I think I do,or we do (dh and I). I have a plan in my head of how much extra I want to put towards paying off debt each month. We can afford it, but then it never gets done! He's paid weekly and our finances on paper look alright (a little tight) but its always something and we think " it's ok he gets paid friday". Then the next week is playing catch up and the $ from that check is going towards last weeks bills. I'm probably not the only this happens to but I want to know how to change this cycle. I know, its probably just a simple answer but I need to change this behavior or I won't get to be a sahm much longer.

Maybe it would be wiser not to spend it until you really have it. If I understood you correctly, it sounds like you're playing the "borrow from Peter to pay Paul" game. Then when you get the money, you need to repay Peter.

this is me and DH. my budget on paper is great. works out perfect. then the checks come and money goes and i don't know what to do. it sounds stupid to say it out loud like, we don't pay our bills and we spend frivioulsy but we don't. its so frustrating..

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omg, i used to do that.
i have spend so much money, and really, i have nothing to show for it.
now, i do cash.
CASH ONLY! NO DEBIT CARD
that's the only way i can track my spening
and of course checks for bills
I think the envelope system is the best thing ever!

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Thanks,
Bestmommysaver!

thank you for asking! this is my main problem too! i just dont know how to get out of the cycle either. we make enough to get bills paid, but it doesnt work out that way. it looks perfect on paper though.

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I think a lot of the time we are forgetting all the little things that come up, that we don't add to the budget, so the budget looks great on paper but doesn't work out. For example, you put down on paper:

Rent $600
Cable $50
Gas $40
Groceries $150
Total........$840

We have $1000 dollars to spend, so we think great, I can put $160 towards debts. All of a sudden, Johnny comes home and says, I'm invited to Joe's birthday party on friday and I need a gift, that's $10. You put a run in your last pair of panythose, we you are getting ready for work, that's $5. Your dh tells you the car needs an oil change this week, that's $25. Jill comes home from school with a permission slip to go to a play, that's $5. You have been in town running errands all day and decide to get take out for supper, that's another $20. So far, you spent $65 out of your $200, that you had for debt repayment! It's all the little things that we forget to budget in our budget, that takes the money. We think we are doing so bad, but really we aren't, because they should have been in the budget in the first place so we would have been more realistic and knew we only had $95 to put towards debt payments. It happens to us all the time too !

That is exactly it searching4!

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I use to do this. In fact in college I would get paid on Friday, I knew I could write that check Wednesday night and that it would pass through the bank until after I had deposited my paycheck! I am better now days but it has taken many years to adjust this train of thought! Not to mention many places post their checks a lot quicker than they did back in the 90's!

I used to do the check thing the day before payday at the grocery store. Now they process most of them electronically, so I'm too nervous to do it now. I do my shopping the day after the check gets DD just to make sure.

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Megan

searching4 has got it right. I am right there with you, always playing catch up. It is getting better, but still not great.

There's always something that I didn't count into the budget - school stuff, a sudden doctor visit or medicine. I guess that's the point of the emergency fund or savings

I agree that using cash helps keep you on track for expenses like the quick fast food run, snacks, etc.