Maybe an internet vacation? Such as having one week a month where you do no discretionary shopping, no looking for deals. Maybe the two of you have become too good at shopping.
Seriously, this is not an addiction, and it's not out of control.
Come now twad...isnt the first step is to admit that you have a problem and are powerless to your addiction?
Maybe an internet vacation? Such as having one week a month where you do no discretionary shopping....
But here's the deal. The breadth and depth of stuff you can buy over the net has increased a bunch. And it's only one click away. I see an increasing number of boxes arriving at our door.
Twaddle, put the card down and slowly back away and your spending will drop by about 15%, before you know it you'll be talking real money.
We returned to the cash envelopes almost three years ago and we're having trouble finding places to stash the extra cash. We can't completely let go of the cards though due to the convenience items you mentioned. So rather than a "gold standard" we have implemented a "cash standard" if you want to make a charge go for it as long as you have enough money in the envelope gas? adult clothes? kids clothes? etc... once you make the charge move that amount of cash out of that envelope to the spent on credit envelope which is the base we use to start next weeks cash disbursements. No spreadsheets or calculations if you can count currency you can stay within the budget.
I knew that was coming. Next up: "when did you stop beating your wife?"
So, the take-home message is that nobody really sets, tracks or enforces their budgets?
If you need "enforcement" in order to follow your own plan, you have a personal problem with self-discipline in regard to spending. That's a hard one to help you with, with just a few words of advice.
We can't completely let go of the cards though due to the convenience items you mentioned. So rather than a "gold standard" we have implemented a "cash standard" if you want to make a charge go for it as long as you have enough money in the envelope gas? adult clothes? kids clothes? etc... once you make the charge move that amount of cash out of that envelope to the spent on credit envelope which is the base we use to start next weeks cash disbursements. No spreadsheets or calculations if you can count currency you can stay within the budget.
We're living waaay below our means ... but we still indulge in certain vices. And we're loving it!
Sure. I hear that. Good for you, well done.
But given the above points, this thread has been a complete waste of time. Clearly you don't have a problem, and you don't require advice.
Sure. I hear that. Good for you, well done.
But given the above points, this thread has been a complete waste of time. Clearly you don't have a problem, and you don't require advice.
Relax and return to the topic of the thread. Or don't post.
One of the reasons for us to keep a budget is to keep us from drifting into a different lifestyle with different expectations and perhaps even a different ethic.
This is heretical, but maybe you have too much money? Time to ramp up a gifting program?