Our path to living on a budget....

Over the years I have put our family on a budget. We would stick with it for a couple of weeks and then something would come up and it seemed it would always fall by the way-side. If we didn't have the cash we would put it on the credit card. Things really changed for us after the crazy hurricane season that Florida had in 2004. We had 3 hurricanes within a short period of time. We were totaled during the first one and had to rebuild our home. We lived in a camper for a few weeks then in my in-laws brand new home behind us. We were blessed in that the insurance company was so good to us. 6 months later we were credit card debt free in that we were able to save enough during the renovations that we paid it off. Then over the next few years we slowly let it creep back up. Not even sure how it happened. It was not a big amount but enough that it bothered me. Last summer we decided that we wanted to set up a real budget. We knew that my husband was facing taking a pay-cut (we both are in education) and we needed to work around that. Well the panic in me set in. I was trying to figure out how we were going to survive. I started praying and one day I felt really at peace. I sat down with pencil, paper and went to figuring. When I was finished, I realized everything was paid and there was some left over. I told my husband, HOW?? Then I thought about it and wondered why I was surprised? I prayed and GOD answered. I told my best friend, it was nothing but a GOD thing. I can honestly say that since May of 2008 we have sincerely stuck to our budget. I have had several friends and family asked me how to do it. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as I share daily tips on how to budget and stick with it.