Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Changes and 29 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights!
How far along: I am 29 weeks!!
Size of baby: Butternut squash around 2 1/2 lbs
Total weight gain: 18lbs
Maternity clothes: Mostly. I have some maternity skinny jeans from Old Navy that I am in love with!
Gender: Girl (Wells)
Movement: All day long
Sleep: What is sleep??
What I miss most: SLEEP and being able to wear cute clothes!
Symptoms: I am actually feeling the best I have all pregnancy.



This weekend I have decided to do some major changing. I am going to share this with you because the problem is now fixed and it will NEVER happen again. I haven't balanced my checkbook in over a year!(yes I know!!) I let my statements stack up and stack up and I got so behind I didn't even know where to begin. I had to get backup to help get out of this situation, that would be my Mom. She went back and tried to balance it as close as she could and now I have this huge weight lifted off of me because I know this is done! Now, every time I get a statement I will balance it myself as soon as it comes!  Jared and I share an account that we use everyday for everything. He forgets to tell me when he uses our debit card and doesn't always bring me receipts. ( I can't blame it all on him!) I was being so careless and not recording stuff (major stuff!!). It was a HUGE mess!! I was off from my balance a huge amount!! I will never let this happen again and I am changing my ways of being so careless with money.

As we were going over all this I couldn't believe the amounts of careless spending going on around here. It was making me sick on my stomach just to see the huge amounts of money that we pretty much just threw out the window. I told Jared we spend money like it grows on trees! I will admit I am alot worse than Jared, but we both have to do some changing with our spending habits. I am the worlds worst at buying whatever I want, when I want it. I don't think things through when I am shopping. I see things and just buy on impulse. I want to SAVE money not spend it on things we really don't need! I was thinking about our power bill. I leave lights on all day long. Lamps (I have alot of lamps), TVs, radio, anything and everything in this house that could be left on we leave it on! It's just careless things that could be stopped! Eating out is a MAJOR thing for us. We eat out alot and we don't try to eat cheap either. I found 2 $60 receipts from us eating out(in the last month). I mean seriously!! Why would we spend that much money eating out for no reason! That just makes me sick!



I know this is going to be hard for me because I am so set in my ways. I can admit I have a spending problem! If there is such a thing! Ha! I have been praying for God to give me the strength to change this. Please say a prayer for me and my family. If you have any good tips on saving money please share!! I do use coupons (when I remember!!). I need a good system and some way to get organzied with coupons and shopping!


Also, don't forget to check out the new Thirty-One fall goodies! Go to my website and view the catalog!

Here are some pictures of some new things I got!



DON'T FORGET this month when you spend $31 you can get the Organizing Utility Tote (pic below) for only $5!!!



You can order through my website as well!





4 comments:

  1. You look wonderful!! I am the same way with spending. We never planned on me becoming a SAHM but it just happened when I went back for two days and couldn't leave her. I have had a really hard time at changing our life style. We eat out a TON! I am going through the same thing. However, I am the Jared about not telling Josh when I spend things. I just wrote a post about how I use coupons. It's not for everyone but check it out if you would like!! We will be sure to say a prayer for yall. I know how hard this is!

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  2. Hey girlie,
    Um I am the worst at not balancing checkbooks and forgetting to write things down so the hubs now does all that because um well I stink at it LOL!! I now give him all my ATM reciepts, etc and it is working out well! We sit down and do our monthly budget and then we know what we have for play money, save money, christmas money, birthday money, all kinds of other stuff money and I am getting better about not buying as much LOL....I am the queen of spending but I have been doing quite well and if I really want it I ask my mom LOL....like the Matilda Jane Christmas dress for Kelcee hahahahh
    OK Im totally not helping here....but I have found that if I turn the lights off more when I am not in the room it takes the bill down quite a bit, and if we don't just run the dishwasher for two dishes it knocks down the water bill, and clipping coupons really does work hahahha
    So I am learning to so maybe we can learn together

    xoxo
    Summer

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  3. brandon only puts enough money in our account to pay the bills. then splits the rest into savings our budget for the week and if we are saving for something he puts money up for that.. that way we dont use out debit cards..the only thing that comes out of the checking account is bills... its alot harder to blow money when u have to drive to a store to buy something instead of just shopping online. we eat out all weekend .. we could save alot of money if we didnt but I cook mon through fri 3 times a day and not cooking on the weekends is the only break iget.. I dont think ive cooked on a friday night in 10 years! but i dont have any plans to.. like i said its my only break! .... brandon is incredible at handling money.. i am not... he can save save save! i cant! jenny b

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