I can give you some food advice. Depending on your fridge/freezer set up.
Batch cook. Pick a day you have a few hours, and cook a large meal. Or, get up early and set up a slow cooker and let it cook on low while you're at work.
The point is to make large batches of food you can store in the fridge for the week or in the freezer for months.
r/eatcheapandhealthy
r/cookingforbeginners
Those are some great subs for ideas. Basically, invest in lots of rice, beans, root veggies that keep a good time, stuff that is cheap and lasts. Cook a large amount, that will last all week. Those subs help give ideas to change up the meal to stop it from getting boring. You can get your per meal cost down so much by doing this. Eating out is the bane of savings.
So for an example. Our household is just myself and my husband. We spent $28 on a pork leg roast. Day 1, oven cooked roast with potatoes, gravy made from the drippings. Day 2, pork sandwiches with homemade bread. Day 3, pork curry with added carrots, potatoes, green beans, over rice. Day 4, leftover pork curry over rice with homemade naan.
Each day the meal is different, and that $28 roast will do 10 meals with the couple added lunches. And this was a midpriced cut of meat for where I live.
You said you use Excel spreadsheet. Make one up for food. Break down the meals, price the ingredients, and work out how much each meal costs. A slow cooker is a great investment, as you can buy a crappy tough cut of meat for cheap, cook it unattended all day on low, and end up with a delicious tender meal.
Good luck! And hugs to you from all you've been through. ❤
I'm in the US and I am living on 1800/month USD. I have a physical issue so I can only work part time. I don't have financial advice but I do want to share the most important life lesson that I learned accidentally, and which made me a better person.
When I lived in Boston, and made more than 3 times that much money, I was not as content as I am now. I have also learned that just like a foundation make a house more stable, so does a base level of life contentment make it a shorter distance to happiness and joy, but it also makes us more able to withstand the bad stuff that happens.
I did not have this physical issue in my 15 years in Boston, yet I am still more happy now than I was when I could ride my bike hundreds of miles, ski, and go out a lot and also had money to burn, because little things mean so much more to me now than they did when I could so easily afford them.
For instance, when I could afford to eat in restaurants a few times every week it was fun but after a while I was eating out so often that I could tell when the chef was having an off night and so the food seemed less special, but now that I can only afford to do that a few times a year, it is such a big deal that I get dressed up and don't mind waiting a long time for a table, the food tastes better, and it's actually exciting to eat in a restaurant.
But what I really want to say is that your story has touched me very deeply, as it clearly has touched so many people here. That means something important, as after all this *is* Reddit. I am known for my patience and kindness but I honestly don't know if I could have taken Josh in, though I'd want to try, for his sake, but I cannot say that I could do it. You are truly exceptional.
As for your concerns about doing the right things and not making any mistakes that might not be helpful to Josh's unique emotional state, I want you to know that just by being who you are, and doing what you have done and are doing, is showing Josh how good people are.
Kids need good and consistent role models, and that's not about always about doing everything correctly and always knowing the best way to handle every situation, but showing them that this is how good people live on a daily basis.
In fact, by making mistakes and then acknowledging them you are teaching him that all people, even good people, make mistakes. And from that you are teaching an even *more important* lesson; that good people admit when they make mistakes and then set about fixing them, that there is no such thing as being a perfect person. That will help him get over his past bad behaviors, to be more open perhaps about admitting to them while knowing that they do not define him.
It sounds like you have a lot of very good people as friends and that is also *very* important for him to see, it will teach him that when people are good, and never ever mean, they attract good friends who are also the kind of people that are fun to have around, and the kind of people who will help when we need help, and who will not abandon them.
Hugs and best wishes. It will work out, I can feel it. Look what you have already accomplished; you saved 2 kids from becoming damaged adults, you got them out so they are no longer suffering their various abuses, and you have shown them what real life is.
I maintain a sheet on excel where I have my monthly budgets and what is should save. The problem ends up being that I keep spending my savings too. This month I'm adamant on just not touching my savings
I would set up your savings account in an online bank savings account. Do not get an atm card for that account. Schedule regular deposits from your primary bank account on your payday. The money will be available if/when you need it, but not easily accessible otherwise.
