Need budgeting tips before the mortgage starts

Ok so DP and i are currently in the processing of building a house, we have applied for the loans etc etc, i am now sitting here working out finances and how we can save some $$.

Does anyone have any tips that may help?
Our situation is:
I am a SAHM with nearly 1 yr old Ava and #2 is due in Jan.
DP is self employed and hopeless at doing his tax stuff which i from the start advised him i WILL NOT DO as i hate accounting, he is behind on his statements and owes a bit to the tax dept.

So some places i am starting is to lower the ADSL Plan.. did that today.
Trying to be more concious of my mobile.. hmmmm HELP it's my link to the outside world and on a plan.
We are going to try selling my car (saves us $400 a mth) and just pay for something outright (not sure how with no $$)

I just need every day ideas.. HELP ME... please!

Hi AvasMum - I have a heap of ideas, I just love budgeting and seriously, you will probably be sorry you posted this - hee hee.

* heaps of people owe the ATO money. If you ring them and get on a payment plan, they are happy to accept monthly repayments and they are even offering interest free loans to people who have businesses at the moment. I think you definately have to make the monthly repayments though or there is big trouble.
* there is an awesome website about saving money - called simple savings. It tells you how to make your own cheap house cleaner, washing powder and even helps you with cheap healthy food ideas. Some of the ideas about total self sustainability are a bit far out there for me but have a look and see how you go
* budgeting has got to be a lifestyle. For me and DH - we sat down and worked out what we needed to spend and then literally only spent that much. If we ran out of money, we just stopped spending. Eg - we spend $400/month on groceries, $200/month for personal spending and I even go as far to work out the exact cost of what bills should be
* re your mobile, I would ring the company and ask them how you can make your bill cheaper. Are there certain times that you could be making calls at a cheaper rate? Maybe you should consider turning off messagebank if you have it, that's a big addition to your monthly bill normally.
* If it all sounds too hard, the best thing to do is keep an excel spreadsheet of every single dollar you spend without changing your habits. It will quickly become obvious where you are able to cut back.............when I did it, I was horrified but our grocery bill, we were shopping way too many times a week for quick pickup things. DH and I now have a quick chat about what meals we want to eat and only buy the food for those things. This means at the end of the week, the fridge is pretty much empty except for jars, butter etc but it means no food wastage and it's easy for me to wipe the fridge out!

I hope this is helpful to you :) I am a bit of a budget natzi, I really love it and have my sister hooked too. Once you start seeing the savings, you just get so motivated by it all.

Good luck!!!!

Thanks, have started buying her nappies for day time from Aldi but i find they don't quite meet the cut at night so 1 box of huggies for over a month will be ok.

Unfortunately DP is a tradie and needs his UTE so we will be getting a wagon or something, but once i sell and pay out my beloved car that will save a chunk.

Am typing a budget at the moment, based on ROUGH estimates and see where we go, looks like we SHOULD have $2000 a month that isn't spent but god know where that goes as we have been living week to week.
This is factoring in what we WILL be paying for the house... hmmmmmmm something isn't adding up. back to the drawing board... lol

Congrates on your new home and baby!!!

Here are some of my tips to save cash.

Collect dollar coins

Meal plan - have a look in your cupboard before you do up your grocery list and create meals around what you already have in stock.

Limit food waist by only buying what you are going to use. No point to buying bulk for some items if you are going to throw them away.

Shop fortnightly or even order online. The less times you enter a shop the less likely you'll impulse buy.

Throw away catelogs as soon as you get them. I only look at them if I am after a particular item

Don't get take away. We prefer to treat ourselves by going out for breakfast or lunch monthly

Don't buy magizines

Get your partner to take lunches to work or at least snacks. Cut back on take away coffee.

Limit pre pack conveince foods including soft drink, chips or biscuits

Buy the bulk of your kids clothes second hand or ask friends with older kids for hand me downs. I buy my girls only a couple of new special outfits per season. I have been fortune that my girls friends have passed heaps of clothes on.

Go to fruit and veg markets instead of retail. We say $30/40 per week when we go.

Ditch as many cleaning products as possible and use microfibre clothes. I only use around 3 cleaning products.

I like Aldi for most of my groceries.

