How do I save when I barely make it from month to month

I need advices on how to budget and save money when my only income is my disability. My income barely helps me to get by each month but I am full of guilt and feeling disappointed in myself that I’m not able to put away money for my future.

I think the first step is to actually see where you are spending? Write down absolutely every expense when you make it. (Keep a little notebook with you?) Once you see what you are spending where, in reality, then you can see if you can cut back or add anywhere.

Here's one online budget sheets, but there are many. http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/budget/

The next thing is to be totally honest with budgetting. It won't do any good if you know you spend xx on something, but only put in x for it so it fits into the budget.

Most people do have some money they can put aside, even if it's very little. A good plan is to save SOMETHING each week. Even if it's just $1 in a jar... do it every week. The habit you build will stay with you and help you to save more eventually.

Don't just look at the one item you buy a few times a week (like a soda) or month (candy bar, text messages etc) but take what you actually spend (from your tally notebook) and multiply it out for the whole year. NOW, would you rather spend that money elsewhere?

I'm not judging you, ok...just listing some things off. I know for one, my internet is very important to me, but it's not the end of the world if I went without for a while, you know. It may not be internet that you can do without, but something else. Cutting corners is rarely fun, but the result can be uplifting.

Good wishes on your efforts.

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Another thing you can do is check into things like Section 8 housing if you are paying full rent on an appartment. Check out if you qualify for for foodstamps. Check out foodbanks in your area. Check out dollar stores as well. Sometimes if we spend time on ways to save money you can really improve your life.

Will you always be on disability? If you are going to graduate college and start a career, there is potential for earning more money. I would work out a good budget for living on what you have now and when you earn more, don't change your lifestyle but put the more aside for awhile, only gradually changing your lifestyle as you gain income.

No advice just wanted to thank you for asking the question. There are some really good replies that I am going to try. I, too, have a problem with saving.

I use to save spare change until I had $18 and then buy a $25 savings bond at the bank. I'd work to get at least one a month. It isn't "smart" and doesn't keep up with inflation or anything like that but it's saving.

Good ideas.

There is also an angel food network in the USA... where you can buy food (fresh from the wholesalers) quite inexpensively! http://https://www.angelfoodministries.com/

They take orders during a month, and you pick it up one day at a local center. I've done this and it really is good food and a bargain! Even if he just saves a few dollars, that's money you can put into the kitty!

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I write down all my bills that I know are a set amount.....utilities vary during the year & if you can put away what you aren't spending during the months when the cost is lower, then you don't have to worry so much when the costs are higher.

Unfortunately, it seems like when those costs are lower, then I need to buy tires for my truck, have the breaks replaced, & my dog had to have surgery........some times life just doesn't seem fair.....but one just has to plug away & save the times when you can.

I know it's hard to do without some things for yourself once in awhile. I have it when I only have $1 left at the end of the month (I too am on disability)......& it's even worse when I have to dip into the emergency fund.....it's hard to replace when there is nothing left at the end of the month. There have even been times when I thought I had budgeted well enough & did a little splurge that I had to return because of lack of money when an emergency hit later that month......so now I just don't splurge anymore (even though my splurge wasn't a lot...it was still too much).

Never get into using credit cards to pay for anything....NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!!!!! I use my debit/credit card, but I use it instead of writing checks & it comes out of my checking account immediately. I monitor my checking account online also to make sure nothing is on there that I haven't realized or as in the past, had ID theft that used the number on my debit/credit card.....grrrrr.

You have some very good suggestions here....hopefully you will be able to save some at least during the lower cost time of year.

I ordered a food box and got it Friday evening. It was a good deal for the money. Thanks for posting this.

I am on disability as well, and that is my only income. You have gotten some great tips so far, perhaps someone will have the wisdom to post all of the tips in the permanent section of this corner.

Personally, I use my debit card every time I gas up. My bank takes $1 out of my checking and puts it into a savings account (I think it's called "Way to Save"). On months that gas is cheaper, and I have a few more dollars, I put $1-5 into my piggy bank. My girls' piggy banks come first.

I do go to the food bank every month to stock up on canned goods, frozen items, breads and any toiletries they may have. I also applied for county assistance and do qualify for "food stamp" assistance. I don't enjoy using it, and feel guilty just about every time I take out the card. Perhaps that goes away with time. I don't know.

