Trying something new

Hi everyone, I thought I would give something new a try. Like most other people I am trying to find ways to reduce our family outgoings. I am sure that everything I have to share with you will already be on the internet and used in countless homes all over the world, many of the things I am going to try will have come from others sharing their experiences online.

It is no secret that everyone is feeling the pinch right now and the economy doesn't look like it is anywhere near close to recovering, this is not something I know a great deal about so please don't ask me about it too much as I will just end up talking complete rubbish.

This blog is going to be my personal frugal journey. I have been finding new ways to make our family more economical and already I am finding that in the process I am learning lots, not just on how to save money but learning how having less is good for your well being, at least it is for mine.

So where do you start with all this? That is a question I was asking myself over and over until I find my personal starting point which was to write down 3 things. Those 3 things were a list of what money comes into the house, a list of what money gets spent and my goals.

Now the money coming in is an easy one, the money going out isn't so straightforward, you know the big things, the mortgage, the electricity, gas, water and all those other monthly expenses. Now the problem starts when you try and think of all those little bits, the impulse buys the bargain you see in the supermarket and think you need. It was thinking about all those things that made me realise I need to keep the till receipts from every purchase and keep a rolling list. I am still in the progress of doing this but already I can see where money can be saved. I would say this is the most important thing to do as until you know exactly where your money goes you cannot start to save it.

The plan is to make a new post on this blog once a week however I may just end up blogging whenever I feel I have something worth sharing.

I am looking forward to sharing this adventure with you all, maybe you will learn something things along the way and maybe you will be kind enough to share some ideas with me too.