This happens to us from time to time; we fall off the frugal bandwagon so to speak. Summer is the worst; we travel a lot, eat out more, and simply break from our frugal routine. Fall is good time to get back on track. I think we may try a spending freeze. What do YOU do to get back on?

__________________
"Ordinary riches can be stolen: real riches cannot. In your sould are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken away from you." -- Oscar Wilde

Visit my Forget the Joneses blog - new entries added recently
Check out the Mommysavers Group on Facebook
My frugal tips are on YouTube
I've been posting frugal tips in the Mommysavers Photo Gallery

Well, a few bounced checks does it for us!! Not a method I would recommend!

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

I like looking at the big picture. I am a MS Money user so I go back and I look at my Category spending for the year. See the months where I really did well helps give me the confidence that I can get back on and do well. Yes we all go through spending trends and summer can be bad. Fall is nice in another since you can say christmas is coming and really avoid all the "I Wants"

__________________
Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

I try to use the summer as our opportunity to get back on track. When winter utilities and the holidays hit, life gets rough.

How do I get back on track? A spending freeze is good. To get inspiration, I re-examine our priorities and goals.

__________________
"Poor people work for their money. Rich people make their money work for them."

Honestly mommysavers is a Godsend, when I find myself slipping I come here and I read how great everyone else is doing and guilt myself into getting my act back together.

__________________
Mommy To Brody(3 years) Mason(20 months) Orin (3 Months)

"It's easy to pass judgement, it's more difficult and more meaningful to love someone" Big Love


"Cholesterol won't stick if you have the right attitude"

That is why I am reading this right now!!!!!!!!!

__________________

"It's one of the most beautiful compensations in life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I recently put all of our money concerns back on my laptop and I study it everyday to remind me what we need to pay and what we need to do to get back on track. This summer we've had medical bills and car problems and it is going to take us a few months to get everything settled in and paid off. A spending freeze it is -- after the weekend of the 23, my daughter's birthday, we're taking her to a hotel with a waterpark! Now to get my husband on track! That's the hard part.

We fall off in the summer time as well! Usually in September is when we get back on it- then my shift focuses onto wintertime and spring. DH's job is really dependant on Mother Nature (BTW he builds houses) so every year is a gamble for us! This is the time of year where I try to get in check of my stockpiles (toilet paper, laundry soap, paper towels, and parishables- I also do a better check on my Christmas stockpile). Usually in October is when the utilities start going up so that is when I am on the "frugal wagon" for sure (since sometimes a stockpile can cost a bit of money!

For some reason, summer is not a problem for us! It is back to school time that kills us every year!

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

There comes a point for many people when frugality becomes a choice rather than a necessity. This makes it easier to fall on and off the wagon.

But for those (and I include myself in this) where frugality is a necessity, the fear of debt and poverty keeps me frugal. If I had more, the choice to be frugal would be a lot more difficult. I would hope that I would still be as frugal but I'll let you know when it happens.

__________________