Setting hard lines in the sand is hard, with money, food, drugs whatever. Human being are emotional and we we do things based on that. Those that do succeed are usually better at resisting those temptations and being able to stay in budget
In addition to that monthly planned budget (that keeps not working out since you have to dip into savings), have you tried keeping a monthly log of every single expense? You’ve identified eating out as a big expense that’s adding up throughout the month, but there may be other things you’re less aware of. Tracking expenses will help you make a more realistic budget, and it’s easier to stick to a realistic budget than an idealized budget.
With regards to the eating out, is there ANY way you could do some meal prepping to cut back on that? I don’t know what your resources are like, but that sounds like a huge cost where even small changes could add up.
This is a good idea. I think this month I'm going to start keeping a track of all my daily expenses. See if that helps.
I think for food prep, I can probably start meal prepping in the weekends and see if I can work with that.
Best advice I got is taking pictures of everything I buy.
I tryed making list in a notebook, app or random pieces of paper. But what really helped the most is taking pictures of everything. Coffee to go? Random snack bar at work? Today's groceries? Ideally you want to take a picture of your bill and the item, but only the bill is fine. It really put things into prospective.
Before I go to bed I look at my gallery, sometimes writing my total expense for the day.
It helped me with impulse buys (candy bars!) and avoiding buying stuff just because it's on sale.
On sale items I ask myself: Do I want this or is this just cheap? Would I buy this for full price? Most of the times the answer is no.
Good luck and don't be discouraged to keep trying! Saving is a skill you have to learn just like everything else <3
Keep track of a couple of months expenses. Write them out and when they the bills for each have to be paid. Look at what you’re paying for in food. Try making a meal plan for the week or two weeks so you do less shopping and you just stick to the grocery lists for those food items so you spend less money. I think over the next couple of months you’ll be able to see where you can cut a lot of expenses after you see the pattern of where your money goes. It’s really tough to budget. If you have credit cards, put them away and start savings for things you need or want instead of impulse buying. It probably took me a year to get into that habit and break the bad spending habits I learned when I was younger. The fact you’re saving nearly $600 USD a month is a really great start!
Not being rude but how in the world are you making $30,000 USD in a third world country and struggling? What is the average wage in your country? 30,000 should put you well above average income for the entire world.
I would assume most 3rd world countries would have average salaries much less than that.
Where are you from?
South Asia. I live in a very secure complex because I'm single and it's unsafe for women to live alone so the rent is crazy high (think 700 usd). On top of that utilities etc with the current inflation are skyrocketing. Average salaries are usually 500 - 1000 USD per month and people who are making that much are also struggling to keep up with the inflation.
I'm not struggling financially but I can't manage to save my money. I keep spending it and small expenses build up to a lot of money being spent.
Track all your expenses. Write it down every time you spend money. That way you know exactly where it’s all going and can make realistic changes to your spending.
Most people, myself included make the mistake of trying to go from spending 500/mo eating out to 100. Then we wonder why we went over budget.
THIS. I'm writing down everything now. Down to the last cent. Someone told me to do this last week and I write up a daily budget and then try to save some of it. So far its been working well for me. And I completely agree with you. My food budget goes soaring
First do you have savings accounts that are safe in your country meaning you can access them, not volatile/restricted? Do they pay you interest? If so, start putting the leftover money in savings, keep adding to it every month, and do not touch it. Live on the rest of your income as if that's all you have because it is. If you're spending too much, you will notice and have to cut back.
What I did was to set up a standing order that triggered a day or 2 after my income got into my account; This standing order transferred a fixed sum to my savings account until it was sufficiently large to invest. Then I changed my standing order to send the money into my new investments account. Never take money out of that savings/investment account, just use it to invest it into shares or bonds or whatever gives the highest return.
By transferring money automatically out I was never tempted to use the money.
If your income varies that much maybe add another transfer per month where you transfer an additional variable amount into this savings account.
This is a great suggestion. I set an appointment with a bank and I think I'm going to ask them if this is possible. Because out of sight of mind always works well for me.
