January 7, 2013

Money Matters

Let's talk money.
Cash.  Credit.  Plastic.  Budget.
Because it matters.

My husband and I were both raised with conservative
money management ideals.
The credit card was to be completely paid in full each and every month.
That's what we were taught.  That's what we've always done.

We've lived with a budget for years.
But, I felt there was room for improvement.
And boy, was I right!  

Recently, I challenged myself to use cash 
to see if there would be a difference in my shopping habits.
And, to my surprise, and delight, it has been successful!

I have not done the *Dave Ramsey* course.
But, I've read enough about it to make me sit up and take notice.
Cash envelopes.  No credit card use.  Budget.  Emergency Fund.
These were some of the things mulling about in my brain.

Would it really make a difference to use cash?
Would I really spend less?
After all...we were using credit like cash, weren't we?

Apparently not. 


The concept is simple.

Set a budget.
Decide what you are willing to spend
in the month and set that money aside for specifics.
Give each dollar a job to do.  Savings, spending, food, rent, giving, etc.
Determine ahead of time what is reasonable.
Do your best to stick to it!

There will be bumps along the way.
If you've never budgeted before, you may have no clue where your money goes.
That's okay.  You'll soon find out!  :)
It can take a few months to get into the swing of things with a budget.

Tweaking is allowed.  In fact, it's encouraged.

I'm not going to get into the specifics here.

But, this one thing I will say ~ absolutely (without a doubt!),
paying with cash helps keep me on track.
It helps to keep me accountable.
At least, that's been my experience!

And...the money?  
It goes further.  

Oh, and one more thing.

I'm in control of it, and not the other way around.
It's very liberating.  Freeing.
Try it!  I'm sure you'll be glad you did! 
I can't believe we didn't do this sooner.  :)

Many Blessings,
Camille


**Image in this post courtesy of Calvin ~

Thank you my love!  XO

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Nice post, Camille! I have been like you, always committed to buying "with cash" as opposed to credit, but I haven't really made the commitment to using *actual* cash. You've inspired me! Things are going to be even tighter financially for us now than in the past and this will be a *huge* help for me. I can totally see that it would be much easier to use the debit card than "hard, cold cash." Thanks for posting this. : )

Maryann said...

We started doing this a couple of years ago and I can tell you it makes a huge difference. When I have a set amount of dollars in my purse I think twice about the purchases I make, it has cut down on impulse purchases, especially at the grocery store. We were also inspired by Dave Ramsey but did not do the course. glad to hear it is working for you as well, I would highly recommend this method as well.

Wanting What I Have said...

Yay for y'all!!! It DOES make such a huge difference! I am so happy for you that you are seeing such results. That is just wonderful!

Camille said...

Dear Susan ~ It makes more of a difference than I ever thought possible! I hope it works as well for you as it has for me. :)

Dear Maryann ~ How fun that you have been doing this too my friend! Thank you for your endorsement...I am sure others will be encouraged to give it a try too. :)

Dear Jennifer ~ I think you may have been the first to introduce me to the *Dave Ramsey* way...if not the first, certainly one of the main influencers. Thank you! I am thrilled with the results so far...what a blessing! :)

With Love,
Camille

Cinnamon said...

Cash is normally what we use and have for the past 6 yrs. It really does make a difference when you have to part with the money in your hand.

~Cinnamon

Camille said...

Dear Cinnamon ~ How fun that you do this too my friend! What a blessing to know that you have found it to be a good way to go as well. Thanks for adding your experience here...I am sure it will be an encouragement to others. :)

With love,
Camille

Lois said...

Cash? Do stores still take that? LOL. I was always the tightwad, my husband not so much! But throughout 20 years of marriage we have both adjusted. (Slowly, he's come around to my way of thinking.*wink*) We haven't done the Ramsey course either, but what really started us on the together road was, not a budget, but actually writing down everything we spent for a whole month. Having to write it down eliminated impulse purchases. And now we can be better stewards of His resources. Thank you for sharing your strategies!

Camille said...

Dear Lois ~ How wonderful that you came up with a solution to get onto the same page! It's a blessing to grow together as a couple in these ways, isn't it? We learn valuable things from one another. Yes, ultimately, it is to be good stewards of all that the LORD has given. Thank you for mentioning that. :)

Many Blessings,
Camille

little sis said...

I started this year paying cash for groceries. We have always just spent and not really budgeted but we are starting to get serious about paying down debt.

Camille said...

Dear Leanna ~ Good for you!! You will be amazed how quickly you will notice a difference when you pay cash. It seems to eliminate waste...at least, that is what I have found. We *love* this *new* way of doing things!! All the best in paying down that debt. One step at a time gets you there. :)

Many blessings,
Camille