Time for a budget reality check?
September 29, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under budget
Nothing is more frustrating to me than a person or family who says they can’t trim their budget any further. Well, ok, maybe people not going green – both frustrate me, however, the money issue is more important it seems to more people, yet still I hear excuses. I have a feeling that there are people and families out there who have cut EVERY possible extra from the budget, but honestly, I think it’s rarer than people and families who have not. In every case where a pal has asked me to help them with a budget, I see the same old thing – extra expenses that aren’t necessary.
Extra expenses that many people aren’t willing to cut include:
- Cable TV
- Renting movies
- Buying new books
- Gum and mints
- Purchasing prepackaged foods, chips, soda, and other non-essential food items
- Long showers
- Toxic non-homemade cleaners
- Eating out but especially fast food
- Bigger cars that use more gas
- Make-up
- Two or three cars in one family
- Non necessity clothing
- Video games
- Gym memberships
- Specialty bath and body care products
I’m not saying that we should cut out all extras and stick to the same old boring stuff all the time, but if you do need to trim your budget there are almost always extras to cut. While things like gum or one bottle of soda seem small they all add up. I’ve got extras, my friends, my family, everyone I know. If you’re really struggling, why not take a short walk around your house and see which extra you own that could be cut.
[image via stock.xchng]
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Check out what others are saying about this post...[...] up a bunch of debt. For example… Buy less stuff – I guarantee that most people in America buy more stuff than they need. I’ve bought stuff I don’t need, my thrifty pals have, and some people I know buy WAY [...]