[Blue_Bird]

I have some trouble managing my money. I am also too materialistic and am trying to work on that. My goal is to not spend anymore money on things other than necessities or recurring bills for at least a few months.

I'm out of money until next month. Next month after rent I will have about $256 to myself:

$80 towards new permit/ID
$9 monthly Netflix bill
$40 for my phone
$20 for weight watchers.

That's a total of $150 which leaves me about $100 left. That will be kept in my account for things like cat food/ dress clothes for church.

That leaves me very little saved if anything but the $80 permit fee isn't something recurring , it's a one time fee.

I just needed a place to check in my progress with this and hopefully I can get some support in helping me be more accountable.

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[CANDC]

Hi bluebird, sorry you are on such a tight budget. Sounds like you need a helping hand. These are ways to help put more in the budget for essentials like food and cat food.

These are only ideas but maybe some of them will work,

Food stamps
Food pantry
Free cat food if you are on food stamps Can't Afford Pet Food? Pet Food Stamps Is Here To Help | Care2 Causes

Part time job - there are Clubs around US that help people get part time jobs that enhance SSI and other programs

[Skeezyks]

Hello Blue_Bird: Congratulations on your decision! The Skeezyks spent SO much money on useless things over the years in an effort to make himself feel better... it only ever helped temporarily. Now he has made the decision to not spend money on himself unless it is really necessary.

[hvert]

Is there any kind of waiver for the permit fee or reduction for people with low incomes? $80 is really high.

[Hairball]

Nowadays there are lots of alternatives for your phone that don't cost $40. If u can whittle things down a little u can save more.

sounds reasonable

[notthisagain]

Is there anyone that you know IRL that you can be accountable to for your spending? I work with a financial coach that I got through my Employee Assistance Program and I have to fill out a spending tracker and a budget. The expense tracker is essentially an Excel spreadsheet with different expense categories on it. Knowing that I have a 30 minute phone consult with her every two weeks helps me be more mindful of my spending.

You mentioned materialism - sometimes I tend to buy things in the attempt to make myself feel better. It is short-lived though, because the newness wears off and I just have that much more crap in my house to worry about. Do you have any items that you can sell to a consignment shop or online? My financial coach suggested joining a local yard sale page on Facebook. There are also apps that you can put on your phone like Wallapop and Letgo, although honestly I have not used these, so I cannot really say that much about them.

As for trying to control spending on material items, I have to throw out catalogs the minute I get them to avoid temptation. I don't go into stores unless I am looking for something specific that I absolutely need. Online is a little bit harder because it is that much easier to blow money that I don't have, especially with things like stored credit card numbers and PayPal. I sometimes "shop" and leave items in the shopping cart. I have to discipline myself to not purchase something the first time I see it. I also look around my house and keep an inventory of what I actually have because it's easy to buy things when you have something similar or just as good as you have already. Hope this helps!

[therapyishelping777]

I have SUCH a hard time,, really hard , I don't make time to make a budget, then it all falls apart,,, I barely make my payments but do.. I spend too much on food.. but I don't do things I want to.. and can't save worth anything..ugh.. it contributes to my low self esteem too.