I started really making an effort to stick to my budget in November. Today I was working on it and totaled up our balances due on everything but the mortgage and realized I had paid close to $3000.00 off my debt in a month. It's no where near being gone but it's a good start and I'm psyched about it. Now with my brother starting payment on the trailer and land I'll really be able to see results. I pulled my credit reports two weeks ago and saw a bill that I had forgotten about from 3 years ago. It was only 120.00 but it was negative on my reports. I am happy to say that I paid that off tonight! The agency said they will update my report within the week to say it is paid in full. It's not much but it will definately help my score. Sticking to my budget will get everything paid off in two years not counting my brother's payments. With my brother's payments I can be out of debt except my mortgage in a year. I am still budgeting as if he's not paying us so that I can just throw that money at debt and savings and not become dependent on it for other things. It's like a big old weight has been sitting on me and somebody lifted up just a little so I can take a breath. I can't wait until it's gone and I can breathe freely.

Okay I stuck to my budget this week and now I'm broke. LOL.

I know things have to be tight in order to get caught up we have to tighten our belts. It just sucks.
I keep telling myself it's only a couple of months and then at least we'll be caught up and things won't be so rough. I just don't like it when hubby gives me a look when I say no we don't have the money to go out to eat or whatever. He's being good about it, but I can tell he doesn't care for it so much.
My feeling is I want to be able to get everything paid up and then down so we don't have to worry about our futures. I don't want to be one of those old ladies who have to eat tomato soup because I didn't have the money to pay the electric bill.
Okay I think I've whined enough. I'm proud of myself for sticking to my budget and my guns about not spending money. So...go me!!

From the time I moved out on my own at the age of 17 I have struggled to pay bills. We have been in debt and behind on bills for our entire marriage. As soon as I think we are getting caught up something happens that slaps us right back behind in payments. Not that we are way behind but I can't seem to get bills paid on time. It's more like I am a few weeks behind instead of months.
Today I made a budget that seems to be doable and should get us all caught up in 2 months. I am going to stick to my guns and once we are caught up then I will begin seriously throwing money at our debt. I hate not having money for emergencies and stressing over how I'm going to get the kids shoes.
It's crazy that I should have to worry about this since we make more than enough money to pay all our bills and still have extra. It just seems that trying to get caught up keeps us broke. In reality it's the wasting money on things we don't need that hurts us.
My hubby isn't big on budgeting and doesn't help with bill paying. Today I'm showing him our budget and how much money we waste every month and pushing him to help me get motivated.
With or without him I am going to do this. I know he'll stand behind me all the way though so we'll be fine.