Budgets are hard!!

So when it came to my budget in the past this is how it went:  wrote bills down that were due that pay period and pay them, what was left we lived on, but that didn't quite work out. I would be short and would take the money out of my business account or my savings.  The other scenerio was get food and gas first then pay bills with what was left, that didn't work as I was usually short to pay the bills.

As you can see neither of these systems have been working for me, now I am trying to anticipate my two week life, that is how often we get paid.  Go thru the fridge, freezer and cabinets, see what I absolutely need, I used to try to buy ahead, not anymore.  Get my basic grocery list, check the sale ads, go where I need to go to get the best prices. Then get gas, anticipate how much gas we will need for the next 2 weeks, also look at what we are doing, do we have kids games, family functions, appts, anything that is going to cost us money, figure the least cost for all of it, that gets put aside, now take what is left and pay the bills, of course it is not covering all the bills, so I am trying to juggle and make things work.

My plan at this time is to take what we get from our tax return to catch us up, and go from there, we have definately come to the reality that we can't afford the life we were living, we have made some life changes, stopped doing things that cost money, got rid of a money drain.

Just saying, this is harder that I thought it would be, I have always tried to be money conscience, but in a head in the sand kind of way, not really realizing that we couldn't afford our life, hence the credit card debt.  I would be frugal, but only for easy things, when it came to the hard decisions, wasn't willing to make them.  Now that isn't an option, I am determined come what may, we will be debt free!!!!! The Frugal Queen is my inspiration!!!!