Last week we set out to write out all income coming in as well as monthly expenses and yearly expenses. We came to the realization that we can spare a couple dollars towards a goal. In my case we as a family are starting over and we are wanting to budget out our bare necessities to starting over. I asked you previously to go room by room and writing down everything you feel is minimal necessity for that room. Now its time to set your goals. Our goal is $100 towards a car and $100 towards household items including furniture! We started with the envelope system. We felt if the money was taken out of the bank account we are less likely to spend it. We rarely carry cash on hand so our envelopes go into a drawer. I know that is not the wisest, but it is what works for us.
1. Setting Goals – Ok so this is probably not the wisest but it is what we are doing. Since we don’t want to rely on anyone to help us get the basic necessities we came up with a plan on purchasing items from least expensive to most expensive. My reasoning is we need toilet paper more than a bed frame. We can always sleep on an air mattress or a mattress on the floor. So in my excel document I have a tab for each room and then each purchase trip corresponding with which paycheck is used to buy those items. Of course my first tab is our incoming income and our monthly broad categories of expenses.
I started primarily with the Kitchen, you can decide where you want to start. I told you once that because I can choose my theme and still be frugal, I am doing a Zebra theme with pink accent. So you guessed right, black dinnerware, black and pink towels, oven mitts, cooking utensils. You name it I will coordinate the colors as such from items at Wal-mart and Dollar Tree so far.
Each paycheck I want to purchase 12 rolls of toilet paper because this is hard to come by really good sales. I went to Wal-mart and price checked all the toilet paper and Angel Soft seem to be the cheapest at 12 double rolls for under $6 but they are thin and a bit course. I used to buy Charmin and I like it but because I had gotten out of the couponing cycle and have different stores around me then before I do not know the cycle and the best deals out there. So here is a weak spot for me. I need to do more research and figure out when to get the best deals on toilet paper to maximize my savings and goal. My goal is to have 12 pks of 12 ct double rolls before we move out on our own. So far to date I have 1 pack that means I have at least 11 more paychecks to go that is about 5 1/2 months from now to reach my goal. I forgot to mention that out of my $100 challenge each paycheck $6 of it automatically goes to toilet paper and $20 goes towards an immediate need or piece of furniture.
In case you are wondering I am not buying brand new furniture. Reminder I am being frugal and spending the least I can but getting my needs met at the same time. Whatever your goal is make sure to stick to it but be reasonable, realistic and very flexible. Adjustment will happen.
2. Labeling Storage Containers. Once you start buying your items make sure to buy a Storage Container each time. I have 1 storage container as right now since I have only made 1 purchase trip. Right now all the items I have bought is in 1 container because it all fits. The items so far that I have purchased are all small.
Once I make a second purchase trip I will need to buy another storage container and will need to label it. I am doing a combination of Kitchen items and Bedroom items so when I make my next purchase trip I will label one container Bedrooms and the other Kitchen. I will separate my items accordingly and to the best I can because I do have other items that will need to go into Laundry Room and Bathroom but until I start acquiring more Storage Containers I will make due for now.
Remember I am only purchasing the very basic needs for each room right now so everything I get for each room should fit in a container. I hope this will make unpacking in our new place much easier than any of our other times of moving. I hope it will feel nice to have a container labeled and if we have any helpers to move in they can see the label and know exactly which room it will need to go in.
3. Figuring out storage. We don’t have much room where we are right now so our bedroom is where we are storing our storage containers but as we start getting furniture we will need a place to store. I really don’t like the idea of renting a storage space because I feel that money can go towards our future home or to household items or even the car we hope to purchase in the coming weeks. Luckily for us a few friends have offered to lend us their attic to another friends basement while we are collecting our household items. This is a huge relief but I also don’t want to become a burden therefore I am working as hard as I can to get a basic necessities quickly so we can start working on saving first months rent and deposit.
Check out Frugal Fresh Start Week 4
