Budgeting and Saving – More on Building a Nest Egg

Now that you’ve set up your budget. Have you identified areas where you can save money?

It’s suggested to have three months of income in savings. If you didn’t read my previous blog on Building a Nest Egg, you can read it here.

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Here are 10 tips on how you can save additional money:

~ Turn off the TV at dinner time

~ Only run the washing machine/dishwasher when full

~ Drink water from the faucet instead of buying bottled water (I’m still working on this one)

~ Turn off porch lights or install a motion sensor light

~ Lower the heat in the winter at night and add an extra blanket on the bed

~ In the Summer, raise your air conditioning to 82 when not at home

~ Instead of going to the movies or out for dinner, have family game night.

~ Make your own birthday cards – I just have to say I was shocked the last time I purchased a card. I picked a simple one and it was still over $5! If you have younger children, have them make the cards. I think my family enjoyed receiving them and its’ a great craft for the kids to do.

~ Go to urgent care instead of the ER. If you’re unsure whether to go, your insurance company or doctor’s office may have a nurse advice line. Most illnesses can safely wait until the following day but call to be sure.

~ When grocery shopping, use coupons or purchase store brands instead of name brands. I’ve recently started comparing brands and will do a blog post soon.

Once a quarter, have a no spend weekend. Some people do this for the entire month of November to prepare for the extra holiday expenses. I may try that next year but for now I’m going to try and implement it once a month.

What can you do for a no spend weekend?

~ Have a movie night – I’m currently recording a few Hallmark Christmas movies to watch with my daughter.

~ Bake cookies

~ Make a new recipe and host a pot luck

~ DIY something or finish a DIY project

~ Declutter – Organize a room / cabinet / closet

~ Have your own spa day include taking a bath and DIY mani/pedi

~ Go to the library

~ Build a fire and read a book

~ Visit a free museum

~ Family game night

So now you are saving some extra money, what’s next? 

~ Determine how much you need in an emergency situation. Most people cannot afford an emergency of $1000 without using their credit cards. Start with that and work to build up to 3 months of income.

~ Set up a separate bank account that is not linked to your regular account. I set one up at a different bank and opted not to have a debit card or online banking.

~ Set up an automatic draft or direct deposit to your savings account from your paycheck.

~ Pay with cash whenever possible – this really helps drive home the value of money.

~ Follow your budget.

If you don’t have a budget yet, start one today. Here’s the budget spreadsheet I use. Most people have negative thoughts about budgeting but using a budget simply gives you a guideline on where to spend your money.

To use this spreadsheet, enter you monthly net income (after taxes) in field C1. This spreadsheet will then calculate the budget amount for each category. Adjust the percentages as needed so they are more in line with your obligations and spending habits. The spreadsheet is set up to follow Elizabeth Warren’s 50/30/20 plan. You can read more about it in my previous blog.

If your insurance and medical expense is deducted from your paycheck pre-tax, adjust the percentage down. I would still put aside some money for copays or deductibles unless you have an H.S.A. account.

One of the things I do is pay the full amount I have budgeted for utilities to the utility company (assuming the bill is less than what you have budgeted). By the time summer rolls around and my air conditioner is running 24/7 (we’re in Texas), I have built up a decent credit on my account. By knowing I don’t have to come up with the extra money or find it elsewhere helps reduce stress. Some utility companies offer budget billing and will set this up for you. I like being in control of the amount I pay, just in case something comes up that I wasn’t expecting. Average your yearly utility cost to come up with your monthly budget amount.

Twenty percent of your income should go to savings and paying down debt. 

When I first started my budget three years ago, I was really focused on paying off my credit cards. Once that happened, I was able to put 10% in savings and 10% to my 401K account. While it’s important to pay your debt down or off, it’s equally important to build up your short-term savings. Then if an emergency does come up, you aren’t incurring more debt. For this section, figure out what your goal is and where you want to allocate your money and set each percentage based on what you’re comfortable with.

The last section is for “wants.” These are generally variable expenses.

I found it necessary to budget for gifts and holiday expense. With 4 children, nephews, a spouse and friends, there is always someone to buy for. Also figure out what you want to spend during the holidays and average this out per month. You shouldn’t spend your full budget amount each month, carrying some over so you have a buffer when the holiday season arrives.

I also like to use this same strategy for our car expense. Our cars are paid off, so I don’t have a car payment. I lump the full expense for gas, toll tag, insurance, etc. in one category. I allow a little more than what I expect to pay each month, so I have some leftover for any unknown maintenance expense.

Our clothing expense is higher in August with school clothes shopping. By budgeting more each month, I have extra money when it’s time to shop.

I think you get the point by now. If you can do this for most of the categories in the “wants” section, after a few months, you will have a nice little stash.

What else can you do to be successful with your budget?

Set up your bills on auto pay. It ensures that your bills will be paid on time which will help improve your credit score. It also cuts out any expense for postage and paper checks plus reduces the risk of identity theft.  Since you aren’t sending checks via mail or throwing away paper statements, your account information isn’t floating around somewhere.  Just make sure you don’t get complacent about reviewing your bills for any inaccurate charges.

Start shopping for gifts early. I found when I wait to the last minute, I panic and end up buying something I didn’t really want to and spent more money than I’d plan. I’m constantly making notes throughout the year on what I want to get my friends and loved ones.

Shop at Goodwill, Thrift stores, and Consignment or Re-Sale shops before going to a retail store. When my kids were young, I always shopped for their clothes at our local re-sale shop first. Most of the items were barely worn and some were still new with the tags on. Since they grew so fast, I hated paying retail prices.

I hadn’t been to a Goodwill in years. I decided to stop in one recently and was amazed at the deals they had on holiday decorations, glassware, and small appliances. Plus, I found this beauty for $4. I couldn’t pass it up.

Our local Consignment store has some cute stylish designer clothes for work cheap! And of course, garage sales – going this route takes a little more effort but the money you save will be worth it.

If you are trying to watch your spending, before purchasing anything, ask yourself Do I really need this? What purpose will it serve? Many people make emotional purchases. Just be aware of your budget and make sure it fits.

I love budgeting and I hope you will to. It’s empowering, and I prefer to be in control of my bills instead of them controlling me. I’d love to hear any No Spend Weekend ideas you have or any budget strategies that work for you.

Here’s a couple of downloadable forms to help keep you organized: a To Do List and a Holiday Shopping List 

If you haven’t downloaded my budget spreadsheet, you can get it here .