I have been saving tons of money in the past couple of months but now whenever I'm out I think, "Oh, I have a lot of money saved I can afford this and that" And then I end up spending more then I should have. How do I keep motivated to continue saving and not spend it?

You know the technic of saving the meney, But you need to know how to increase it. I do accept certain amount has to be spent, out of savings. But how much ? not all, then you will come back sqaure one.

Make a list where all you spending, on what and why. Revice the list and mark, which could have been avoided, or reduced. Strike off all unnecessary spending from your list. In future do not spend on it. Then verify where you can control, and reduce the expenditure. Do it. Learn the financial management, have control of inflow and out flow of funds. It takes some time, you are expected to receive some resistance from your Family initially. But you adhere to your decision. See how your assets grow. Good luck.

I've never been taught to budget or be responsible when it comes to money, how do i get my finances in order? I was a spoiled child, I asked for something and it was handed to me. I never learned the concept of budgeting. I am not proud of this, but it's the fact of the matter. Now I'm in trouble, Moms gone, and my husband spends like he's got a pocketfull of flaming cash! Does anyone have any tips for a struggling girl with no head for money? How do I budget? How do I get my husband on board? Really, I don't know!!

You've taken the first step to help yourself!
Budgetting can be easily done, get yourself a workbook and write down all the monthly payments down and what date they occur on, then add gas, food and other expenses (haircut, eating out, etc) Add them all up and you'll get a total, see where you can cut back, ex: call waiting/caller id can be removed and lower your phone bill, cable specialty channels can be dropped etc)

If you put 10% of your paycheck away each week and put it into a high interest savings account, you'd be surprised at how much your money can grow and work for you OR you can put $20.00 a week away in the same manner, roll-up loose change, clip coupons for groceries, watch for sales flyers, buy things from thrift stores (amazingly they do have a great selection of work and casual clothing for a great price).

You'll have to sit with your husband and explain what this is doing to you, it takes two to make things work, alot of compromising but it is well worth it in the long run.

Good Luck,
DJ

I wanted to know what kind of menus or foods should i buy with a $34 dollar budget for two weeks. The only things that i don’t like are any beans. I am willing to work with anything else. Any suggestions?
i have my own apartment and i am a college student this is why my budget is so low.

First of all get a general purpose cook book.

Needed in your pantry

Flour
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Needed weekly

Bread
Milk
Eggs
Fresh Produce & Fruits
Cereal
Items to purchase when on sale

rice
noodles
pasta
tuna
canned soup
peanut butter
jelly
yogurt

Each week look at the store ads for sales and plan your meals around what is the best deal
Make meals that can be canned or frozen so that you can have variety each week by having meals from a previous week ready to be heated
Look for the reduced priced produce and fruits. You can often cook them up and freeze them to be eaten later in the week. Bananas that are very ripe can be made into banana bread etc
“day old” baked goods can be frozen and work well. Loaves of bread can be divided into zip lock freezer bags and then brought out a couple of days worth at a time

If you have a store like Aldi’s their store brands are good and less expensive.

You can make soup, chili, or stew and freeze portions for another week. It will take you some time to get a selection but it is possible.

As an added thought, even though beans are not something you like right now, you might want to try and use a can once in a while because they provide good nutrition and fiber.

You can get a box of regular oatmeal and it will last quite a while and is healthy.

Cheese is initially expensive but if you use it as garnish will last quite a while. Watch for sales

I wish you the best in both your eating and your studies. Perhaps there is a way for you to get additional financial help towards food purchase, have you checked into food stamps or the WIC program? There may be a food pantry for if and when you are low on finances and supplies. You will get more from your college experience if you are nutritiously fed. God bless

Not interested in investing in stocks – just saving, budgeting, living modestly. Also advice on impulsive spending and paying off debts. Thanks!

The book Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin changed my life. It is a very interesting approach to thinking about money and how every thing you spend money on is a tradeoff of your life. I also like the blog/website called the simple dollar. He has an excellent list of financial planning/frugality books.

I will be attending a university in Tokyo, Japan next year. Aside from my tuition fees, how much do you think I'd need on a monthly basis? The dorm I will be staying at (walking distance from school) costs 39,000-50,000 yen per month. Any advice? Thanks!

If you exclude housing, 100,000 yen is reasonable amount for 1 month for a young student in Tokyo.

It depends on how often you eat out or you cook by yourself to reduce your living cost. Cooking is cheaper.