poor and healthy food cost too much, and gym memberships were too expensive. There is SOME truth to the food aspect. Eating lots of fruits and veggies every day does add up but there are some ways to get around that which I'll talk about in a moment. But when it comes to exercise, there is NO excuse. I exercise every single day without using a gym membership or fancy equipment at home.

Here's how to be fit physically and financially:

1. Not all fruits and veggies have to be expensive

When we go grocery shopping, we try not to purchase much in the way of processed foods. Don't get me wrong, we still buy some, but not much. My kids tend to gravitate towards fruit and even raw veggies - mostly because we don't have much in the way of sugary snacks in our house so they have no choice. But this can get pretty expensive when they are cruising through a bag of apples in a few days. But there are other alternatives that can stretch your fruit and veggie budget. I buy frozen peas and corn when they are $1-$2 a bag. This lasts us probably for four meals. Same goes with frozen fruit. It can be a bit expensive but if you catch them on sale, they are great in a smoothie with yogurt and milk. Canned fruits and veggies aren't as nutritious as frozen or fresh just because they can contain a lot of salt and sugar, but look for products that contain no salt or added sugar if you can. This is still better than eating McDonalds, or eating KD every day. Which by the way, I still love KD.

2. Grow a garden or participate in a community garden program

Seeds are dirt cheap - pardon the pun. So throw those puppies in some soil and watch as you grow your own bounty. If you feel intimidated by gardening (which you shouldn't because it's pretty fool-proof) watch a video online or take a gardening book out from your library. And get your kids involved in the process. Learning how to grow food is such a great skill to have. I'm very fortunate my family had acres of gardens when I was growing up, and I had with them every summer. Now my kids are learning from me. Pass on the knowledge!

3. Canning and freezing

The other day I got a HUGE box of crab apples from someone in our community for $5! I talk about it in this post. I was able to freeze 6 bags of apples and make 12 jars of apple sauce - and it was sooo good! Again there are so many resources online for freezing and preserving fruits and vegetables. If you see a great fruit/veggie sale, buy 'em up and freeze them.

4. Bake your own bread

I admit, this sounds like a lot of work. Everyone is probably thinking, "this woman must have a lot of time on her hands to be making her own bread". Um, I have no time for anything. I work, I have two kids, I workout every day, I blog and I take care of a home. I use a bread machine (which by the way, I've seen at thrift stores for just a few dollars) and I use the dough cycle to make the dough, then I form the dough into two loaves and let them rise on a cookie sheet, then I bake them. The bread machine does most of the work while I'm doing other things. This is usually a Saturday or Sunday project. For our family of 4, two loaves easily lasts us a week or more. And making your own bread is super cheap. Here is my favourite recipe - it works every time! While it's a bun recipe, it works for bread too. I also substitute half of the white flour for whole wheat flour and cut down the sugar a bit.

5. Exercise is FREE

Last time I checked, walking didn't cost much. Neither did playing soccer with your kids. But if you feel you need a "real" workout, there are so many options you can do for cheap or free. I can watch youtube on my TV and that's how I do most of my circuit training days. Jillian Michaels has a bunch of Youtube videos up through BeFit including The 30 Day Shred, No More Trouble Zones Complete Workout, and 6 Week Six-Pack Abs, just to name a few. The most these workouts require are your hand weights and those aren't even necessary. You can also rent fitness DVDs from your local library or borrow/swap with friends. When it comes down to it, nothing beats a brisk walk anyway. And the benefits of being active go so far beyond how you look. Exercise releases endorphins, and endorphins make you happy (I learned that from Elle Woods from Legally Blonde). It's hard to get moving but once you're done, what an awesome feeling!


If you have any tips on being fit and frugal, I'd love to hear them. I hope to include a lot of this information in a book, so the more information I can share, the better!

5 Tips for Eating Healthy While on a Budget

I can't explain how hard this part has been. For the last few years, our family has really tried to eat as clean as possible meaning avoiding processed foods and choosing whole foods instead. When you are on a budget, produce is not the cheapest thing you can buy so it makes it really tricky to balance the budget while eating well. Here are a few tips to help:

1. Plant a garden, and grow fruit trees
This is kind of a no-brainer - if you can produce fruits and veggies in your own backyard it will not only be economical but it's obviously way healthier since you control the chemicals and pesticides. And hopefully that means you don't use any! Once you've harvested your crops, you can freeze, can or eat your bounty. And it's cheap! Here is some apple sauce I made with some local crabapples I purchased from someone in our community (we don't have apple trees). I got a huge box for $5. Score!

2. Buy Local
We live in Manitoba which means our growing season is pretty short because it's winter for 6 months of the year. So, why do we live here? Just kidding. I love my home. But it is so exciting once spring arrives and the farmer's markets are open. Buying locally helps your local economy and is better for the environment. And it's fresh and deelicious!

