I need a budget!

We took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course a few years ago (hmm....4 years maybe?).  It was wonderful!  It really changed us, and we did great!...for awhile....

Not like we've been horrible the last 2 years...but, we've certainly  not been gazelles....   my account tracking in excel is tedious to say the least....and while I track every cent...that doesn't mean that it equals out to the budget that I put on paper....     the major fall point has been working the budget during the month.... tracking actual spending to categories...

We've tried cash, and envelopes...and it works great some of the time, but honestly...we buy online a lot, we use debit a lot, we don't carry much cash, and neither of us are comfortable carrying it all around all the time (I know!  these are just silly excuses...I know!)...but...because of this...we'd often not have our envelopes with us!  Or... I would have them....DH wouldn't...so he'd spend from his pool of money and then we'd have to reconcile to the right categories later...etc.... hassle...hassle!    We just simply didn't do it!

So...anyways...  We really....really....need to get back to this!

There is a "Gonna Be Debt Free" group on Ravelry  (see...you knew I'd have to tie knitting in here somehow right), and one of the threads talked about online envelope systems!  Yes my friend....  ..
So, I started reading, and decided to give it a try... I downloaded the free trial of You Need A Budget (YNAB).

I'm now obsessed...partly because with me going on mat leave soon, and our hope of me staying home after, our financial situation is downright perilous!   Makes me realize just how groceryshrinky I need to be.   So..yes....I'm a little scared...but...also... I have renewed motivation!   We're going to do this.... I can be more thrifty...  I'm not sure where we can cut expenses other than groceries....so we'll have to start there.   Boy...it would be nice to not have student loans to pay anymore...I guess that will be our next big snowball, but right now, it's just about trying not to go INTO debt, preparing for our new baby, and living day to day.

Seriously....I've had this program for 2 days, and I already KNOW I'm going to go ahead and buy it..... DH even downloaded the iPad app, and said this is way more manageable than what we were trying to do before.   Yes!  There are apps for iPhone/iPad/iTouch, as well as Android...so you can keep track of your spending while you're out, and you can check in on your budget before you buy, and see if you actually have any money left to spend in that category.  When you get home, you just hit "sync" and it syncs your activity back to your main interface....nice right!   You can use multiple mobile apps and sync them all to the main interface once you're home...

Hmmm...makes me wonder if I can work an iPhone into the budget for me....bahahaha.... OK..maybe I should check our various reward points and see if we're anywhere close to the point of getting a free iPod Touch...that would work for me :D  and I really like FREE!

Third Trimester!

Woot woot!  It's here....the third trimester.    Technically, it started yesterday, but our poor little Ruby has been so sick, all focus has been on her.   I didn't even think about it yesterday.

Yay!  Baby!  I can't wait to meet our little man.  :)

Oh..and our camera BROKE!!!  Right after my fantastic weekend with the Yarn Harlot!   So.. well...glad it didn't break before that..... but...I'll be having a picture free blog for awhile :(

Freezer cooking!

Wowzers!  I just found this website

...and I've found a haven of recipes made for me!    I'm printing a bunch...and hope to start trying to build my freezer stash this week...

Oh...and I asked a question on the blog...and the writer got back to me, like maybe an hour later!  wow!  so helpful!