2014 thus far …..
So far the month of January has been a bit of a challenge, with regards to our finances, of course. This ongoing financial management process has certainly kept me on my toes. I would have to say that overall, we have been able to make things work and not get too far behind by sticking to the various tips and strategies I have mentioned in previous postings. Following through with our financial responsibilities, has made me feel optimistic that we can continue to improve even more as we go along.
Bills, bills, bills . . .
I am especially proud of how we have been doing despite the sheer volume of holiday bills that arrived at our doorstep this month. When I looked at all of the different expenses that we had incurred, it was a bit staggering to see how much the total charges had actually reached, following the whirlwind that was December. We are working very hard to stay on top of our payments and re-evaluate our expenses for the coming months.
Additionally, we were also hit a little bit harder this month, when my car decided to call it quits. While this was only temporary, and thankfully I was able to have it repaired quite quickly, it was still definitely one of those unforeseen expenses we could have done without.
Expenses . . .
The incident above only goes to show the importance of budgeting for these types of events as well as other sudden expenses that can occur without any warning. On top of the car situation, the surprises did not end there. Unforeseen expenses lumped in with the car repairs, led to a whole lot of stress and juggling of funds. These expenses added up to a great deal of money and tried their very best to reek havoc with our financial progress.
Needless to say we did not let these financial setbacks veer us off our path and demotivate us from sticking to our budget goals. I would say even more so, it made me more eager to make things better. With the help of my husband, we were able to bounce back and stay aligned with our original plan.
Keeping a close eye on our finances
Yes, accounting for every dollar can be tedious and time consuming, but it also makes so much sense when you look at your finances and think ahead to how much you need to save for future expenses. I would say even that these experiences have made us stronger and better equip to manage our finances more successfully each and every day. I have certainly learned a lot more about how to be more efficient in our spending and overall budgeting skills and have come a long way from the original budget.
Budgeting Tools
I plan to take advantage of the many budgeting tools that exist, in order to maintain more control over our finances. I am always looking to new sources for how to keep track of our records and ongoing budget. With the convenience of the internet, you have access to a variety of financial sites that offer useful calculators and worksheets to balance your family and personal budget. I find this resources to be very effective and recommend that other seek them out as well.
If you didn’t already know, you can even use your mobile device to manage your finances as many companies have created apps to help you with these types of tasks. Tasks such as, paying for your bills online and while you are on the go too! With a family of four we do have quite the busy schedule, and these features have made it much easier to keep things in order. Overall, I am relieved to know that there are so many resources available to us that make sure we have all the proper information and tools to commit to making our budget work.
Being Positive and Motivated
For me, I think while it was difficult at certain points to be able to stay on a positive track with our finances, it was still absolutely achievable. With the support we provided each other as well as the guidance of our adviser, I know we are doing better than we have in the past and are managing our money and spending much more effectively, as well as continuing to be highly motivated to do so.
On a final note, with the new knowledge I have been introduced to over the last little while, I am in a very positive mindset for what is to come in 2014. Watch this space…
