Comments on: Adventures in Budgeting

By: Jordan Morrell@twitter

Jordan Morrell@twitter — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 15:18:57 +0000

I just discovered this blog and im pretty excited to get on top of my money. I definitely feel you on not being able to stick to arbitrary goals. My girlfriend and I have been cooking all of our lunches for almost a month now, most of our dinners too. I always knew it was a huge way to save. Now its almost a habit. I love cooking which helps. thestonesoup.com is a great blog, where all of the recipes are 5 ingredients and amazing. the author also has a list of recipes for eating on $2 a day and how to “stock a minimalist pantry”.

By: bgprincipessa

bgprincipessa — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 13:44:05 +0000

@Jake Reinhardt I would like to know which Ashland Avenue we are discussing, because my Ashland Avenue is pretty damn windy also. But I think you probably mean Chicago.

By: eemusings@twitter

eemusings@twitter — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 07:33:15 +0000

Knowledge is power! Budgeting is all very well, but you need to track your spending for a bit and get a feel for where you’re actually spending… (I had a stab at penning some budgeting advice here: http://eemusings.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/the-long-road-to-budgeting-bliss/)

I’m big on packed lunches too, and in general, trying to keep fixed costs down (rent, insurance, bills etc).

By: Conal Darcy@twitter

Conal Darcy@twitter — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 21:22:43 +0000

Put the $300 in savings once you get your first paycheck. Pay yourself first. Some payroll departments can even automatically transfer a specified amount to a different account. Then you force yourself to live within the means.

I also pause before I make an impulse buy, then transfer the cost of it into my savings account instead of buying it. It takes a lot of willpower, but it feels a lot better.

By: BABOLEEN

BABOLEEN — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 20:18:27 +0000

What I like to do, for lunch in the summer because work has a refridgerator that people don’t pillage through, is bring bagged lettuce, and the rest of the ingredients for salad for 2-3 days. In the winter I get self-serve soup and go light on the broth. Those things have saved me money. I also bring a 38 oz bottle of water and refil it daily at the spring water cooler. Sometimes I put Chrystal Lite in it. McDonalds has pretty good $1.07 coffee.

By: sox

sox — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:48:40 +0000

While the groceries and weekend cooking may seem obvious, it is a huge planning and labor effort and deserves to be highly commended! Way to go and keep it up!

By: Jake Reinhardt

Jake Reinhardt — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:15:57 +0000

I use mint.com, but pretty much just to agonize over my debts all in one place. Also, this article made me want to hang out with you because I too have lost things to Ashland.