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I've Made a Huge Mistake
We're trying to get our budget under control, and my husband has stopped eating out for lunch/going out for coffee in the morning. It's a big sacrifice for him, so I decided not to buy anything off the internet for my part. I really thought it wasn't lot of money I was spending: a little scrap stuff here, a book there, but since I started this year, we've been staying within our budget. And I'm happy about it, but then the Sweet Shoppe turned 10... So I asked him {which is so freakin' humbling} if I could spend $20 last week so I could get the MegaCollab, and he said yes, of course, but now I've set the standard that I am going to ask his permission to buy anything online, and it hurts so bad! I got all my layouts ready before V-Day so I could take advantage of the half off sale at Shutterfly plus 20% off coupon, so my lay flat 64 page album was only $75, and he was like, "WHAT?! You can't spend that much money to print a scrapbook!" He has no idea. But now maybe I get why we're always breaking our budget.
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#2
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dude. I admire the people who can do this. I couldn't. EVER. I like my indulgence stuffs.
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#3
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Yes scrapping things really hit you in the pockets and you don't even realize until you do something like this.
that being said...I'm always on a budget with scrapping things...that's part of why I started designing, what I make from that I use towards pretty scrappy things I can't live without.
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#4
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Do you guys have your own pocket $? Then you wouldn't have to ask for permission to buy things. That's what hubby and I do.
Though being on a budget can really suck sometimes - like right now I want to book a newborn photographer for the new baby. I finally found a photographer that I love and she's a bit spendy. I told him about it and got no response. So I asked again yesterday and he ask where I'm going to get the money ugh!! Can't we take it out of our savings?!? I feel you Kelly!!
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#5
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Im a single mom.
I can buy whatever i want try to buy most scrapstuff with discount. When i go to the store is look wats on sale. But when i really want something i buy it. Always keeping money over at the end of the month. |
#6
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I had to click on this thread for the title alone.
This is why we each have our own Fun Money category in our budget. As long as we don't go over, it's no questions asked. I tend to spend mine on scrap stuff and Kindle books and hubby spends his on music and workout gear. And it sounds like you're the "free spirit" in the Dave Ramsey Nerd vs Free Spirit budget. Having your own money to spend, even if it's a small amount, is key to avoiding the free spirit going hog wild. No way would I ask permission for all my spending but that's why I like to be in charge of the budget. Last edited by Nettio; 02-21-2016 at 02:04 PM. |
#7
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I agree with everyone else that you each might need a "fun" money allowance.
I personally have been trying to reduce spending and focus on using what I have (which by the way is alot) that I have never used.
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#8
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Free spirits unite!!!!
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#9
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No advice here...
I always spend too much... if there is such thing as too much in scrapbooking.. LOL
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Made using Selfie Addict by Digilicious Designs
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#10
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I think everyone else basically said this, but I'll throw my 2 cents in. When we're in the middle of a financial goal we both check in with each other before making unnecessary purchases, BUT we do have that pocket money that is free and clear. I keep $25 in my wallet that's basically my fun money. It keeps my scrapping and book spending in control. I basically spend $25 a month on scrapping supplies (which is why I work so hard for my Bingo blackout card) and $25 a month on a Kindle card so I don't spend too much on books.
With the photo book, what if you suggested that you guys set 1/2 aside from two pay periods? I do that a lot. Just planning ahead for stuff makes all the difference. (also, Shutterfly will always have a deal right around the corner for ya) |
#11
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Budgeting can be tough! I'm being really strict about it at the moment due to the travel plans we have for later in the year, so we're saving pretty hard. I've barely spent anything on scrapbooking since the beginning of the year.
But what everyone has been saying about having separate 'fun money' is a really good idea. My husband's not a big spender so we just use what we want of out of our joint budgeted 'fun money' when we want to, but if he decided he wanted to get in to another hobby or something then we'd probably start splitting it down the middle so it's fair on both of us (and so I don't feel guilty!). Haha that's why I love being in charge of the budget, too.
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Last edited by angiepangie; 02-21-2016 at 09:26 PM. |
#12
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Well, I've always had a budget for scrap supplies, and I almost always stick to it. However, since I started paper PL last year, I might have been spending my digital budget each month PLUS whatever I wanted in paper supplies. Plus printing albums and pages at will. Not to mention other misc. items from the Internet. And I'm the kind of person who can abstain better than I can use moderation, so this is probably best for me but IT. IS. SO. PAINFUL. Plus there's the whole business of spending more than we make, and I really hate living that way.
I'm just thinking it won't last forever, just till we get our spending under control. That should take, what? like a couple more weeks, right???
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#13
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I'm the same way - I abstain better than I can use moderation. It is definitely painful! I keep trying to focus on the bigger picture, the outcome, etc, but it can be hard. I feel for you!
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#14
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Another abstainer here - LOL - in lots of things! I can't eat just one chip or one cookie, so for me it's best to not have any. Same with spending - I can't spend just $10 on fun stuff, so I save up until I can spend more.
As a single mom I have total control, which is great or not so great sometimes. Right now with Cheyanne heading into her Junior year of high school she is getting more expensive so the budget is getting tighter (driver's ed, more $$ for car insurance once she gets her license this summer, college visits, then college application fees, then graduation fees, then college! ) Thankfully she'll be working during the summer so she can start saving but there's definitely not much room in the budget right now for scrapbooking I want to get some photo books printed too, but they're going to have to wait a while. |
#15
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Yeah, my wants usually exceed my budget, too. It stinks, but I guess it's reality for most people.
