Getting Real About Your Finances

One key element to being, "The Fru Gal" is having a basic understanding of my finances. I've been wanting to set up a real budget for years and finally did it recently.  Being a newlywed, I decided it was the perfect time to really look at our finances and set up a budget.  We recently met with an amazing financial counselor from the credit union and she helped us tremendously!  Starting to look at your finances can be scary, so it helped having a professional with over ten years of experience walk us through the process.  She was amazing and the service was FREE!

During the meeting we talked about our financial goals, where we are now and where we want to go and most importantly - how to get there.  She helped us get started on setting up a realistic budget. We were very honest about where we can cut, where we can't and KEY - what we WILL cut?  When going through this process you've got to be honest with yourself and your mate. Ask yourself questions like: Am I willing to sacrifice cable TV or Starbucks?  Will I sacrifice eating out or my shoe habit?  Also, if you can't sacrifice certain things, can you make them cheaper (example - eat out for $50.00, instead of $100.00)? Also, remember you can put a time-frame on these sacrifices or cuts, if necessary.  I was very pleased to see that we were doing pretty well and that with even a few minor changes, we can reach our goals. 

I encourage you to set up a budget - know your income, your debt, your expenses and BE HONEST!  Set a realistic goal in a realistic time frame and stick to it!  Write it down, keep it visible and maybe even share it with someone whom you know you can trust not to nag you or judge you, but who will help and motivate you.  Talk with your financial institution and see if they can offer free help on setting up a budget, reviewing your credit report and credit rating. Everyone wins when we are empowered to spend more wisely. It's not as difficult as you might think!



Here's a link to getting your free credit report:
https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action

Here's a place to get free worksheets to help you do some at-home financial planning:

http://balancepro.net/forms.html

Flip Flops

I've been wanting to start a blog for a long time now and here I am! My husband jokes around and calls me "The Fru Gal" because I like to find good deals and get super excited when I save money.  The other night we went to DSW and I needed new flip flops (I also had $10.00 in rewards and they were having a clearance sale!) - I got two pairs for $29.00.  I know you're thinking - that's not exactly frugal - you can buy them at Wal-Mart or some other general store for less, but must we sacrifice cuteness also??  I think not!  These are name-brand shoes and I got them for a steal! Three cheers for The Fru Gal!

Tommy Hilfiger (brand)

Splendid (brand)

 

http://www.dsw.com/