Trying To Live A More Frugal Life

Have you ever lived beyond your means?  I think most of us have, it's an easy habit to get in to...for some of us.  Just whip out the old credit card...and think, I'll pay it back at the next payday.  Next payday comes up and oops, got other stuff to pay off , I'll catch up with it the next payday.  That can go on forever, well at least until there is no more credit on the credit card and then you realize just how much you are living beyond your means!

We've had a real eye-opener the last few months.  Up until 4 years ago we both worked 2 full-time positions and, as long as were both working - we chugged along just fine financially.  Although we have never been good at "saving" money.  I know it's important and we've always strived to do that but we've never had enough extra money to do so.  At least I didn't think we did - honestly, if we really lived more frugally - we would have.

Fast forward 4 years, I have not held a full-time positions since then, although I was on unemployment for 3 years.  I guess if there can ever be a "good" reason for the economy to take a dive it was the extension in all the unemployment.  That money really kept us afloat.  What was dumb is that I still never saved any of that money.  Not sure what I was thinking...money would just miraculously appear once unemployment ran out??

Well, I honestly deep-down expected my home business to be in the position to take over financially once unemployment ended.  I didn't really take into account that having infant twins would probably hinder that...a lot!  Now I need to consider taking care of the twins as my full-time job and work my business in the evening, at least when my husband at work.  The days he does not get called in then  I can be more flexible, but when he's not home - it can be impossible.

They twins have been sick lately and have been very needy (that's putting it mildly).  Yesterday it took 3 hours just to drink 1 1/2 cups of coffee!  Isn't that crazy? 

In this whole process of having to learn to scrape by on one full-time income and then whatever I can bring in, I have used it as a time to learn.  I have never been a big spender on things such as clothes and that, but I have just in general not really been very good at following a budget and not getting something because we don't have the cash.

Now, we have no choice.  I have now learned if you don't have the cash...you don't get it!  There are other thing's that I have done to help with our finances.  We refinanced the house (saving $260 a year), changed insurance companies (saving $300 a year), got rid of the Oberweis milk delivery - awesome hormone free milk (saving about $480 a year) - plus other things such as coloring my own hair.

I colored my own hair for the first time right before Thanksgiving and it turned out better then I thought.  It was much darker then I wanted it to be, but once I got used to it I actually liked it.  It turned out to be a nice winter color!  So today I got a lighter color, and I'm going to go color my hair in just little bit!  I'm anxious to see how it turns out.  I actually like coloring my hair!  :)  At least I do until the first time I turn it green!

Love to all!
Jodi  (I really need to create one of those cool signature's!)