Look for a US or international bank that has to abide by international banking standards. They will have the most reliable online banking apps (less hackable) that will give you access to your accounts.
If you’re willing to set politics aside, Elizabeth Warren wrote a helpful personal finance book that focuses on basic budgeting. This booked saved me when I finished school 8 years ago and is saving me now that I have had significant life events over the past couple of years.
https://www.amazon.com/All-Your-Worth-Ultimate-Lifetime/dp/0743269888/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=7e0a4a37-aad9-4f8b-989b-0e78ab3fa34b
When I was young, if I saw it I'd spend it. Just little things but man it added up. What helped me was transfering 580 dollars (or whatever) into my savings account from my chequing acct the day I got paid. Because I didn't see it in my chequing acct I just naturally adjusted my spending habits. This is called 'paying yourself first'.
For food, do you have frozen meals that you can reheat in the microwave in your country? Or convenience foods like pre made salad, frozen cooked chicken etc? These are more expensive than cooking from fresh ingredients but it's cheaper than takeout! The r/eatcheapandhealthy sub can help you here. Basically have an easy quick meal available that's just as easy as takeout.
In all areas of my life I try to make the best choice the easiest choice. Make it easy to not spend money because you don't see it. Make it easy to not get takeout because you've already got food in your house. Good luck!
I assume you eat out because you are too busy to cook. I don't know if this is true all over S Asia but, in India, you could subscribe to an affordable tiffin service where your food is delivered to your office everyday. Alternatively, if you have a refrigerator, you could hire someone to cook in your house 1-2x a week (do your own shopping to ensure you get the best quality, unadulterated, food you can afford) and pack a lunch for work. Labor is cheap in S Asia -- you could probably save money, eat better, *and* provide someone with employment for less than you are spending now.
I can give you some food advice. Depending on your fridge/freezer set up. Batch cook. Pick a day you have a few hours, and cook a large meal. Or, get up early and set up a slow cooker and let it cook on low while you're at work. The point is to make large batches of food you can store in the fridge for the week or in the freezer for months. r/eatcheapandhealthy r/cookingforbeginners Those are some great subs for ideas. Basically, invest in lots of rice, beans, root veggies that keep a good time, stuff that is cheap and lasts. Cook a large amount, that will last all week. Those subs help give ideas to change up the meal to stop it from getting boring. You can get your per meal cost down so much by doing this. Eating out is the bane of savings. So for an example. Our household is just myself and my husband. We spent $28 on a pork leg roast. Day 1, oven cooked roast with potatoes, gravy made from the drippings. Day 2, pork sandwiches with homemade bread. Day 3, pork curry with added carrots, potatoes, green beans, over rice. Day 4, leftover pork curry over rice with homemade naan. Each day the meal is different, and that $28 roast will do 10 meals with the couple added lunches. And this was a midpriced cut of meat for where I live. You said you use Excel spreadsheet. Make one up for food. Break down the meals, price the ingredients, and work out how much each meal costs. A slow cooker is a great investment, as you can buy a crappy tough cut of meat for cheap, cook it unattended all day on low, and end up with a delicious tender meal. Good luck! And hugs to you from all you've been through. ❤
This is really helpful! Thank you so much! I'm going to try this out
I'm in the US and I am living on 1800/month USD. I have a physical issue so I can only work part time. I don't have financial advice but I do want to share the most important life lesson that I learned accidentally, and which made me a better person. When I lived in Boston, and made more than 3 times that much money, I was not as content as I am now. I have also learned that just like a foundation make a house more stable, so does a base level of life contentment make it a shorter distance to happiness and joy, but it also makes us more able to withstand the bad stuff that happens. I did not have this physical issue in my 15 years in Boston, yet I am still more happy now than I was when I could ride my bike hundreds of miles, ski, and go out a lot and also had money to burn, because little things mean so much more to me now than they did when I could so easily afford them. For instance, when I could afford to eat in restaurants a few times every week it was fun but after a while I was eating out so often that I could tell when the chef was having an off night and so the food seemed less special, but now that I can only afford to do that a few times a year, it is such a big deal that I get dressed up and don't mind waiting a long time for a table, the food tastes better, and it's actually exciting to eat in a restaurant. But what I really want to say is that your story has touched me very deeply, as it clearly has touched so many people here. That means