DH and I each have our own small savings account in addition to our joint ones. When my parents send us a birthday check it's ours to put in our account. When we have extra money that we plan to transfer to savings (often from work bonuses or our tax refund), some goes into the individual accounts. That works better for us than monthly fun money. Then I budget each month by buying gift cards for myself. My account is a lot smaller than DH's. We start with the same amount, but I take some every month for scrap stuff, buy a set of print credits once or twice a year, etc. He uses his...never. His main hobby is watching sports, and our joint money pays his Direct TV bill. A few years ago I finally decided that wasn't fair and told him that if our shared money was paying his tv bill it could buy me books, too. So now I get to buy myself a Kindle gift card every month. DH works in budget, so he does all our bill paying. If I truly had to answer to him for every kit and every e-book, it wouldn't be pretty! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
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#16
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Quote:
Oh my! Hubby would crap his pants if he only knew some of the things I buy!! LOL
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#17
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LOL seriously! I'm pretty good about things but I definitely like that I don't have to ask, haha.
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#18
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I hope you weren't disappointed! I threw in the picture because I never acknowledge a mistake without thinking of Gob.
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#19
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Haha, no, I was like YES, Gob!
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#20
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We hubby and i first got married and when the kids were little... I still develped film for paper scrapping.... So he knew how much we spent on that stuff. Then when I first went digital, he was like, "thats way too much money for a book", then I remonded him of the dozen and dozen of film at 5.99-6.99 a roll......
Now most scrap kitmoney comes from my Teacher Pay Teachers... once in awhile, thats a little low so I might use my credit card. And when I use shutterfly, photobook america or persnickty prints, I wait for a sale or coupons. And that cost of developing film is how I got my first digital camera... used 5 or 6 rolls trying to get one pic with all 4 kids looking at me..... he was bitching about how much it cost, so I said, "If I had a digital camera all I would have spent money on was the good photo to print for family...." Two weeks later on Christmas eve, I got my Kodak Easy Share digital camera.... man did I love that camera!!! |
#21
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I used to have pocket money but since buying a new house and Covid and all the improvement we're doing I haven't received anything.
I have no guilt using my daughters' money that they got from my grandma for their stuff, like clothes they need. But for my own buying I just can't. And I hate asking my husband. I feel like I shouldn't have to ask. So I just don't buy anything.
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#22
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So would my hubby!!! LOL
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#23
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We're learning to live with less money now. I quit one of my two clients (I'm self employed at home) and although I am grateful for more "me" time and don't have to work wkends or late into the evening anymore, I'm not going to lie...its a struggle to change your spending habits and be more money conscious. I don't have to ask for money for small things but am being conscientious about how much I spend now b/c there's a lot less money in our household acct now. I have my own credit card and can charge whatever I want but I'd talk with hubs about anything I spend over $100 and he knows that I'm being careful about making purchases now.
I think you got good advice from the others, a bit of your own money and then after a certain limit, you discuss it with him.
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#24
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I have a separate checking account that my paypal is hooked to...it started when I was designing and need a separate bank account but now that I am not I just keep it. We follow the Dave Ramsey plan loosely for budget and such. I get what we call "blow" money each month that I move into my account and I spend it on what I want no questions asked...I deposit Christmas money, birthday money etc into that as well so I can spend it on things that I want too. I remember way back when we first started to get out of debt and we had a HUGE fight over scrapbook stickers...he doesn't even remember but I still have those stickers and NEVER used them! LOL They were $4 but it was a big deal bc we were on a super tight budget. It is so much better now that we have no debt and are just finishing up the mortgage (4.5 years left here) and saving for kids college and retirement.
I would look at your budget and see if you can set aside a certain amount for each of you for fun money...for hobbies, coffee, lunch with a friend etc...$30 a month, $50 or even $10...
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#25
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Man, this is an old thread! I've grown so much since I first posted it, and yet, it turns out that buying stuff online might be the downfall of our budget forever. We're still trying to find a trick to living on a budget. This month we are living off cash & not using our credit card; it's working, except that I'm not sure how I'm going to pay for the hair products I ordered off Shopee that are cash on delivery. Mostly I have just been staying home and letting Joel spend all the money; I do well with sticking to a budget as long as I don't have any temptation to buy anything...
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#26
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Yes, old thread! A lot of those have been popping up lately.
One of the only benefits of staying home since March has been that we've saved a ton of money. No vacations, no camps for the kids, no weekend entertainment, no dry cleaning work clothes or paying for public transportation for Dan's commute, I don't spend any extra time in stores, etc. But when this is over, we're going to want to do ALL THE THINGS! It may get expensive...
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#27
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I got rid of all my credit cards, I mean cancelled/closed. This was a good decision for me as I am an impulsive shopper.
My car is now paid off so I have that money automatically moved over to my savings account each week as though my car payment is still happening. I am not paid in the summer while I am off work so I use these savings to take care of my bills. I have a summer job that is only 20 hours a week at minimum wage which covers groceries and a few other things. I also have $50 every pay (bi-weekly) go into a different account that I call my 'funny money' account. This account is what I use to buy myself something I want, like my last camera lens. My Bamboo pen died and because my tablet is so old I can't find a pen or it's cheaper to just buy a new Bamboo, that is what I am saving for next. . . . .unless the camera lens I want next can be found used at a good price . I'm single so I only have myself to be mad at when I blow my budget (lately I've been good at it). Trying to get back on track as I am of on sick leave so my income has been decreased.
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#28
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This describes me perfectly! LOL!
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#29
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I'm single with no kids. But next year I plan on sticking to a budget on my scraping. I need a new vehicle. So I put myself on a budget, and I'm saving money for my photobook. I'm excited to get back to being creative with project life and digipages.
But budgeting is hard. I like to many pretty things.
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