I'm just starting out. I am two weeks into my journey to become debt free. For me, that is incredible. I've never been able to make a budget actually happen for longer than the time it takes to plan it out. Already I am seeing the benefits. I planned out my first paycheck of the month to cover all my bills for the entire month (rather than just the ones that I would need to pay before my next paycheck), knowing that my second paycheck would be covering the time when I worked very little over Christmas vacation (I work at a school, hourly- not salary). About 2 days after planning this, I started off to work one morning, just to realize that my front tire was flat. And for the first time in years, I didn't panic, because I had that $100-something paycheck that wasn't already spoken for with my end of the month bills. I knew I could cover the cost of replacing my tire, and probably even two tires, without cutting into what was supposed to go to bills. It was an amazing feeling. And I have stuck with it for a total of 14 days now. I haven't made a trip for frozen yogurt (one of my traditions with friends) or had a moody shopping spree. I'll be the first to admit that I normally shop when I've had a bad day. It feels really good too.
And tonight I had this thought while looking at some posts about buying supplies and organization buckets at dollar stores instead of other more expensive stores:
I may be able to get those things for cheaper than other places, but if I wasn't going to buy them in the first place, then it is still wasted money.
It is true that when it comes to organizing, it is really fun to make it look pretty and stylish. But when I can get boxes for free at work, even purchasing cute ones for $1 each (which adds up quickly) isn't necessary when I can get less pretty but equally effective containers for free. I can use that $20 to pay towards my credit cards and that will make a bigger difference in my life.
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