The closer we get to real changes in our income, the more realizations we have about changes that need to occur. Here are some of these:
- His motorcycle needs to go- he only rides this for fun and we have to cover payment, insurance, maintenance and all extras on this expensive unnecessary item.
- We have to get better about planning especially when it comes to food. We already shop off lists but we still don't fully plan.
- We need to look at the food we have and use that food up before it spoils, planning around that more and around convenience, cravings, etc less.
- We need to have meals ready to go in the freezer in a pinch rather than convenience food, fast food, etc.
- We need to plan to not eat out. I have done this before. I used to keep snacks in the car and tote peanut butter and bread when I thought we might get caught out past meal time. I need to pack meals and plan better here.
- I need to plan what is on sale and use this more.
- We need to prioritize. What is really needed? What is most important?
- We need to get rid of debts. It's not credit cards but it is motocycle, 4 wheelers (those are a necessity around here- we haul stuff on our acreage, get only get around in some snowy weather with them while parking our cars closer to the road, etc), student loan, gym membership, vehicles, etc. Luckily we were close to paying off the gym and we get a discount for paying it in full so, we finished it and canceled it. The student loan I had been paying extra on for a while so luckily, while we were still reaping the better oil field pay, we were able to pay that off in full too. We couldn't get rid of a vehicle payment right now, but I had already traded mine in for something older and we dumped a big down payment on it too, lowering the payment we had. Now, we traded in my husband's truck for a smaller used Nissan truck that only has 7k miles on it (a great deal), lower that payment too. Now, we need to keep paying until it's all paid off.
- We need to keep thinking of what we can do to decrease the income we required for us to maintain.