Money Archives - Fulfilled for Less

How to Pay Off Debt With a Low Income

When you're deep in debt, it can be hard to see your way out. You want to learn how to pay off debt with a low income, but it feels impossible. Stop right there! Paying off debt is possible, no matter where you fall on the income range. It might take you longer to get out of debt on a low income, but you can do it. You just have to have the right mindset, the right plan, and the right tools. So get excited about paying off your debt! A debt free future is full of possibilities and we can get there together. This post may contain affiliate links. Step 1: Decide You're Really Going to Do This You can't just "want" to get out of debt. You have to decide, 100 percent, that you're going to be debt free. This step is especially important for those paying off debt on a low income. It's going to take longer to pay off your debt, and that's OK. That's just how it is right now. You're going to need lots of quick wins and motivation to keep you going, which is why I love the debt ... View Post

What to do When You Budget and There’s Nothing Left

I remember the time I completed my first Dave Ramsey budget. I was going through Financial Peace University and had just watched one of the lessons. My homework was to complete my first real cash-flow budget. After racking my brain for all my different bills, trying to estimate how much we spend on gas and groceries, and trying to decide on a number for all the other miscellaneous expenses, I was finally done. I was super excited to see how much money we had left-over to throw at our debt snowball. I was shocked to discover that we had practically no money left-over to pay off our debts. I think the number came out to about $50--not enough in my eyes to make even a dent in our huge pile of debt. I hadn't ever truly felt "broke" before. Sure, some months money felt tight. We might go a month without adding anything to savings here and there, but staring at that budget sheet caused my heart to sink. We were worse off than I had ever imagined. Making that budget made ... View Post

The Number One Rule When it Comes to Money

This is the number one money rule everyone should be following. Before you can get out of debt, save an emergency fund, or live on a budget, you need to follow this money rule first. And that's because money doesn't work for you unless you have the right attitude towards it. You could earn $20,000 a year or $200,000 a year and feel exactly the same way about your financial situation. You might be thinking, "If I made $200,000 a year I sure would feel a whole lot different about my money," but it's true! If you aren't content with what you have now, you'll never be content with what you have later. It's easy to think that everything will be fine once you have more money. You'll be able to get out of debt, have an emergency fund saved, and have enough leftover to buy whatever you want. But I'm sorry to say, it doesn't work like that. If you aren't happy with what you have now, you won't be later. For example, that practical Honda you have a car loan on would turn into a car ... View Post

How to Live On a Tight Budget

Need to learn how to live on a tight budget? Read how me and my husband made it work for our family! Living on a small budget is possible, and if we can do it, you can too. When my husband and I decided to move back to our hometown, we found ourselves in a place we'd never really been so far in our marriage -- living on a very tight budget. Jobs just didn't pay as much as they did where we'd been living the past few years. This is also the time we found out we were pregnant with our first baby, and that meant life was going to get even crazier. We had to figure out if I was going to be able to stay home with the baby or if I'd have to go back to work. I was pretty shocked when I wrote all our bills down and looked at the numbers (aka, a budget.) Our entire monthly income matched our monthly expenses. There was no money left over, no wiggle room. No wonder money had been feeling so tight! We knew that if we were going to be able to afford me being a stay at home mom, we had ... View Post

Frugal Living Tips for a Simpler Life

Here at Fulfilled for Less, I believe that we don't need a bunch of "stuff" to make us happy. I'm excited to talk about why frugal simplicity is a great thing, and how to save money on essentials through frugal living! Some people set out to live frugally as a means to an end, or as a short term fix for going through a lean financial season. But many have found the joy that frugal living can bring, and want to stick with it in the long run! Whatever your reasons for wanting to live a frugal life, here are a few practical ways you can substitute in different areas of your life, without even feeling like you're sacrificing! This post may contain affiliate links. Switch to wool dryer balls They last for a thousand plus loads, saving you from having to purchase expensive dryer sheets. They also reduce drying time, saving you on your electric bill each month! Finally, they're a natural alternative to dryer sheets that are so much better for you. This one is a no-brainer! Add some ... View Post

9 Ways to Save Money and Lower Your Expenses Each Month

If you've just made the decision to quit your job so you can stay home with your kids and follow your passions, congratulations!! Seeing people make the jump is the thing that gets me more excited than anything! Now that you've made up your mind, you're probably wondering how exactly to make it happen. When you're used to living on two incomes, it can be hard and scary to make the switch to living on one income. But I firmly believe that it can be done. Here are nine expenses you can cut to make living on one income a possibility: 1. Going Out/Entertainment My husband and I love going to the movies, and we used to do it all the time. Now that we moved back home and our closest theater is 30 minutes away (an hour for the good ones,) we hardly ever go anymore. I guess that's why I was so surprised the last time we went out and two tickets cost over $30!! That hurt, but we decided to go ahead and keep splurging since we were already out. That meant another $20 for popcorn, drinks, ... View Post