Life Management Problem

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OK, so I'm out of two medications, have no money and don't know when my next check will arrive in the mail. I cannot withdraw from these meds, as it could be dangerous. I did contact my dr's office and pharmacy today about these things.

It's just... why do I let my budget go to the wire? Why don't I notice and do something faster about my meds getting low? This is worse than usual for me.

Still, I have chronic budgeting problems. Any suggestions?

Can you hide some of your money from yourself? Like, maybe put it in a savings account, put the checkbook to the savings account in a locked drawer, or something, so you have to think before you spend your rainy-day fund? Then every time you get some more, put a specific percentage in your savings account--that way you can protect yourself from your own mismanagement.

There should be budgeting classes available in your community. I don't really know how to find them, but I think you could probably start looking for one at a community college, your psychologist if you have one (they often hold life-skills groups for people), your local library, or your church (if you happen to be religious or the church doesn't mind somebody who isn't joining in).

What I do is just never to spend more than I absolutely need to spend. That does depend on being able to judge whether you need or just want something, and being able to inhibit yourself well enough not to purchase it if it is just a "want". How do you do with other impulsive stuff? What works for those things? Can it work for preventing impulse-buying?

I go to the grocery store and buy $150 worth of groceries, thinking it will last 3 weeks. Then, my bf and I eat it in a week and a half to two weeks. I buy seafood and steaks and fresh fruit and stuff like that. That's a problem.

Then, I forget to figure in the cost of my meds when I do my budget. I also forget to write when they should be refilled on my calendar. I've got to work on this!

start budgeting and shopping weekly?

Have lots of bank accounts and APs so you have little piles ready when you need them.

First, just make a list on what you spend and what you really spend... Then decide on what shouldn't be spent...

I agree with the listmaking, it's been the most effective in our family. My problem is when I forget or neglect to make the damned lists!

As far as budgeting goes, I can write things in my planner, stating that my money needs to go here, here and here... then payday comes, and I don't even remember to look at my planner. Usually within 3 or so days after, something triggers to remind me to have a peek at the planner to see where my money should have went, and if I'm lucky, I haven't already spent it on something else.

Budgeting has been such a struggle for us. And to top it all off, we have a PDD-NOS son who reallly, REALLY needs our help in developing these skills. Luckily, Keith and I both have set on a mission to learn with Trent, but we often totally miss the mark. But I know Trent sees two people really trying for him, and I know he knows how much we care. Due to his own school life, he's quite forgiving when I'm lost in a state of confusion, feeling like a bad person for not having these skills come natural.... school has taught him that half the time, that's exactly how he feels. Now that his psychiatrist is retiring, I'm going to push, push, PUSH for a referral to a neurologist.... as he STILL only carries an ADHD diagnosis, when I know it goes much deeper. PDD-NOS is an assumption thus far on my part... a very educated assumption I might add.

I don't know what to tell you Laura other than keep notes, fill calendars, utilize a day planner, and write everything down ....and last bot certainly not least, try to force the habit of checking your planner at least once a day. Good luck!

My fiance has a policy of only ever buying $40 of groceries at any given time (because you get a fuel voucher for every $40 but not one and a half for $60!). They also only go grocery shopping once a week max.

Note we don't live together.

But it works for his family (about 3 people in his household). It means they choose the cheapest cheapest things to get and still live comfortably because they saved the money there (before it got into their house and they could eat it.).

Note that NZ$1 is not the same as US$1. NZ$40 is on the frugal side, generally speaking.

I'd always admired that. You can't eat what you didn't buy!

Groceries aren't hard to cut down on, get yourself a multivitamen, and go buy things that the unit price is cheap on. I cost $20 a week to feed, and that is because for breakfast I have oatmeal, which I have the 50 pouch box for $13, which lasts me 50 breakfasts. Now that breakfast is taken care of, lets look at milk, 4 L of milk should last me a week, that's $5 a week on milk (it actually lasts longer). Lunches, I have eggs and soups, occasionally sausage. Soup costs $0.75 a day, eggs $0.25 a day. Then I have bread, which I don't go through a lot of, 1 loaf every 2 weeks, and freeze it. Dinners is where it gets complicated... I will buy something like a roast, from a butcher, not a grocery store which costs a roughly $20, but does 5-10 meals. Get some frozen vegetables, potatos and sweet potatos make innexpensive additions to a meal. I don't do meat very often, but when I do, it has to be a cheap unit price. I also get nuts for snacking and protein. The total cost is ~ $20/week. Increase for 2 people and you can have slightly more variety, and it will cost less than $10 more. for 3 weeks, that should be ~ $90 for 2 people, or $60 for one. Key is buying things with a low unit price and having a multivitamin to make up for the lack of variety.

Look for a free software utility online called Jabp. I use the J2ME version on my Blackberry called Jabplite, and it's worked wonders for my budgeting. Honestly, if I had it much earlier, I would never have had the credit card debt I have now. If the desktop version is anything like the mobile version, you can put estimated expenditures down as transactions to occur in the future, and you'll have a snapshot of how much money you'll have in a given period of time in the future. Usually, I'll list everything I know will be a debit (food, gas, bills, etc.)in the future, but I won't record any credits (paychecks, windfall, etc.) until the day I receive them. That way, I have a good idea how much money I'll have in a couple of months should I not get a paycheck, worst case scenario.

Of course, I've had to train myself to put every single receipt into the program when I get them, and that wasn't easy. After awhile of developing the habit though, it pays off.

Good ideas here. I also could use my planner more, as someone else suggested. Thanks.

Will it work if you don't have a Blackberry? And what i your pay is variable? I work independently. Some weeks, I make $200 and this week, I only made $65.