3. Check out what's on sale and buy in season
Every two weeks, I scan the flyers to do our BIG bi-weekly shopping and I will only buy produce that is on sale. Most of the time this means that you are buying produce that is in season. In other words, apples will be cheaper in the fall than in the middle of winter (generally). Again, if you can purchase certain fruit when they are on sale (such as apples), why not freeze or can them so you can enjoy the lower prices all year long?

4. Swap with family and friends
Maybe you have thousands of carrots in your garden and your neighbour has extra raspberries. Why not produce swap? You don't have to grow as many fruits and vegetables but you still get to enjoy a variety of delicious food.

5. Bake at home

It is so easy to make bread at home, especially when you have a bread maker. We try to make a few loaves at a time by using the dough cycle in our machine but forming the loaves ourselves and baking them on a cookie sheet. I can control what I put into our bread and I know it won't contain preservatives. Here is my fail-proof bun/bread recipe from Betty Crocker. I substitute some of the white flour with whole wheat. One recipe makes these two large loaves.

I also make our cookies and muffins at home. These aren't "clean" because they have processed flour and sugar but they are preservative-free. I also have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and it has been the best gift I ever received. I use mine at least 2 times a week. It makes baking so much easier!

I hope these tips help you plan your grocery budgeting stretch a bit. How do you eat healthy while sticking to a budget?

How to Create a Cash Envelope System

The idea of having a cash envelope system is that you should only buy things with the cash you have allocated for that area of your life. It's to help give you boundaries to work within so you don't over spend.

1. Create a Budget
This is the fun part! Yeah, not even close. If you have a partner, spouse or roommate, you'll have to sit down together and hash out what money needs to go into what areas. This part can get a little touchy if you're not on the same path. But work it out the best you can. This is where you are going to figure out how many envelopes you need and how much money will be in each envelope. To figure out how to create a zero based budget, you can use this form and watch the video below to help you out.

2. Divide your Hard-Earned Cash into Envelopes
(if you want, you can roll in it before you stash it)
My husband gets paid bi-weekly and I get paid bi-monthly, so we withdraw a certain amount on his paydays and some on my paydays. Also, some of our bills come directly out of our account, so that money just stays in our chequing account. You'll need to update your budget monthly as different things come up that you have to budget for i.e. Christmas. We've been saving in this envelope for a few months! High-five for not having to use any credit this Christmas! Here are the cash envelopes our family has this month:

• groceries
• gasoline
• restaurant
• His spending money
• Her spending money
• Water bill
• Christmas gifts
• Car maintenance
• Home maintenance
• Clothes 
• Pets
• Haircuts
• Swimming lessons

3. Cash is King

Going to get gas? Take it out of your cash envelope. Grocery run? Cash, baby! By the end of the two weeks, the envelopes are pretty skimpy and lonely but there is some satisfaction in knowing that you stuck to the money that was allocated to that specific area. I'm not going to lie, sometimes, at the end of the two weeks when all the grocery money is gone, there is a lot of PB and J and eggs for dinner. That's okay - a few sacrifices never hurt anyone! The key here is to not use your debit card AT ALL. You should have enough cash to cover all your expenditures. And if there is no cash for it, you just don't buy it. Save up for it next month. What? Wait for something. Ouch... I know.

4. Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Just kidding. No need to wash and rinse but you will repeat this process every month: Create your budget and then allocate the money to different areas of your life. The hope is that, by budgeting, you will have extra income at the end of the month to save or pay off debt, depending which baby step you are on if you're following Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness.

Other Helpful Tips:

• You might need to adjust things in the first few months as you try to figure out how much money you really need in each area. That's okay! That's how you figure it out.
• You can buy an envelope folder from Dollarama or any dollar store for cheap. Until then, good ol' fashion envelopes will do, one for each area. I just like having everything in one place.
• If you would rather take out cash for the entire month, you can do that. If a weekly system is better for you, go with that. It doesn't matter how you divide the money, as long as you follow your budget.
• I don't walk around with a huge wad of cash in my pocket. If I know I need groceries or gas that day, I make sure to take it out before I leave home. By the way, don't come looking for my envelope. I have a Belgium Shepherd that will chew your face off. She's sweet... until you mess with her family.

How does your family budget? I'd love to get your feedback!

5 Tips For Decorating on the Cheap

We just finished our basement - we had been in our house 7 years. It was time! My husband hired the trades we needed, and we did as much of it on our own as we could with the gifts we have. We basically did the electrical and painting. I guess we don't have that many gifts. :) Here are some tips I have for decorating your basement on a budget.

1. Who needs a designer when you have Pinterest

I'm not putting down interior designers - they rock at what they do, and I'm just a little jealous I wasn't one myself. But here's a secret: If you don't have oodles of money to spend on a decorator, you can actually learn tips, tricks and steal awesome ideas from Pinterest! It is a HUGE resource for everything you can think of. I got so many great ideas about arranging furniture, decorating, painting... you get the picture. One tip I love, is using old books stacked under objects to give them height and interest. In this picture I purchased these ADORABLE owls from Walmart and stacked them on some vintage books I bought at our local thrift store for 25 cents each.