A couple other ideas: no cell phone, no cable tv, no computer. None of these are actual necessities in life. I went one year without cable, and couldn't get any channels in. So, we watched VHS tapes and DVD's borrowed from the library. Totally free and no commercials! The only reason I finally added cable into my life is because my phone co charged me $60/month for necessary local & long-distance. Another phone company has a package where I pay $55/month for the phone and basic cable. Guaranteed rate for 6 months. It's recommended that I call back near the 6 month mark, and ask what new bundles they have. (Apparently, they often have bundles that customers don't know about unless they ask. FYI)

I hate not having the computer in my apartment, but that's something I've just had to accept. I use one at the library, or at a friend's when I get the opportunity. That has been the toughest change that I've had to make. Maybe someday, I'll be able to work a little, so I can have a few more bucks to go towards luxuries. This just isn't that time for me.

That's the way I look at it. Best wishes and hugs to you!

dave ramsey

My grocery store has a thing where every $1 purchased goes onto your rewards card....spend $100/month on groceries (not hard to do since I buy my dog food for my 6 dogs there also as it's the cheapest place for the lowest grade good food I can get)...you get .10/gallon off the price of their gas.....pretty good gas.

I also had my insurance raised by the company I have been with all my life (35 years). I found another insurance company to go with & ended up getting a little money back from what I had paid.

Sad thing was that I was figuring that next month I had paid off the vet bill for my mommy eskies surgery & thought I had a free month.....NOT. My breaks were making noise on my truck. Thought it was the new breaks I had put on a month ago....NOT SO LUCKY. They said they found the break hoses in the front end of my truck were separated somehow, they were filling with air & causing the breaks to be slightly applied......another unexpected expense.....grrrr. I have to save for my property taxes in October.......grrrr. Need to see if I can get the property value lowered. If I can't sell the house for as much as I paid for it, I shouldn't be taxed for more than it's worth either. Lots of places where one can look to cut their expenses also.

I don't have a TV. Haven't had one since I moved to KY.....I really don't even miss it. I play DVD's on my computer DVD player & so I can relax that way. Get my news off the internet also.....good enough to satisfy me & keep up with current events.

I only have a cell phone because the cost of a land line was way too much out in the country & I cut my minutes down to the minimum with rollover the months when I don't use all of them....makes up for the months I use a little more, but am always careful about how many minutes I talk on the phone.

Of course, I have a huge expense with boarding my horses. Once I get 2 of them moved here that will cut my monthly expenses some, but will then have to add the cost of food which is now part of the board bill & pray that I don't need to have a vet bill very often except once a year for the shots & coggins health certificate. It will still be less then the board bill I have now.....but at the moment, I don't have a choice in that & I am just not willing to give up my horses at this point....too important to my mental health.

Always will be trade-offs that we feel are very important.....priorities is what we call them.

Ramsey is a wonderful guide to saving & to cutting your expenses. My home T went over my expenses when we first got together.....funny, I taught her a few things about getting rid of debt. I bailed my husband & I out before we moved into our last house. I thought I taught him everything I knew, but guess he just didn't care because when I ended up disabled & not able to take care of the finances (didn't really care because I didn't plan on living any longer to care), he totally blew all the good I had done because of his stupid ostrich mentality of sticking his head in the sand & refusing to see the reality of the situation......grrrrr.

the budget thing is a great idea - to move forward yu have to find out where you are and where your money goes exactly - even if its scary - and beleive me for me it was - i had been in denial for ages -

2nd step - in all the things ive read it says pay yourself first - ive read that even if you cant afford it - especially if you cant afford it - put away the same amount of money every week or fortnioght when you get your money - even if its $5 - just a regular amount - make it hard to get to if you can - like an internet account where you have to transfer it back to get to it - that should slow down you using it
- i have trouble wiht this cos if the moneys there and a bil comes in i use it but thats wrong - you have to save it .

anyway thats my 2 cents worth. Remember $1 a week comes to $52 a year that you wouldnt have had saved - good luck

I cant remember the name of the guy but theres a book called rich dad poor dad thats really good and your library should have it - its about financial habits and really easy to read (i need that )

I have a tin I put every $5 note into the tin instead of spending it. I've had the tin at over $2000 at one stage....