Budgeting Relationships | Wedding Budget Hacks | Food Budgets & Toddlers

We have not done anything for so long, now that we don't have to live like that, we're not even sure how to handle it. I know we need to have more fun. Thanks for the motivation. If Christine and Dave can justify it then I can too!

My treat to myself now I've achieved "the goals", is to have a manicure once a fortnight. It's not that much money, but it makes me feel glamorous and special. There was no way I would have been able to justify that expense in the past, but now I probably love it more because I've earnt it.

So when you don’t have the babysitter excuse- how do you handle constantly being asked by friends to go out to eat, get $7 coffee, get your nails done together, go on mini vacations? But you don’t or can’t spend the money. You can only ask them to cheap dinner at your own house so many times (and even that costs money)

Why wouldn't you save for a car? Your going to need it when your current car breaks down.

It's time to add an additional bucket for your family. The wedding bucket! Before long your kids will grow up and get married one after another and I'm sure you will want to contribute in some manner. This additional bucket helps you prepare

What you & Dave said about budgets & buckets & adjusting things as life happens were all very good. The only thing that I thought of to touch on with budgets is Christmas, i know its a scary topic. It comes every year, the season & date never change; but still its a hard financial season for most. I started years ago actually automatically saving for Christmas every month. I've never regretted it, my bank has a savers goal CD & x amount of $ is auto debited every single month straight away & come November i have a nice little chunk saved to use for that holiday season. I let it auto renew every single year & it has taken some of the $ stress out of the holidays. I think that its important to include it in your budget for every month through the whole year, so that come that time your not scrambling every year; year after year to pay for.

We live a very good life and live below our means. Thats the key. Hence we have paid off our house, have no debts whatsoever, contribute more into our retirement and my husband is the main income earner and I work for myself a few hours a day. The rest of the days I cook, clean, grocery shop the sales and so on and still catch up with friends for a coffee in between.The key is to live within your means, budget, be mindful what you spend your money on, declutter your house from stuff you dont need, want or value and go on a holiday.

We needed a second vehicle in our house after 3 years with only one. We found a cute little sedan for around 8k with good service records, manufactured in Japan. We think it has at least 100k left in it with good care. While doing the paperwork for the small amount we’re financing (it’s a cash flow thing, we’d pay cash usually) he had to run my credit for the loan. He came back saying I had the highest credit score he’d seen in a very long time and I could walk off the lot with any new car I wanted. Replied saying that that’s not how you get a credit score that looks like that! Both of our cars should be paid off in 2 years max, and they have years of life left in them. That feels better than a spaceship Subaru ever could!!!

We started out with a venue but in the end cancelled it and did all the food ourselves, used free land and had the reception at home. Honestly it felt more like US. More like party! The casual feeling of it (we legit did pizza and salad and byob) we did a unity ceremony but combined two different beers and then drank during the ceremony lol!!

For the last point of what to do when your financial goals are met….help others! My mom will hear of a person struggling (health issue, home repairs, etc) and she will secretly pay their water bill for a year.

I really like Dave's perspective. 😊

When my children were little if the wanted a snack it was an apple or veggies. I would always tell them if they were hungry the would eat the apple. As they had children they followed the same rule. My daughters are now in their late 40’s my grands are between 15 and 22. All very healthy and no one starved. Hahaha

Got married at a state park with beautiful overlooks and arches! Total cost less than $1000.

I got married two years ago. Wedding was done by my brother in law at their home. My sister blessed us with a cake and took pictures. Perfect!

Poor golf ball getting hit by the beast

We do the Costco 30 roll blue and I think that it's amazing comfort and I would love to meet you and Dave

I regret not getting a professional photographer as well. And my husband was so sick with a stomach bug that was going around on our wedding day that he had to walk out after our vows to throw up and he missed the dinner. So our pictures might not have been great anyway but we have no good pictures to display of just the two of us.

We did many a McDonald's birthday parties for 30.00. That was in the 90s. My kids loved it.

Thankyou for your online budget I had an emergency fund to fix the car! Now it needs a rebuild!

Got married at a public waterfall- had a picnic in the park.

Only regret- pictures! Please hire a professional photographer

My son worked at the gun range in Fort Worth while teaching as an adjunct at Tarrant County College and Weatherford College and finishing writing his dissertation with 3 kids and a wife working full-time. He never slept, but the bills got paid.
Chili is great at Wendy's. Just go get it.

You know what else just went away? Ringback tones.

I always try to do meal prep bur if we are having it for dinner, it won't last cuz my husband will have 2 or 3 servings. He says its taste so good. Then I have no lunch then I have to spend money for lunch the next day.

I have the unpopular opinion that kids these days are given everything they dont have to work for what they want like we did as kid's (i was born in the 80's. I have 4 teenagers myself and none of them have cell phones and other parents look at us like we just killed someone. We have a rule if you want a phone get a job and pay for it yourself they need to learn responsibility when left high school in 2001 cell phones were barley coming out. Virgin mobile and trac phones were out and cricket had just made a splash. I ran all around my town from age 13 till i graduated just fine. We are lucky that we live in a community where everything is within a 15min walk there are 5 schools and grocery stores restaurants its really convenient so the kids dont really need phones and honestly what are they used for in 2024 %75 social media %20 texting %5 making a call if that. I know people that are a family of 6 like me and they pay 300 400 a month for phones yikes.