How do you plan your expenses when you are short of money

I make sure that all my bills come out at the start of the month. Then I do a big shop and see what is left. I leave £20 a week for fruit, bread and milk and then I see what is left. If there is a lot of money I make sure I save some towards my big expenses like decorating, diy etc. If there is a small bit I may buy the girls a treat. I always make sure I leave my expensive purchases till the end of the month so that I know whether I can afford them.

We get junkmail from all the grocery stores every monday. So we sit down and go through them all in the afternoon to see where we can make the best bargains every week. We also checked that we use the cheepest phone and electrisity company. We are careful to do our banking in the cheepest possible way.

I cut down non-essential shopping and purchase if any essential item on credit or borrow from bank. In fact essential items always essential and cannot be cut down, but luxerious or hobby shoping can be stopped during shortage of fund.

Hey there "Folks," We go through this alot. My husband is the bread winner and he gets paid twice a month. We have only two major bills over $200. If we can't pay it when it's due we wait till next pay check, most of the time it still gets there on time, but if not, oh well. If we run out of money we use our credit cards, which have to be paid in full the next month, but we keep an eye on how much we charge.

I guess when you are ALREADY short of money, the only way to budget it is to prioritizing your bills and needs. Which one need to be paid now or what not. I just allot allowance for food first. Just enough and something super tight budget too.:) After that, i pay the first bill that needs to be paid or closest to due date. That way, i wont miss out on anything. I leave a little money for emergencies just in case and leave the rest of the bill i cant pay now to later. Hopefully by next time, i can make up to it.

if I know I will be short one week, I try to save something from the week before. Or if it is last minute, such as I got paid less than expected, I have in the past tried to lower my expenses by buying food items for the week that are on sale, shopping at a discount food store, etc. It's hard to say how you would plan for that, as you normally find out your short when you ARE short, so not too much planning is involved.

I have been short on money for what seems like forever: I try to keep my electricity bill low - I hang dry clothes, wash dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher, turn off lights, and in general try to use a minimum amount of electricity. I cancelled cable. I sold a bunch of stuff in consignments shops, and have taken books to the used book store. I've been going to the library instead of buying books. We are very careful with our food budget and try to shop sales. We also avoid packaged foods and cook most things from scratch.

The first place to cut back is if you stop for a coffee or a soda at a conveniece store or coffee shop every day. This can save from $30 to who knows how much depending on where you stop and what else you are tempted to buy when you stop. The next cut is entertainment expenses. You can save a lot of money by staying home. Inexpensive home entertaining would be asking friends over to play cards or games and asking everyone to bring a snack. This will save your friends money as well verses going to the movies, a bar, club or out to dinner. Walk or bike verses driving or taking transportation when you can. Not only will you save money but you will get some exercise as well. Shop for groceries according to what is on sale in the Sunday newpaper. I do this even though we don't run short. It's probly why we don't run short.NEVER SHOP WITHOUT A LIST! The only things that I pay full price for on a regular basis are fresh dairy products and produce that I need but isn't on sale(very seldom for the produce as I try to plan my family's menu around the sales) OH! That's another thing....make a weekly or monthly menu and stick to it! Make your shopping list and don't buy anything that isn't on it. If your grocery store has a "perks" card ...get one and use it. Just by using the Sunday paper, the perks card and my freezer I usually walk out of the grocery store saving at least 40%. I hope you've found some helpful tips here...Best wishes :)