Where do you start?

  I know most are not in my situation, so you ask yourself where do I start.  The answer is you start with you.  Think of this in terms of a diet. You need to analyze your spending habits as you would document your eating habits.  I will be the last person to tell you to forgo your morning breakfast stop, or indulgences that you allow yourself, but maybe for one month you keep track and write down everything you spend, where all your money goes.  While doing that, I hope you see patterns, maybe we are not spending as little as we think on our weekly lunches out, our trips to the mall.  Change does not mean quit immediately, or give up that habit entirely, but maybe you budget yourself tighter once you realize how much you actually spend on coffee, treats, or therapeutic shopping (or whatever your vice may be).  Documenting gives you a place to start budgeting.  With that said, I am one that likes to budget in a checkbook register format about 1 year in advance (to my friend that commented, we must have been doing it the same way for years, I started after the first semester James and I lived together).  This is because if I have money today, I want to spend it today, but it could negatively impact me in three months.  Maybe a larger bill is due, or both of us have vehicle maintenance that month.  That is how I best visually understand that I don't have extra money to go out to eat, or spend today, because in December I want to buy holiday gifts or plan for a vacation.  Whatever the case may be.  Maybe building a budget by category of spend is what works best for you.  I have mentioned it before, but Mint.com and the mobile app are great, did I mention FREE, tools to help track and budget spending.  It will even email you alerts for over budget in a category, finance charges and other fees accessed to a bank account and much more.  This is where we start together.

So, step one come to terms with your relationship with money and what it means to you. Give this part time while you are tracking your spend.  Next create a budget that works for you and your family.  I think I need to repeat, one that works for you and your family.  Please do not let other moms, or people, or parent, influence how you spend, save or become debt free.  Please do not think that any of the ideas I purpose are the only way to success.  The truest path to success is the one you choose to create for yourself because it is the only one you will follow through with!  If finding ways to be frugal is what you need to do to gear up for getting debt free, I can point you to a few books and sites that did not work for me, but may for you.  Please, email me about anything.  If you are looking for a more spiritual path, I have come across some books and authors that teach along those lines.  If you are like me and really need help coming to terms with your monetary relationship passed down from your family I may recommend another set of books.  The first of which I begin tonight and will review next week.

Thanks again for following, please share thoughts, comments, or suggestions.
Happy tracking as your spending.