Making Ends Meet
It was, actually, pretty easy to keep ahead of the bills when I was working full-time and getting paid every 2 weeks. All I had to do was determine which bills had to be paid in the first half of the month, and which could wait 2 weeks. Then, a couple of times a year, it worked out that there was an extra paycheck in a particular month that provided a wonderful cushion. I always loved when one of those extra checks hit around Christmas! What a terrific bonus!
Now, being on a fixed income, everything is much more critical. There are no more paychecks after the beginning of the month and there certainly aren't any extra checks. The rent, phone, and cable have to be paid immediately each month; they aren't negotiable. Although, I think we're probably going to power down the cable service shortly. Luckily we don't have any loans or credit cards to worry about.
We changed insurance companies several times between 2003 and 2005, looking for the best car insurance value for our buck and managed to get bundled coverage, including renters insurance, that was hundreds of dollars cheaper per year than what we had. The best part, besides the premiums that keep going down and the premium refund we received a few weeks ago, is that they take the payment out of our account each month, so we don't have to worry about writing checks.
Of course, the biggest difficulty is food. We can remove features from the cable and phone service, but you have to eat - every day. A few years ago, we invested in a small chest freezer, so that we could take advantage of sales and stock up. It's especially important since we both hate grocery shopping. I think it's one of our best purchases, ever. We can buy, not only on special, but in bulk. For the small cost of dollar-store storage bags and a bit of my time once or twice a month, we have a mini-store in our dining room.
There are 3 stores, very close to us, that we shop regularly. But - and this is important - we only shop the sales and carry discount club cards for every store that offers them. One store has incredible produce, but their meats more expensive than we're comfortable with. Another store has great meat specials, as well as terrific deals on frozen foods and laundry supplies. I've just fallen in love with their super-sized spices. For about $6.00-$7.00, I can get quality seasonings in stay fresh containers, that last for 3 months or more. This allows me to buy inexpensive sauces and mixes, and spice them up to suit our taste, at a fraction of the cost.
One of the stores even offers delivery and, if you spend $150.00 or more, they reduce the delivery charge by $5.00. To me, not having to spend 2 hours shopping, loading and unloading the truck, carrying everything up to the second floor, is a huge bonus. We have had some trouble with items not being available at the time we ordered, or - on occasion - being charged for items that were forgotten. But the store has always, immediately, refunded any charges for food not received.
With both of the boys gone now, Mark and I will probably be looking into cheap mortgages, once he's home from the hospital again. With just the two of us, we don't need a huge home and we're no longer limited to the area in which we have to move. The key to living on a fixed income is research - getting the absolute best deal you can, in order to live within your budget.
If you need help making ends meet, try Beat That Quote. Whether you need help with car, health or life insurance, loans, mortgages, credit cards, or investments, they can help.
Now, being on a fixed income, everything is much more critical. There are no more paychecks after the beginning of the month and there certainly aren't any extra checks. The rent, phone, and cable have to be paid immediately each month; they aren't negotiable. Although, I think we're probably going to power down the cable service shortly. Luckily we don't have any loans or credit cards to worry about.
We changed insurance companies several times between 2003 and 2005, looking for the best car insurance value for our buck and managed to get bundled coverage, including renters insurance, that was hundreds of dollars cheaper per year than what we had. The best part, besides the premiums that keep going down and the premium refund we received a few weeks ago, is that they take the payment out of our account each month, so we don't have to worry about writing checks.
Of course, the biggest difficulty is food. We can remove features from the cable and phone service, but you have to eat - every day. A few years ago, we invested in a small chest freezer, so that we could take advantage of sales and stock up. It's especially important since we both hate grocery shopping. I think it's one of our best purchases, ever. We can buy, not only on special, but in bulk. For the small cost of dollar-store storage bags and a bit of my time once or twice a month, we have a mini-store in our dining room.
There are 3 stores, very close to us, that we shop regularly. But - and this is important - we only shop the sales and carry discount club cards for every store that offers them. One store has incredible produce, but their meats more expensive than we're comfortable with. Another store has great meat specials, as well as terrific deals on frozen foods and laundry supplies. I've just fallen in love with their super-sized spices. For about $6.00-$7.00, I can get quality seasonings in stay fresh containers, that last for 3 months or more. This allows me to buy inexpensive sauces and mixes, and spice them up to suit our taste, at a fraction of the cost.
One of the stores even offers delivery and, if you spend $150.00 or more, they reduce the delivery charge by $5.00. To me, not having to spend 2 hours shopping, loading and unloading the truck, carrying everything up to the second floor, is a huge bonus. We have had some trouble with items not being available at the time we ordered, or - on occasion - being charged for items that were forgotten. But the store has always, immediately, refunded any charges for food not received.
With both of the boys gone now, Mark and I will probably be looking into cheap mortgages, once he's home from the hospital again. With just the two of us, we don't need a huge home and we're no longer limited to the area in which we have to move. The key to living on a fixed income is research - getting the absolute best deal you can, in order to live within your budget.
If you need help making ends meet, try Beat That Quote. Whether you need help with car, health or life insurance, loans, mortgages, credit cards, or investments, they can help.
Don't forget to visit JMark Afghans and My Gallery at Zazzle
We also have a page on Squidoo that supports the Genocide Intervention Network.
We look forward to seeing you online.
God Bless!
Jules
posted by JMarkAfghans @ 2:41 AM
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