This past Shabbat, I got to spend time with an old friend, whom I haven’t seen in forever. She started reading KOAB back in the beginning and has been a huge source of encouragement to me.
Over Shabbat dinner, she told me the most amazing thing. She told me that by following the basics that I talk about on KOAB – menu planning, budgeting, being intentional, deal shopping at drug stores, and using coupons – she has managed to quadruple the amount of money that she puts into savings every month and double the amount that she gives to tzedakah.
I am so blown away by her awesome accomplishments. She is doing the hard work – and she is changing her financial life.
As many of you know, my husband and I changed our financial lives when we decided to get out of debt and create an emergency fund. We are still far from perfect when it comes to managing our money. We still get disorganized and even sloppy from time to time. We struggle to balance our short-term wants with our long-term needs. Our retirement savings is still frighteningly small and our “giving” category is not as generous as either of us would like.
But thanks to couponing, drug store shopping, saying no to ourselves (and our kids), and having that safety net of an emergency fund, we are continuing to live within our means and save for our and our children’s future. It may not be glamorous, but yes – we are living like “no one else” (thank you, Dave Ramsey).
As we move into Hag Ha’Heirut – the Holiday of Freedom – my wish for all of us it that we are able to move beyond the burden of our financial struggles to enjoy the sweetness of financial freedom.
Have you used couponing, budgeting or old fashioned self-restraint to change your financial life? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
That is so fantastic!!! I’d be up for a guest post if she is a reader of my blog. . . unless, of course, you have a guest post lined up. Nothing like a little chizuk in the area of budgeting.
Thanks for the shoutout! You have had such an impact on my financial life, I can’t thank you enough. My favorite thing about your blog – and why I keep coming back to read every day – is your emphasis on being “common sense” frugal. The key piece of advice I continue to take from you every day is, simply, to PAY ATTENTION! When I began reading your blog I began to pay attention to my tendency to reward myself with a new pair of shoes after a bad day at the office, to the things I stocked in my fridge but never ate, and to the limited amounts I was giving to tzedakah because I just didn’t have enough left over at the end of the month. I realized that though I was financially comfortable on my salary, I had to change the way I thought about finances: I want to be financially comfortable in the future – not just now! I come from a completely different perspective than you – single, living in NYC and working at a full time office job. Regardless, your lessons translate easily into how I want to be living my life – including and especially establishing a budget that includes monthly contributions to tzedakah – something I wouldn’t have thought of on my own. I have accomplished so much in such a short time and I truly appreciate your wonderful advice and your amazing blog! (And of course your company this past weekend wasn’t half bad either :)!)
Oh my gosh, Aliza – you made me cry! I was so incredibly impressed when you told me that. I am so honored to have played a small role in such a big change. Kol ha’kavod! xoxo