There are some things that should be left in the past, but these 18 old-fashioned frugal living tips are not among them. These old-fashioned frugality … Read More 9 Old-Fashioned Frugal Living Tips You Need To Bring Back

“My income is quite low. Is there any hope for me? How do I create a retirement corpus?” is a question we often receive. The rules of personal finance are the same regardless of income and net worth. Those earning less feel like they will never have the experiences or wealth of those who earn… The post Planning for Retirement When You Don’t Earn Much appeared first on freefincal.

Have you considered using a bullet journal budget tracker? I have to admit, up until a few weeks ago, I tracked my budget on a scrap of paper stuck to my office wall and a spreadsheet. I also use Pocketsmith for tracking after the fact, but I’ve been on a mission to get more organised … Read more

Building a cheap garden for myself is one of my biggest goals for this year. As a kid I was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie book series, which chronicles the true story of a pioneer family living on farms from Wisconsin to the Ozarks. The books share the (fairly whitewashed) family’s farming […] The post Cheap Garden: How to Garden on a Budget appeared first on Bravely Go.

I’m typically pretty good about keeping up with my budget. I have a set amount designated for each budget category, and I update my purchases frequently to see where I fall within the parameters I’ve set for myself.  The last couple weeks have been a bit of a blur, though. The kids were on Spring Break for a week, and I had a major deadline at work that kept me super busy with work (early mornings, late nights, and all in-between). I finally had a moment to catch my breath on Sunday and when I added everything to my budget – welp! – I’m way over on my food budget. Looking Back: How Our Food Budget Has Changed When I first started blogging here, I’m pretty sure my budget for food was $100/week! We mostly cooked at home, and had a tiny budget for take-out (typically cheap fast food), so our entire monthly food budget was only $500 for a family of 4. To be fair, my twins were much younger at that time and didn’t eat as much as they do now. But still. $500 for the full month! Creeping Costs At this point, our budget for food has expanded significantly. First, I now buy higher quality foods. Instead of planning meals around the cheapest budget-friendly recipes, I buy locally sourced meats and (mostly) organic produce. This is all more money, but I have decided to invest in our health that way, and we now have a higher income, so I feel justified in doing so. Add to that inflation (hello – eggs are $6 a dozen in my area! How about you?), and growing kids who are now pre-teens but eat adult-sized portions of food. Obviously our food bill is going to go up. I now budget for $800/month for groceries, and another $200/month for eating out, for a total food budget of $1,000/month. Literally double what it used to be 10 years ago. Oops! A Budget Wake-Up Call And even at this much higher price point…..this month we’ve gone over. By quite a bit, actually. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that we’re sitting right about at $1,500 spent this month on food! And we still have a week to go! I know that’s a ridiculous amount of money! It’s a full 2 weeks worth of pay for many! And I’m not feeling good about spending that much on a consumable product that we now have nothing to show for. This week, it’s back to the basics! I saw a Facebook post (I think in a Dave Ramsey group?) where someone posed the question: “What’s one ‘poor’ meal you’d eat even if you were rich?” Many of the responses mentioned things like spam or bologna. For me, I’d answer spaghetti and tacos. I’m also thinking about a breakfast-for-dinner meal one night. Yes, eggs are expensive, but still cheaper than most meat! What are some other budget-friendly meal ideas that you would still enjoy even if you were

Living a rich life isn’t just about having a fat bank account. It’s often a mindset and approach to daily living that makes life feel more abundant and fulfilling. When budget constraints are a reality, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality or experiences that bring you joy. A few smart strategies and creative … Read more

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Are you thinking about buying a house? It can be hard to decide whether to buy a house now or wait until all your financing options are in order. In this post, you will learn when is the best time to buy a house for your situation. Owning a home has always been considered a great and safe investment. Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or someone looking for their dream home, home-buying is a […]