Learning To Live Below Our Means...

Trying to become debt-free, is not easy. I just don't see myself as one who spends much on extras.

But being the one in charge of the finances, I have to make the money go as far as possible. That being said, stopping the use of credit cards is hard. I have been in the habit the last few years of using, then paying off my two credit cards. The end result though, is that I start the year without any debt on the cards but little by little I spend more than I can pay. So any tax return money or bonus money have to go to clearing the cards. So this year I have put the plastic down. I am going to try to live within our means, and hopefully end up living below our means. I see food as the first front. With six kids and a husband to feed in addition to myself, about a third or fourth of our monthly budget goes to food. That's too much. I tried coupons, but we just don't eat most of what they are for. So now I am trying bulk meat cooking. The idea is to buy sale, cheap meat in huge quantities and then to cook it all up right away and freeze it. Then you only have to defrost and reheat. So far (I've been doing this since January) I don't know if it's saved me any money, but it sure has saved me time! I am also trying to do a better job gardening. We have had a really great broccoli harvest and I hope to get lettuce and carrots too.

So we will see...