Dave Ramsey Book Winner + Awesome Budgeting Tips!

by Katy on April 17, 2009 · 3 comments

totalmoneymakeover1

 

Thank you to everyone who entered their budgeting tips for a chance to win a hardback copy of Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. 

 

The winner, chosen at random was “Laurie,” here’s her tip:
I have time and no money, so when grocery shopping, I take advantage of *every* store ad and their loss leader offerings of the week. “Two for one” or “buy one get one” offers are great, but I only buy them if it’s something we would have normally purchased. .. and that is usually all I will buy at that store. LOL
Click here to read through all of your inspirational ideas.

 

Here’s a small sample from the many budgeting tips from you, the readers, (and thanks again to the generous folks over at daveramsey.com.)

Kid’s clothes? consignment sales only. My daughter dresses amazingly well and getting a top name outfit for $4? . . . perfect. We buy socks and other personal items at Target. On sale.

Costco also has the best lettuce! For $3.50 I get twice as much lettuce as the bags of lettuce we were buying. I like salad. But 1/2 the cost? I like that better.

 

My favourite tip is to treat every dollar as if it were one hundred. Having respect for your money is a great start to any budget.

The best budgeting tip in my book should be the most obvious; spend less than you make and live within your means.

If I don’t have the money for something, I don’t buy it, and I don’t buy it new if it can be found used. If it’s something I really need, I save for it. For me, it works best not having a credit card, but a debit card.

This wouldn’t be as successful for me if I didn’t have an emergency fund. There is finally $1000.00 there, and once I’ve got more debt cleared, I’ll work on increasing that.

For motivation, I also have been keeping a list of any debt, and as each was paid off, added it to a grand total. Very inspirational for me to see the total amount of debt I’ve paid off increasing, and what I have left getting smaller & smaller (just my auto and house now). Helps me keep going!

I think it’s important to really think about a purchase before you make it. Learning the difference between an need and a want was one of the most important frugal lessons. Also, I try to fix something before I throw it away or find another use for something, like using old shirts with stains as rags for cleaning.

I have my paycheck direct deposited and I’m lucky enough to be able to split it between two accounts. My bill money is direct deposited to my checking account and all the rest is direct deposited to my savings. I have no chance to spend it and once it’s there I don’t like to take it out.

My tip is definitely the envelope system for gas, groceries and my ‘blow’ money. I have found that it keeps me from using my debit card, which in turn, allows me to save more. I use Dave’s zero-based budgeting concept, and when it’s all spent, it’s all spent. It makes me think long and hard about my expenses for the month, and what is important and what I can skip.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

 

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

Angela April 17, 2009 at 11:29 am

I just had to share this tip I just learned yesterday- after a quarter century of grocery shopping! When a store offers 2 for $5 or 4 for $3, or whatever the case may be, you don’t HAVE to buy that amount! That’s how they try to get you to buy more, but you can buy one and it will be worked out at that price. So if it’s two loaves of bread offered for $5, you can still buy one loaf for $2.50.

I can’t believe I never knew this, I feel silly. I always thought those offers were only good if you had a large family. Maybe this will help someone else who’s been operating under the same assumption.

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Kayleigh April 17, 2009 at 12:33 pm

Good point Angela, but be careful at clothing stores with this. When Old Navy has a 3 for $15 you HAVE TO buy 3 items if you want that price. When you just want one or two of the on sale items they charge regular price of say $6.50 each. They also don’t let you mix and max item kinds. Like if they have shorts and t’s 3 for $15 you have to actually buy 3 t’s and 3 shorts to get their supposed deal. Don’t even bother asking if you can get 1 pair of shorts and say 2 t’s. They’ll say “no way”. JC Penney and Kohl’s don’t let you either. While this system might work at grocery stores it doesn’t typically work at department stores, sadly.

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Jeanine April 20, 2009 at 1:55 pm

I’ve never had it to work at the main grocery store here.

Usually, if it’s 3 for 6, if you don’t get all 3, the price then goes to 2.50 or something like that.

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