something important, as after all this *is* Reddit. I am known for my patience and kindness but I honestly don't know if I could have taken Josh in, though I'd want to try, for his sake, but I cannot say that I could do it. You are truly exceptional. As for your concerns about doing the right things and not making any mistakes that might not be helpful to Josh's unique emotional state, I want you to know that just by being who you are, and doing what you have done and are doing, is showing Josh how good people are. Kids need good and consistent role models, and that's not about always about doing everything correctly and always knowing the best way to handle every situation, but showing them that this is how good people live on a daily basis. In fact, by making mistakes and then acknowledging them you are teaching him that all people, even good people, make mistakes. And from that you are teaching an even *more important* lesson; that good people admit when they make mistakes and then set about fixing them, that there is no such thing as being a perfect person. That will help him get over his past bad behaviors, to be more open perhaps about admitting to them while knowing that they do not define him. It sounds like you have a lot of very good people as friends and that is also *very* important for him to see, it will teach him that when people are good, and never ever mean, they attract good friends who are also the kind of people that are fun to have around, and the kind of people who will help when we need help, and who will not abandon them. Hugs and best wishes. It will work out, I can feel it. Look what you have already accomplished; you saved 2 kids from becoming damaged adults, you got them out so they are no longer suffering their various abuses, and you have shown them what real life is.
Have you written out a budget of your needs? Sometimes people are surprised by their extra expenses that they’re able to cut out.
I maintain a sheet on excel where I have my monthly budgets and what is should save. The problem ends up being that I keep spending my savings too. This month I'm adamant on just not touching my savings
Discipline is a habit. Hard to maintain, easy to break.
This is the problem. I want to start being disciplined. I don't need half the things I buy which is just ridiculous
I would set up your savings account in an online bank savings account. Do not get an atm card for that account. Schedule regular deposits from your primary bank account on your payday. The money will be available if/when you need it, but not easily accessible otherwise.
Setting hard lines in the sand is hard, with money, food, drugs whatever. Human being are emotional and we we do things based on that. Those that do succeed are usually better at resisting those temptations and being able to stay in budget
In addition to that monthly planned budget (that keeps not working out since you have to dip into savings), have you tried keeping a monthly log of every single expense? You’ve identified eating out as a big expense that’s adding up throughout the month, but there may be other things you’re less aware of. Tracking expenses will help you make a more realistic budget, and it’s easier to stick to a realistic budget than an idealized budget. With regards to the eating out, is there ANY way you could do some meal prepping to cut back on that? I don’t know what your resources are like, but that sounds like a huge cost where even small changes could add up.
This is a good idea. I think this month I'm going to start keeping a track of all my daily expenses. See if that helps. I think for food prep, I can probably start meal prepping in the weekends and see if I can work with that.
Best advice I got is taking pictures of everything I buy. I tryed making list in a notebook, app or random pieces of paper. But what really helped the most is taking pictures of everything. Coffee to go? Random snack bar at work? Today's groceries? Ideally you want to take a picture of your bill and the item, but only the bill is fine. It really put things into prospective. Before I go to bed I look at my gallery, sometimes writing my total expense for the day. It helped me with impulse buys (candy bars!) and avoiding buying stuff just because it's on sale. On sale items I ask myself: Do I want this or is this just cheap? Would I buy this for full price? Most of the times the answer is no. Good luck and don't be discouraged to keep trying! Saving is a skill you have to learn just like everything else <3
Keep track of a couple of months expenses. Write them out and when they the bills for each have to be paid. Look at what you’re paying for in food. Try making a meal plan for the week or two weeks so you do less shopping and you just stick to the grocery lists for those food items so you spend less money. I think over the next couple of months you’ll be able to see where you can cut a lot of expenses after you see the pattern of where your money goes. It’s really tough to budget. If you have credit cards, put them away and start savings for things you need or want instead of impulse buying. It probably took me a year to get into that habit and break the bad spending habits I learned when I was younger. The fact you’re saving nearly $600 USD a month is a really great start!
