Finances

I do the finances in our household. My husband works a lot and that's just what works out best for us. I keep him in the loop telling him what bills are paid when and how much they were and give him an update on our bank accounts often. It really is a lot of work.

It's no surprise that things are going to be a little tight this summer. I'm not working which means that we only have one source of income until late August. I'm hoping to draw as little as possible from our savings, but it seems to be inevitable at this point.

Money is something that seems sort of taboo when it comes to friends. I know that I get embarrassed to say that we "can't afford" something, but when it comes to having the latest and greatest or having savings to fall back on, it's a no-brainer. But, that doesn't make it any easier to tell someone that you can't afford to buy something from their home business or that you can't go to the movies because they are friggin expensive!

I'm trying to find balance with it all. My husband is a saver and I am, by nature, a spender. It makes me feel good to go out and buy something, especially when you get a great deal for it, but that's not always the best course of action. Fortunately, with me doing the finances, I know when to cut back and when it's ok to spend a little more. Right now, it's time to cut back.

My biggest areas of weakness are eating out and buying things for our home. I love to go out to eat. There are no dishes to clean up, the food tastes good, someone else waits on you, and I don't have to cook! The downside...cost and calories. As with buying things for our home, I feel the need to nest. It's a woman thing. Making our home look nice makes me feel good. We just rearranged the apartment and it makes me want to buy things to make it look better. No, these things aren't needed, but I want them.

Since it's time to cut back, I'm going to make an effort to not eat out as much and to not shop for things we don't need. This is going to be difficult, but it can be done and it will make my husband very happy.

What are your best suggestions for saving money? I already coupon and shop for sales. Any other suggestions?