I seem to be bumping into more and more ‘well off’ people that circumsances have changed whether it be from divorce, businesses failing or just the banks putting the squeeze on them. Well welcome to the frugal gang! We have all been there at sometime, I have been on frugal bandwagon for longer than I want to admit but all in all I do enjoy saving money. I find there is also something special about beating the system, love getting the things I need on the cheap.
Now is the time to take stock and make a plan that you can stick to. In past posts, I have laid out ways to to begin your frugal/get out of debt/save for retirement or just work to have a better life plan. So here is a recap with links from the Mission Possible Series, please go to the original post for more detailed information and explanation.
Step 1. Fill in the Black Holes – actually figure where your money is going.
Step 2. Find where you can make Invisible Savings, I would do this before making deep painful cuts.
Step 3. Make your budget, we all need to stick to a budget of we will end up with no money left at the end of the month. In the linked post, there are several different budget planners.
I know for all you newbies it is a bit of a shock to have to watch the pennies but I can assure you that you get used to it. Living on a budget also stops you buying stuff you really don’t need so you think about your purchases before you make them.
Best of luck and welcome to the club!