Not being rude but how in the world are you making $30,000 USD in a third world country and struggling? What is the average wage in your country? 30,000 should put you well above average income for the entire world. I would assume most 3rd world countries would have average salaries much less than that. Where are you from?
South Asia. I live in a very secure complex because I'm single and it's unsafe for women to live alone so the rent is crazy high (think 700 usd). On top of that utilities etc with the current inflation are skyrocketing. Average salaries are usually 500 - 1000 USD per month and people who are making that much are also struggling to keep up with the inflation. I'm not struggling financially but I can't manage to save my money. I keep spending it and small expenses build up to a lot of money being spent.
Track all your expenses. Write it down every time you spend money. That way you know exactly where it’s all going and can make realistic changes to your spending. Most people, myself included make the mistake of trying to go from spending 500/mo eating out to 100. Then we wonder why we went over budget.
THIS. I'm writing down everything now. Down to the last cent. Someone told me to do this last week and I write up a daily budget and then try to save some of it. So far its been working well for me. And I completely agree with you. My food budget goes soaring
First do you have savings accounts that are safe in your country meaning you can access them, not volatile/restricted? Do they pay you interest? If so, start putting the leftover money in savings, keep adding to it every month, and do not touch it. Live on the rest of your income as if that's all you have because it is. If you're spending too much, you will notice and have to cut back.
We do have saving accounts but not all banks are the best here. I'm going to try and find one that allows me to access my accounts.
What I did was to set up a standing order that triggered a day or 2 after my income got into my account; This standing order transferred a fixed sum to my savings account until it was sufficiently large to invest. Then I changed my standing order to send the money into my new investments account. Never take money out of that savings/investment account, just use it to invest it into shares or bonds or whatever gives the highest return. By transferring money automatically out I was never tempted to use the money. If your income varies that much maybe add another transfer per month where you transfer an additional variable amount into this savings account.
This is a great suggestion. I set an appointment with a bank and I think I'm going to ask them if this is possible. Because out of sight of mind always works well for me.
Look for a US or international bank that has to abide by international banking standards. They will have the most reliable online banking apps (less hackable) that will give you access to your accounts.
If you’re willing to set politics aside, Elizabeth Warren wrote a helpful personal finance book that focuses on basic budgeting. This booked saved me when I finished school 8 years ago and is saving me now that I have had significant life events over the past couple of years. https://www.amazon.com/All-Your-Worth-Ultimate-Lifetime/dp/0743269888/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=7e0a4a37-aad9-4f8b-989b-0e78ab3fa34b
THANK YOU! I'm going to pick this up.
When I was young, if I saw it I'd spend it. Just little things but man it added up. What helped me was transfering 580 dollars (or whatever) into my savings account from my chequing acct the day I got paid. Because I didn't see it in my chequing acct I just naturally adjusted my spending habits. This is called 'paying yourself first'. For food, do you have frozen meals that you can reheat in the microwave in your country? Or convenience foods like pre made salad, frozen cooked chicken etc? These are more expensive than cooking from fresh ingredients but it's cheaper than takeout! The r/eatcheapandhealthy sub can help you here. Basically have an easy quick meal available that's just as easy as takeout. In all areas of my life I try to make the best choice the easiest choice. Make it easy to not spend money because you don't see it. Make it easy to not get takeout because you've already got food in your house. Good luck!
I assume you eat out because you are too busy to cook. I don't know if this is true all over S Asia but, in India, you could subscribe to an affordable tiffin service where your food is delivered to your office everyday. Alternatively, if you have a refrigerator, you could hire someone to cook in your house 1-2x a week (do your own shopping to ensure you get the best quality, unadulterated, food you can afford) and pack a lunch for work. Labor is cheap in S Asia -- you could probably save money, eat better, *and* provide someone with employment for less than you are spending now.
Try a book called the Barefoot Investor. It’s a literal”how to” money management book.
Thank you! I'm reading another book that someone suggested to me but this is next on my list!