Guest Post: Drop That Dime

It’s amazing how people struggle finding a healthy and balanced way to budget, myself included. I make a decent paycheck and I think that it should be more than enough to find a place, support my son, and just get by. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Hi, my name is Abby and I blog at Dirt on the Rocks. Thanks to Anika for the opportunity to write a guest post for her blog about budget living. The word “budget” can be a tough term to define. In today’s economy, a dollar can be worth everything. As a single mom, I think that my paycheck should be sufficient to support myself and my little man, and I wonder sometimes why it’s not. It’s hard enough to budget, even more so when it comes to saving. Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable if you were able to budget your daily expenses, your lifestyle, and enjoy your life without struggling? If there is one thing that I know for sure it is that I love to spend money. I would love to shop almost every chance I get and that is definitely not healthy, especially for a single mother like struggling to make ends meet. It is important to have a budget with every paycheck. This gives you a very strong idea of what you need to plan for. Knowing what your bills are and when they are due also gives you the ability to spread out your payments throughout the month. If you are learning how to save money, you should know what your bank offers in terms of savings accounts. Sure, going old school and putting money in a box would be good, but that doesn’t earn you any interest. It would just be money sitting there and waiting to be spent. Save every chance you get! Some accounts require minimum deposits and balances each month, but there are options out there that do not, or that only require that you make a $50.00 deposit each month to avoid fees. I think that $50.00 is reasonable, and if you not $50.00, start with $25. Making an effort in doing something will push you to continue doing it especially when you see progress. Control your spending. I love shopping, and learning to budget teaches you how to save, how to control your spending, and how to show some financial responsibility. Love to shop? Put a little money aside each month as your “fun money,” or “shopping money,” and once your bills are paid and priorities are taken care of, you’ll know exactly what you have to spend. Make a list of all the things that you know you want to purchase, whether for you or your family. Take a day out of the month to go on that special shopping trip, guilt-free. Last, but not least, look for deals. Everyone loves to go out to a nice place and enjoy a good meal once in a while. Perhaps you like to go grocery shopping weekly. Does your car need an oil change or a tune-up? I suggest looking for coupons, deals, and sales and keeping them organized for when you need them. If you have a smart phone there are so many available apps out there that you can instantly have on the go with you. My grandparents taught me that it does not matter whether you save a buck, a hundred bucks, or a thousand bucks. Whatever you end saving is money back into your pocket for something that matters. It’s definitely a good way to live your life. Being frugal and smart now means you have control over what you spend and buy later. Abby is 23 and a single mother living in Southern California trying to make ends meet. She is a freelance blogger whose clients include UMoveFree.com, an apartment-finding service for locating uptown Dallas apartments. Abby loves spending time with her son and is constantly learning new things about him as each day passes by. In her blog, Dirt on the Rocks Abby writes about food and life. Like many single moms, Abby finds that her life experiences are both daunting and inspiring, and her blog reflects these experiences.