Managing/Budgeting Money

My wife and I are going through this now. We were at a point where we were always broke. We bought a bunch of stuff at the grocery store and it would go to waste and then we would go out to eat when we didn't feel like cooking.
$10 and $15 here and there adds up quick.
We are now at a point where we can save money and spend money and buy ourselves things that we want (within reason)
We just refinanced our house which will eliminate our PMI and got a lower interest rate (which didn't cost us a single cent out of pocket), so there is a big chunk of savings there... with our escrow money that we get back from the closing, I am going to pay off my lowes card and small credit card...even more money... So we are in the process now of trying to stay ahead for once. Its definitely hard sometimes... I am one of those people who works and doesn't want to come home and just sit around and not spend money... but I have certainly cut back on buying things that I don't really need at the moment...

Going out to eat is def our biggest problem. We love to go to Bojangles on Saturday mornings and then go somewhere and by that time, its time for lunch and we just assume get something while we are out instead of going home and fixing something...

I think if we could plan on 1-2 meals out of the house, I would be good with that.. The problem is, neither I or my wife can cook... we basically have 10 meals that we both knowhow to fix and just pick from those meals throughout the work week to eat... which gets old really fast.
 
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Cherokeekid88 said:
My wife and I are going through this now. We were at a point where we were always broke. We bought a bunch of stuff at the grocery store and it would go to waste and then we would go out to eat when we didn't feel like cooking.
$10 and $15 here and there adds up quick.
We are now at a point where we can save money and spend money and buy ourselves things that we want (within reason)
We just refinanced our house which will eliminate our PMI and got a lower interest rate (which didn't cost us a single cent out of pocket), so there is a big chunk of savings there... with our escrow money that we get back from the closing, I am going to pay off my lowes card and small credit card...even more money... So we are in the process now of trying to stay ahead for once. Its definitely hard sometimes... I am one of those people who works and doesn't want to come home and just sit around and not spend money... but I have certainly cut back on buying things that I don't really need at the moment...

Going out to eat is def our biggest problem. We love to go to Bojangles on Saturday mornings and then go somewhere and by that time, its time for lunch and we just assume get something while we are out instead of going home and fixing something...

I think if we could plan on 1-2 meals out of the house, I would be good with that.. The problem is, neither I or my wife can cook... we basically have 10 meals that we both knowhow to fix and just pick from those meals throughout the work week to eat... which gets old really fast.
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It's good your trying to get a handle on it now. Most young, and even many older married couples don't talk about their money situation and neither even has a clue what the other one has going on.
Some don't like the Dave Ramsey method, but the general plan of his is universal and effective.
As for not knowing how to cook, come on now man. You can a have a google degree in any meal you want within minutes. Thousands upon thousands of super simple recipes just a Google search away!
 
77GreenMachine said:
It's good your trying to get a handle on it now. Most young, and even many older married couples don't talk about their money situation and neither even has a clue what the other one has going on.
Some don't like the Dave Ramsey method, but the general plan of his is universal and effective.
As for not knowing how to cook, come on now man. You can a have a google degree in any meal you want within minutes. Thousands upon thousands of super simple recipes just a Google search away!
Click to expand...
That is easier said than done... I look up recipes all the time and try to recreate them and it just doesn't work out for the most part. I have no desire to cook so I think that is my first problem... I can grill the hell out of some stuff though... I do enjoy grilling, so we usually eat pretty well during the spring and summer months.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
That is easier said than done... I look up recipes all the time and try to recreate them and it just doesn't work out for the most part. I have no desire to cook so I think that is my first problem... I can grill the hell out of some stuff though... I do enjoy grilling, so we usually eat pretty well during the spring and summer months.
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There's your answer right there then. If you can't (or don't want to) cook, grill. Now that summer's here, we are in cheap-ass-supreme mode trying to keep our AC off for as long as we possibly can. We are now almost 3 full months without running heat or AC in the house. Cooking inside throws a lot of heat up in the house (why we cooked more in the winter), where as grilling keeps the heat outside (one more reason why we are grilling more in the summer). We have entire weeks set up where we are grilling outdoors for every meal. Hamburgers and hotdogs are an obvious one, but we also have found a Polynesian pork marinade which was stupid simple to mix together and let soak in some pork chops. At the same time, I will take a can of pineapple rings and lay them on the grill. Slice carrots long ways and grill them as well Slap a little of the Polynesian marinade (stuff kept aside before you put the pork chops in) and they are delicious - even for picky kids. Bingo - we got a "healthy(er)" meal for WAY less than $5 per person.

There's very few foods I've found that grilling can't improve. Well, maybe not ice cream.
 
We spent 100 bucks on papa johns and local take out Friday/Saturday dinners to feed 4 adults, 3yo, 18mo. Insanity. Made me think of this thread. Sad part Oscar is going to eat a lot of it.

Brown Santa comes everyday.

But i can fill my truck up with gas the day before payday. We're Paid monthly. Insurance house/car/boat (yearly) was due and she wrote the check. So, I'm guessing she's got it handled.

Off to Amazon I go
 
I'm 28, buying my 1st house while in college. Luckily retirement and insurance is good the rest of my life. Sucks my back got messed up in the Army but they are taking good care of me. College is paid for since I've got the GI bill which also forks over money for living expenses and books. But I've really gotta start budgeting better, Im bad about whatever is left at the end of the month I buy parts with.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
That is easier said than done... I look up recipes all the time and try to recreate them and it just doesn't work out for the most part. I have no desire to cook so I think that is my first problem... I can grill the hell out of some stuff though... I do enjoy grilling, so we usually eat pretty well during the spring and summer months.
Click to expand...

We put all sorts of veggies on the grill (along with whatever meat we're cooking) to avoid heating the oven or stove top when it's hot. Roasted cabbage/corn/potatoes/asparagus... you name it. Wrapped in foil with olive oil and seasonings or with veg oil and straight on the grate.

Experimenting is what cooking is all about for me... how can you make it as good as someone else's you tried or how can you make it better next time.

Also, Alton Brown videos.
 
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