We were all out of detergent for our dishwasher (fyi: there is a reason why dish soap is not recommended for the dishwasher, even a teeny tiny amount. We are on our third rinse!) so hubby ran to the store and picked some up. Once or twice a year there is an excellent coupon that comes out for dishwasher detergent. I order several coupons and stock up (for around 50 cents a box) and this is the first time in two years that I have had to buy the detergent at regular price. That hurts! It was $4.12. Hubby also ran to Walmart and bought some lemonade and a couple little treats for the kids which totaled $4.43, which means we have a total of $538.29 left for the month.Already, just on day 8, I am feeling a bit deprived. I'm not a shopaholic but there are a few things that I want to pick up for the house (new throw pillows for the couch or covers for them) and there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room with a $1,200 budget. Maybe towards the end of the month we will have extra and I will feel comfortable enough to make a $15 non-essential purchase but towards the beginning of the month? Not so comfortable. It makes me aware of just how some families need to watch every single cent that they spend every single month. There isn't anything extra leftover and no fund for problems that may arise such as car issues or the refrigerator dying. Granted, I'm sure that many families living on a $1,200 income would take at least some form of government assistance. WIC or even $100 in food stamps would make a budget like this much easier to handle. And a family of five living on $1,200 would qualify.
But it is interesting to have a different mindset when it comes to spending. Could that $8 roast break our budget for the month? Can we afford to drive out of town and put another $20 in the gas tank? I didn't have to ask myself those questions before and now it makes me think in a different light. And that is why I am doing this challenge!Tuesday and Fridays are now reader check-in days for those who are also taking the challenge. How are you doing 8 days in? Leave your blog link if you are blogging about your progress as well so other readers can check it out!
You are doing great, Elizabeth. Does your husband really get paid once a month or is it weekly or biweekly? We do get paid once a month. The first few months of that was hard to adjust to. Now I am so use to it that I do not really think about being deprived at the beginning of the month. It helps that I only buy groceries/household supplies once a month from my food coop. While I am picking that up, I browse through the store and pick up anything else I will need for the month. I found that by doing it that way, I stay within budget easier and I never impluse shop. At the beginning of the month, I take out our tithe and a certain amount to but aside into savings before paying any bills. By doing this, I put my fears of not having enough to rest because I know I gave to God and God will take care of us, plus having the savings building (slowly) I know that I have something to fall back on but only in an emergency.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my husband would die if we could not make it without government assistance. He would be the guy out there working two jobs to see that we had what we needed. He grew up very poor but never once did they take government welfare. He always said they may not have had what they wanted but they always had enough to eat. I guess my question is, even those of us who live on a little, will we ever be satisfied with what we have or will we always wanting more?
Amy, no, my husband gets paid twice a month. We always take the mortgage money out of the first paycheck and the other bills out of the second. Sometimes we get lucky and get a third paycheck in certain months and that makes us feel rich...though it really just carries over to the next month. :)
ReplyDeleteI think that it is true that no matter how much a family makes they always think they need more. I know familes who live on three times what we do and talk about not being able to make ends meet. It really is true that the more money you make the more you spend and therefore many people just never get ahead. Money, truly, is the root of all evil!
Yes, you would qualify. You would qualify making twice that. It's crazy.
ReplyDeleteSo I got my boys' hair cut today, and I said I wouldn't! ;o) But...there is a place in town that does it for $1 per year of their age. So my 5-year-old and 1-year-old BOTH got their hair cut for $6!!! Woo hoo! And mommy didn't have to botch it up...lol!
By the way...
ReplyDeleteSince you stop by my blog from time to time, I wanted to let you know that I wrote a guest post for "Three Girls and Our Guy" today, and I thought you might find it interesting! And maybe you'd leave a comment?! :o)
Thanks. Here's the link! http://jessica-theleafamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/guest-post-gods-perfect-timing.html
Heya :)
ReplyDeleteI actually use Dawn dish soap in my (old dinosaur!) dish washer regularly and don't have any problems...I've used generic dish soap as well in a pinch also with no issues.
I blogged about it a couple weeks ago, but I use 1 tsp and it gets the job done nicely. I think they key is to start REAAAAAALLY small and work your way up ;P
Also - do you guys not qualify for WIC, or just choose not to get it? The income limits here are really high (IMO). We make over $40k annually (family of 4) and still qualify. I've been too lazy to get new vouchers lately, and the WIC shopping IS a hassle, but it's nice to get the extra stuff (especially since they've made those healthier food choices available!)
:D
We actually qualify for WIC. The income guidelines for a family of 5 is close to $50,000 here so of course we would qualify. I did receive it at one point and the amount of food you get is a tremendous help but the way the WIC clinic's treat you (around here, anyway) is nasty. The "nurse" thought it was horrible when I said the kids don't get floruide and lectured me on that, as well as vaccinations. I said that this was between the dentist/doctor and my family and we are well informed of our choices and she flat out said "they are wrong". They also act as though everyone coming to get the checks is some ignorant fool and really talked down to me and everyone else. I wouldn't put myself though that again, even for over $200+ a month for free food!
ReplyDeleteI wonder why you have no issues with the dishwashing soap in the dishwasher? We used just a few little drops and had suds all over in the dishwasher.
Wow...yeah. If our local WIC office was like that there is NO WAY I'd put up with it either. I don't blame you at all! Gah...I hate rude people!
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of people in my city are no-vax, no-fluoride, very health conscious though...I've never had problems. In fact, they don't really even ask those questions here...but I have heard tons of complaints on the MDC forums about certain offices. Yuck.
Anyway...not sure about the dish soap thing. My mom never had issues either and she has a new dishwasher...she only uses dish soap when she runs out and is in a pinch, though.
You say in your post you "want" new cushions/slipcovers. See, IMO,(and as a person on a tight budget)its the "wants" in life that get folks into financial trouble. If you buy just what you "need", staying within a budget is much easier.
ReplyDeleteCourse, just like being on a diet, sometimes you need to splurge, to have a "want".
For three years I lived on 800 a month. Granted I'm single but my rent was 450 and out of the remiaing 350 I had car care, food, medical care etc. I lived on "need" only and truthfully never felt deprived.
I grew up in an incredibly poor family so maybe that helped. Annie
Thought...WIC is truly not free food. Someone has to pay for it.
ReplyDelete