1. Use only cash. I’m sure you’ve heard this one before. But this tip circulates for a reason; it truly is much harder to part with cold hard cash than it is to simpy swipe a card. There seems to be a sense of reality that doesn’t quite hit as hard when you swish and swipe away the bank account.  Handing over cash and then seeing the physical effects of the transaction ( an empty wallet) can be much more effective in controlling spending and slowing the speed at which  your currency leaves your possession.
2. Balance your checkbook.  Along with the swipe and go age we live in, the check-your-balance-online craze has most of us completely forgetting or forgoing on the old paper and pencil checkbook ledger.  But slowing down to write each transaction in the checkbook ledger can also slow your spending sprees to a dead halt.  Another plus:  If you have a spendthrift spouse, they may not want to come clean and admit to each of their own transactions, so it may help a reluctant saver slow their spending as well.  Please don’t get me wrong; having both partners on board with financial goals and family budget cuts is essential (see step # 5).  But changing years of spending patterns can be difficult for many people, so this is one way to ease the transition.
3. Keep your receipts and then analyze your spending.  By creating a paper trail, you have accurate records of exactly where it all went when you find yourself in the more-month-than-money-left scene.  Heaven knows my husband and I have found ourselves there quite a bit before we changed our habits.  Keeping your receipts helps you better balance your checkbook (see above) and also gives you a chance to see not only where, but what you are spending your money on.  Sitting down once every two weeks to balance the checkbook together and go through receipts gives you the opportunity to consider whether items purchased were needs or wants.  Taking time to reflect on your purchases will help you to avoid unnecessary ones in the future, and help you determine why you are spending money the way you have been; this will clue you in to your own tips on how YOU can stick to YOUR budget.  It also gives you a visual picture of what areas you are overspending in and gives you and your spouse time to brainstorm  ways to cut back.  One of the key aspects of budgeting and saving money is trimming the excess spending off your fixed expenses like groceries and utilities (bills that recur month after month).  Subscribing to our blog can help give you ideas on how to lower your grocery and utility bill as well as many other money saving ideas.
4. Cut out bad habits.  While you are cutting back on your extra spending, consider cutting back on your bad habits.  Alcohol, cigarettes, or overeating are all costly in their own regards.  Whether it’s the bottle or pack-a-day habit or the emotional overeating, bad habits can cost thousands each year.  We’ve all seen the cost analysis of how much you can save when you quit a pack-a-day habit.  But how many Moms are guilty of having an extra helping of dessert after a long day?  Eating more than we need can cost just as much over the course of a year or years, and surely is not conducive to proper health.  So kick the habit and find another outlet at the end of the day besides an extra slice of cake or a glass of wine (although these things are fine enjoyed in moderation) and save yourself a few hundred or even thousand dollars a year.  It seems worth it to me.
5. Plan ahead and be flexible.  This is probably the best piece of advice I can give from my experiences in sticking to a budget.  Planning ahead can save you thousands and help you cut back dramatically on your household budget.  Meal planning instead of eating out, packing food when you’re away for day instead of grabbing lunch, planning ahead for vehicle maintenance or medical expenses; all these things add up when it comes down to the wire.  Being flexible also has its place in budgeting.  It’s important to realize that not everything in life can be neatly boxed into a “spending category.”  It’s also important to enjoy a (frugal) splurge every once in a while.  It’s very possible to take frugal living and stretching a budget way too far so that you are pinching each penny and not enjoying life whatsoever because you’ve denied yourself all life’s luxuries, big or small.  That’s not what budgeting is about to me.

For our family, budgeting has been about stretching what we little we have as far as possible (through couponing and frugal living) while planning ahead for life’s emergencies, and trying to pay off our debt as quickly as possible—and learning to enjoy life’s pleasures in the process.  It’s become a game to us to see who can plan a family outing spending as little money as possible.  And we have a blast doing it.  I hope these tips have helped you realize that it is very possible to stick to a budget and enjoy life at the same time.  I know we are enjoying every frugal minute of ours.