2. Kijiji, Buy and Sell sites, Thrift stores... Are the best!
I'm always on these types of sites, especially when I know I need new furniture, appliances, winter clothes for my kids, anything that is perfectly good in used condition. Why buy new if you don't have to? Buying second hand is more economical and it's better for the environment. I knew I needed new couches for our basement (the 70s duo we inherited from my mother-in-law were not going to cut it for me). So for about three or four months, I looked tirelessly on various sites trying to find a good, clean, second-hand pair of couches. Let me tell you, patience was key! But alas, I waited for the perfect moment and then my couches appeared. They were $600 for the set but they were brand new. They had been used to stage a show home so they hadn't even been sat on. I was so excited! We barely got the couch down the stairs, and my cousin nearly broke his neck falling down the stairs as we brought it down, but they worked out so great. The cushions are from Walmart and some shams are from Ikea (covering old pillows). The old picture frame window was from Kijiji for $3! The lamp was from our local thrift store for $5.

3. Buy cheap and fix it up
I have repainted a lot of furniture in the last few years. I buy older pieces from thrift shops or Kijiji, then I paint and distress them to get that shabby chic look that I love. The shelf was purchased on our local Buy and Sell Facebook page for $35. I repainted it using Plaster Paint from a local store here called Real Deals on Home Decor. A great place for shabby chic looks at a fraction of the price. It's my favourite home decor store! My end table was purchased at a garage sale for $5. I repainted it as well. Another tip: we just bought a paint sprayer. A bit of an investment ($125) but it speeds up the painting process SOOOOO much. It took me ten minutes to paint the end table. That table was done with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. It's a bit more pricey than Plaster Paint but it goes on a little nicer in my opinion.

4. Buy new items when they are inexpensive but have big impact

I didn't buy a lot of new items for our basement renos but I did buy a few key items that didn't cost lots but had a big impact on the look of our house. I love these picture rails from Ikea for $14 each. We created a little gallery wall with pictures and art work. Most of the frames I purchased second hand and painted. My curtains are from Giant Tiger. I bought them for $10/panel. By using long curtains on a small basement window, it tricks the eye into thinking you are on a main level. Sneaky!

As I mentioned earlier, I love our Real Deals on Home Decor store in Winnipeg. It's got such cute furniture and decor at a pretty decent price. I purchased a few wall hangings from there. Can't remember the price exactly for the owl but I think it was about $30 or so. Also notice the green in the curtains, pillows and curtains - they all have the same circular patterns. Total fluke!












5. Patience and Time is Key
I know we all want it now, want it fast, want it done. But I promise you, if you give yourself a few minutes a day to check out websites like Kijiji, you will find amazing deals for fractions of what you would pay for new items. Like I said, it took about 4 months to find the perfect second-hand couches, but I found them. A great money saving tip too - I would only buy things for our basement with money I had earned by selling things we didn't use anymore. Out with the old, in with the slightly not as old but new to us! Save, plan and hunt. That's how you win this game!

I'd love to see some of your best thrifty finds or hear some of your tips. Please share them in my comments and share this post with your frugal friends!

Have a great day!

A new direction for our family - headed toward financial freedom!

A few weeks ago, a friend asked if anyone was interested in joining a financial challenge group on Facebook. We've always been okay with our finances (not great) but I knew we had the opportunity to improve our financial outlook and I thought a challenge group would be a great way to kick start this endeavour.

Our group follows financial expert, Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness which breaks down the process of getting out of debt into small, easy to achieve baby steps that are meant to help you get momentum quickly to help encourage you to keep moving toward financial, debt-free, freedom

Here are the 7 steps:

Our first step, and maybe the hardest step of all, was analyzing how much money we were earning and how much money we were spending. This can sometimes create a little heat between couples (if you are married or living with another person), so be prepared to hash a few things out. It wasn't too bad for us as a couple because we both had the same vision for our family so we were happy to move forward. Together.

Once you have figured out where your money is going, you are going to implement a cash envelop and zero based budget system. Here is a video I created to help you understand the budgeting. Also this sheet from Dave Ramsey's website will help figure out your cash flow.

We use cash for things like gasoline, Christmas savings, water bill, groceries, etc. All our other bills are automatic so that money stays in our account until that money is taken out by the utility company or bank for our mortgage. I'll talk more about that in an upcoming post.

We have used this method in the past but fell off the wagon for some reason. We seem to have a better plan in place now and are really embracing this cash system. It's so good to feel like you have control over your spending!

We are at baby step 2 now which is very exciting! We've saved our $1,000 emergency fund which will give us a buffer in case we have a financial emergency while we are trying to pay down our debt.

My goal is to have our debt paid off within a year and our house paid off within 6 - 8 years. Without debt, could you imagine ALL the things you could do?

I want to use this blog to keep our family accountable while helping to encourage and create a dialogue for other families to follow in our footsteps. I encourage people to post their questions, tips and secrets, and I'll make sure to share ours too.

Who else wants to join the revolution? Comment and let us know if you want to join us!