Living On A Budget

                                              Everyday is a brand new day, everyday is a journey.



who plants a tree, 
he plants love;
Tents of coolness 
spreading out above
Wayfarers, he may not live to see.
Gifts that grow are best;
Hands that bless are blest;
Plant-life does the rest!
Heaven and earth help him who plants a tree,
And his work his own reward shall be.

--Lucy Larcom.

We've set a goal for ourselves for the upcoming months/year. A goal of paying off any debts that we may have and becoming totally debt free. Slate wiped clean and keeping it that way. Since it is a very bold and adventurous goal, it requires exactly the same in dedication. Recently, I've sat down to see if there is an area that we could perhaps reduce our costs to make this goal a reality faster.

How do I reduce costs?

That is easier said than done. When one already lives as simply as possible, how can one go even a step further? We live in a very low income area for a reason, we want to save on rent. We have a set of rules for when we go shopping.
1. We make a list and only buy what is on it.
2. Any large items are only replaced if damaged.
Let's not forget that we tithe 10% to our local Church. That's a big deal when it comes to finances.


What about food?

Well, we make our own meals and we buy in bulk. Any leftovers, I use for lunches for work. Although, I have noticed we order a lot more since moving here than we did before. By that I mean, every few weeks. In the past, we've only gone out for special occasions like birthdays. I guess , we could do better in this area.

What about entertainment?

Here, I think we need to do more entertainment. We probably go to the movies once a year. Since moving here, we hardly had any visitors or parties of any kind. Now, we could definitely improve on our cable bill. Cable fees have skyrocketed everywhere! They always offer a great deal for about six months and then boom! They keep raising them. Internet, we really have no choice. In this area, there is only one type of network. That's a problem when it comes to service, it's not available everywhere. 

What about utilities?

Living in an apartment, we really don't have utility bills. Maybe electric and that's about it. We really don't leave lights on, preferring for a more dim look, not bright lights. We do, however, have a lot of gadgets and most of them draw much amps. We're also babies when it comes to the heat and use the air conditioner often. We could improve in this area, but I have a golden rule. When it comes to air conditioner in the Summer and heat in the Winter, I'm all for comfort. I will not be cheap on these two things. We both work here for our money, so we do deserve some comforts. 

I guess, in the end, we all can improve in many of these areas. As long as we don't go crazy spending unnecessary money, we will be okay. I know we will reach that goal, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Have a blessed day everyone.