Living on $1000: The Nuts and Bolts of How We Did It

Today I bring you a post on Budgeting... Yes, I know, probably not the most pleasant topic for some but before you skip over this because you are making excuses about why you can't have a budget, hear me out.

One of the most helpful things my husband and I did before we got married was to make a budget. This was at my dad's encouragement and it was not only a great exercise for our engagement, but it has saved us literally thousands of dollars since we've been married. Yes, thousands of dollars. We've done the math and been amazed at the figures!

People are usually quite astounded to hear that my husband, Jesse, went through law school without enmassing any debt and only working part-time. How? It is thanks to the grace of God and our commitment to stick to our budget. It would have never happened otherwise.

I would highly recommend all engaged couples consider embarking on the exercise of budget-making. It may be eye-opening to both of you! Actually, whether you are engaged, newly-married, or celebrating your thirty-five-year anniversary, I'd recommend you consider this exercise, especially if you are struggling financially.

Jesse and I talked through every expenditure which we felt was necessary. We researched to determine how we could do things as inexpensively as possible and we figured out many things on our budget which we could nix. Writing everything down and calculating it against our small income figure helped us to further hone and tighten and pinch.

After we got married, our budget was put to the test. And you know what? Inspite of having to tweak a few things here and there, it worked beautifully! In fact, it was a lifesaver for us. We learned to enjoy the freedom we found within the budget boundaries. Because everything had been worked out ahead of time on paper and the money we earned was being set aside for the various necessities ahead of time, it freed us from much worry and stress.