I hope that helps

have you factored in the expenses for trips down here? fuel meals etc

rego?
insurance?
health expenses?
tax?
gst?
credit cards?
clothes and entertainment for you and DP?
outgoings for his gokarts?
clothes for the girls?
water rates and usage?
land rates?
license renewals (both private and business)?

it's great you have surplus in theory but you need to find where it;s going now!



ok, now onto tips

vegie patch if you can - tastes better and heaps cheaper if you can do it (once established)
buy in bulk (non-perishables that can't be frozen)
cook in bulk (slow cooker, then freeze in meal size portions) - we tend to get a heap done in a weekend and then freeze - means, if we have to buy veg, we buy it and there is no waste
use what is in season.
buy from green grocer rather than supermarket
buy from a decent butcher not the super market and buy in bulk - if you get a side of lamb it's cheaper - and then you can use any bits that aren't for you guys (the flap etc) as animal food for your dogs.
most places have discounts for buying more meat - cheaper if you buy 1.5kg or more.
meal plan
make meals at home for work lunches for DP. can't remember what his job is, but can he heat things onsite or in his ute (DH has a great little cooker in his truck)
cap plan for your mobile (or if you're still a text maniac, a plan that gives them cheaper)
can you get naked adsl where you're building? cut out home phone altogether? (i only hve phone line due to incoming and adsl - only use it four times a month for outgoing faxes)
talk to your builder about making sure your house is as energy efficient as you can - solar power, gdouble glazed windows, insulation etc - it might cost a little more now, but will save you money in the long run
take meals with you when you go out shopping and things - yeah, it's not as much fun as eating out - but if you and Ava are out, and you buy a meal for the two of you, you're looking at over $10 each time - if you bring your own, it's heaps cheaper (even a bottle of water - pump water is around the $3 mark in the shops, give or take - i take one with me filled at home - heaps cheaper and that's even AFTER i buy water cos boo town water tastes yukko!)

use cloth nappies for number 2!! exxy outlay but you can use them over and over and over - and they're so easy

pay a preset amount each week into you bill accounts. That way there's no horrible surprise.

all this advice is good, definitely do up a budget now - but also keep track of where your money is actually going for the next month or so. There may be some expences that you have forgotten.

there is a thread here somewhere about budgeting and saving money because someone was having a baby (there is probably alot of them :lol: I know I am not really descriptive am I) Anyway this one had some really good tips in it.

I apolgise for spelling etc, I am doing this all left handed at the moment because I am b/f(it has taken nearly 15mins to type tis post).

Thanks everyone for your comments and effort (while BFing).

ok so these are some of the things i am going to do:

* pay a weekly amount by b-pay onto our regular bills (phone, internet, water, citylink etc)
* buy DD's formula in lots of 3 when on special at the chemist
* working on cutting back on my mobile (BG don't say a word... :p)
* Have lowered my internet plan to save $30 mth
* buy Aldi nappies for day use and 1 box of huggies for HOWEVER long they last
* get DP to start packing his lunch
* have factored in payments for the house

I haven't factored in MAJOR things like rego etc as we pay them as they come along and we are not 100% on what we are doing with the car situation as yet, also not factoring in clothes etc for the kids as these are very rare expenses and i couldn't put a price on it say weekly etc.
We are not 100% on the rates as yet but once we have more of an idea will update the budget so i can put money aside in an account for that.

basically i am just working off what we have as regular payments for now and then will go from there once i can get that under control.

Just wondering what you would normally allow for a weekly shop, not including nappies and formula?
There are 2 adults and Dd (11mths) who at this stage eats for tea what we eat and is almost the same for lunch!

set up a seperate account for things like rates and rego/insurance. you'd be surprised at how much they can cripple you when they come.doesn't really make any difference what you do in the future, budget for how things are now (so car loan and rego on existing cars - better to budget for it and not need it then vice verse kwim)
set up an play fund for things for the girls - outings, clothes etc - and don't blow that amount. if you can't afford to go to a play centre out of that amount then change MG to someone's house.
if you're planning on buying bulk formula, still put that amount away each week (or however often you need it) so it's there waiting for you, not money you have to come up with

Try banning EFTPOS use for any non-budgeted purchase. Now that you have your essential's budget (groceries / bills) Draw out the set amount of cash you have decided for you and DH's miscellaneous funds for the week and only use it like an 'allowance'. Have to implement this with my DH as I went through our bank statement and it is amazing how much those little things like a takeout lunch, a cd, alcohol & dvd hire cost!

EDIT: I budget $200 for our weekly groceries, bathroom accessories and includes formula etc but not nappies as I'm a clothie - I find I can always meet that budget I shop at ALDI, the chicken shop and grocer. If I shop at our local COLES I have to be super selective as it can blow out by $50. HTH