Honestly, I feel like it gets easier each day. After paying my bills, I’m living on £25 a week ($38 US) for food, gifts, clothing, make-up, cards and well anything! The first few days I had so many little temptations run through my head – thoughts like “oooh that looks like a nice shop” or seeing signs to a more luxurious gym/fitness centre and wanting to join that instead. But slowly I came up with a phase that works for me, in the early days I said it many times each day, now probably once a day – “do I want that chocolate bar now or do I want to x, y, z later”; the answer is clear!
My budget needs some re-arranging as my rent went up from £225 to £250 an hour after I moved in, that same day I informed my car insurance company about the move and my premiums went up by £9 a month – let’s just say it wasn’t the greatest day, but like most budgets there’s always some wiggle room to cut back!
Have you ever stuck to a budget? What helped you?
I am hopeless about sticking to my budget but a friend has a saying that helps me a lot. It is very simple, effective and an easy mantra….
Need not greed!
I think the only time we’ve managed to stick to a budget is when I left work after the arrival of number 1 child. We have a budget currently (husband was made redundant) but we’re not sticking to it. Far from it. I’ll keep reading your posts and hope some of your determination rubs off!
I’m terrible at sticking to my budget at the moment. It’s not so much the things I want to buy, it’s the stuff that I want to do – go to the cinema, meet a friend for a meal etc etc. On top of that it’s giftmania season (weddings/birthdays/new babies etc) so the budget is well and truly out of the window.
Sigh!
$38 per week is rough but you’re a champion for sticking to it.
I don’t really stick to a budget for the most part, just try and spend very little!
We did live on a very strict budget for a couple of months last year when neither of us had money coming in.
I also like to set myself budget challenges occasionally to make sure I could live extra cheaply if I needed, I think I’ll have another one this summer.
The easiest way to stick to it, for me, is to allow for some little treats; like a little chocolate bar, and also make time for things that are free, that you enjoy.
I am just starting to try to live more frugal as I am recovering from cancer. I like your blog and you inspire me to try harder to simplify
I’m sticking to a very tight budget at the moment because I’m moving out of my parents’ home and into my own flat next month. I know that if I’m not careful I won’t be able to pay my rent and bills – that’s motivation enough for me!
I made the budget fit my expenditure so its easier to hit. But you may know I have been trying to stick to a £50 a week food budget. HARD but I am improving. the only time I really succeeding on living on very little, was when I had very little so there was NO OPTION. I lived on £4 a day including transport, in London (not including rent though) and it was hard. I remember one day having stale bread, mayonaise and grated parmesan sarnies for my packed lunch! you eat it if you are hungry enough!! very tight budgets are a lesson in what actually is necessary…..
What?! Your rent went up by GBP25 per month an hour after you moved in? That seems a bit unfair if you agreed to the lower amount in advance.
Gosh, GBP25 a week is a very low budget to keep to. At the moment, we are only spending money on groceries (trying to keep to under $150 a week) and bills – nothing else, but we are still spending around $250 per week for a family of 4 – that’s about GBP125 which I guess isn’t too bad.
I agree with the last poster – if you have to live on a small amount of money, you will do it, no matter how hard it is. I admire your attitude of living on a small amount of money now so that you can realise your dreams in future.
Best wishes,
Roz
How come your rent increased??
Glad you are all settled in and well!