How Can Money Have Had Such An Effect On The Family??

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It shouldn't be that way. But, it wasn't the money that caused the problem - it was the over spending. If you spend more than you earn it will eventually catch up with you. It is simply a matter of time. Happily, the reverse is also true. If you spend less than you earn, your savings will grow. You will be able to reap the benefits and enjoy the security of having a large wad of cash in the bank. Here are some of the things I do to make sure we always spend less then we earn: We watch very little TV. Minimising the amount of TV you watch actually makes it easier to stick within your budget, because the less you see, the less you want! And, because our children are not bombarded with television ads, they are not always hassling us for the latest toy. Switch your credit card for a debit card. We got rid of our credit card five years ago, so neither of us can get ourselves into trouble. When our money runs out, it simply runs out! Limit the amount of money in your everyday account. Matt and I worked out that our basic household budget is $800 per month. At the start of each month, this sum gets transferred into my account. It makes me think about my purchases and plan for the month, because I hate having to ask for more than my budgeted amount. It is like admitting failure. Limit the cash in your wallet. I'm fine if the money is in my bank account. It can stay there for weeks, but if it makes it to my wallet, it disappears. So, I don't keep money in my wallet. Delay, delay, delay! The longer you can delay buying items, the lower your overall expenses will be. For example, I really wanted a colour laser printer last November. (The Wealthy Habits calendar looked so good, I wanted to print lots of them and give them to everyone!) But we delayed and procrastinated, the urge went away and $1100 stayed in our bank account. Be content with what you have. If something still functions and it is safe then keep using it. Don't rush out and buy a new one until you really CAN afford it (meaning you have no debts). For example, our dining table is not gorgeous, but it's solid and it works. We'll continue using it until we find someone giving away something nicer, find an amazing second hand bargain or we genuinely have spare money and nothing more important to spend it on. These are some of the things I do on a day to day basis to protect my family from money troubles. To find out more about how other people keep their expenses low, surf through the Vault. It only costs $47 to join and you will make that money back pretty fast.