If you’ve ever chatted budgeting with me in person, you’ll know I’m a big fan. My husband & I try to do zero-sum budgeting, which is where every dollar has an assigned “job”. They don’t always end up doing their jobs, and sometimes have to be shifted to different categories, but overall, it works for us.
It shouldn’t be ground breaking news that food prices have gone up. I’m not going to look up the increase, or go down the rabbit holes of why it’s happening, I can just tell by my weekly grocery shop alone.
That being said, kiddos still need to eat, so more of our budget is going towards quality food instead of extras. With that in mind, I spent July doing what my grandma would’ve called “making do”. Basically, whenever I felt the need to buy something, I walked around the house and looked for what could be done with what we have.
I wanted more colorful mugs = used sharpie art on the two exiting ones I wanted to replace & slow baked in the oven
I wanted a new couch = played around with pieces of the one we have & realized I love ours without the chaises
I didn’t like a dress I owned = took off the too-large bow & added a twist detail in it’s place
I had duplicate bermuda shorts = cut to a length of cut-offs I didn’t already have
A dress I liked was too loose & short = changed ties for easier take on/off & made into a swim cover-up
I wanted to buy the cats a new cat toy = walked around the orchard gathering duck feathers and made them one instead
Looking back on the month, it’s really cool to see how much I saved by using what we have instead of just adding things to my cart (& home!).
Disclaimer/Reality Check: If you’re new to budgeting & like to read, I suggest the latte factor, rich dad poor dad, and bubbly on your budget to get started. This has been a good month of budgeting for me, but I fall off track from time to time just like everyone else. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
