Monday, Monday...oh wait Tuesday, Tuesday.

April writing...

I am back. I was out yesterday with the blah's and other girlie icks. But I am back in the saddle again. Although I return with not much to speak or rather, write about.

Today I have been working on normal work related junk...and some of my own junk.

It involves bills and money, so ye, I lovingly refer to it as JUNK. ha!

I did however find this super cool new software (I use the term software loosely as it isn't something you download on your computer, rather something you can access on the Internet.) It's called Pear Budget. (www.pearbudget.com) I would highly recommend in this tight economic times that each of you check it out. I firmly believe that even if money isn't tight for you, smart budgeting and saving of your money can only benefit you, never hurt. Plus who wouldn't want to set up a good Christmas gift fund, while money's not tight, payoff a high rate credit card or set a goal to buy a new TV. This is where budgeting is helpful.

I love Pear. It is SO user friendly, and while I am still kind ehh about how to actually make and follow a budget, it is becoming more clear to me. I am reading articles and how-to's and getting my brain in line. I finally got all my September information loaded in and I can start working on a solid budget for October. Man, I can't tell you how depressing it is to look at your incoming in comparison to your outgoing...that number my friends, is wayyy too close for my comfort. So over here at the Eslick household, we have to get our act together.

We have to plug the so called 'leaks' as my husband refers to them. We have to stick to our debt payoff goals and we have to challenge ourselves to do better! So here are a few of our initial goals for October:

• No dining out...unless we have CASH on hand.
• Gas to be paid using CASH only.
• Groceries will be bought using coupons and a list, with a set amount of CASH to spend.
• GIVE. God is blessing us, even though it's tight and we are taught to share our blessings with others.
• Set aside at least $50 for Christmas spending, after all it IS sneaking up on us.
• Decrease the interest rate on one of our credit cards. (Did that already. Can you believe all it took was a phone call and they dropped our rate by almost 2%!?!)

We will see how it goes, but I am excited. I have to be! Or I will very fast find myself in the slumps of this so called economic crisis...and I would rather be as far as possible from that pit of despair!!

How are you planning on bettering your financial situation during these hard times?