I made it! It’s payday! Which means I can go grocery shopping (and pay bills). Yeah (and boo)!

• $123 utilities
• $29 gas

Where’d you spend your money this week?

I’m broke. Way broke. Definitely broker than a spoke.

So, I’m going all war-time with a new personal mantra to get me through. I even found a blogger, The Non-Consumer Advocate, who uses the snappy little saying as the theme to her entire blog.

What gets you through the tough times? Do you have an inspirational quote or saying that you focus on?

Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or do without!

I just have to make it one more week until payday! Fingers crossed.

• $155 State Farm – car insurance
• $27 gas
• $52 grocery

Do you have any big plans for the weekend? My dad is in town and we’ll be going to the World Series on Sunday night! Can’t wait to report back how much a hot dog costs. Any guesses?

Real Simple has a great article this month (I always love their money features – so straightforward and easy to put into practice) about cutbacks that have saved people the most money but have changed their lives the least, which got me thinking about how I prioritize expenses and what I’ve whittled down over the years.

Here’s what I came up with off the top of my head:

Things I’ve cutback and don’t miss:

• I haven’t paid for cable since 2002 thanks to a mix of online streaming and apartment provided basic channels.
• I started using my cell phone as my primary line around 2000 and cut the landline a few months after.
• I do go in spurts, but I’ve largely stopped coloring my hair. Talk to me again when the grays really start coming in.
• Tanning is bad for your skin and your checkbook. I’ve been embracing my pale legs since 2005.
• Since moving to Texas, I’ve replaced the using the furnace with using an electric blanket. My wiener dog also approves.
• Now that I’m only commuting 15-20 minutes to work, I canceled XM radio. It was a luxury that I enjoyed, but just wasn’t necessary anymore.

Things I tried to cutback but couldn’t live without:

• When I was fresh out of grad school I went without home internet for two years. TWO YEARS! Granted it was more of a necessity than a choice, but as soon as I was making enough money I had it reinstalled and I can’t imagine living without it again.
• Manicures and pedicures are so relaxing and they do a much better job than I could.
• Fresh bread and organic veggies. If I’m able, I always opt for both.

Things I could probably cutback but haven’t made the plunge:

• I love going to the movies alone on a Sunday afternoon, and I usually go once or twice a month at $20 a pop (our theater has table service).
• I have plenty of tea-towels and dishtowels, yet I still have a bad habit of using paper towels to cleanup. (Though I do use dishtowels to wipe my hands.)
• If I wasn’t such a chicken (I live alone) I’d turn off the AC and open the windows at night (it’s October and still 85+ degrees in Austin during the day).

Have you made any cutbacks that have made a big difference in checkbook but not so much in your daily life? If you were going to start making cutbacks, what would be the first thing to go?

I’m a little nervous. I’m halfway through the first month of living off of just my paycheck and there’s not much cash to get me through the next two weeks.

• $40 grocery
• $26 personal care – an occasional eyebrow waxing is nonnegotiable
• $18 Target
• $4 Subway

How did you spend your money this week? Any tips to help stretch my budget for two more weeks?

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is to go to the movies alone. (I know, weird, right?) Especially when Austin has a super duper awesome theater that doesn’t tolerate talking and serves food and booze.

I opted for mac & cheese and a Coke while seeing 50/50 this afternoon.

• $325 Chase
• $23 Alamo Drafthouse

How did you spend your money this week?

All this holiday talk already! I’m super excited about the holidays this year – I’ll be traveling back home to Chicago for Thanksgiving and my family is visiting Austin from Chicago and New York for Christmas. I can’t wait to start decorating and baking and it’s never too early to start thinking of ways to save money. Here are ten tips to make your holiday planning budget friendly:

1. There’s only 12 weeks until Christmas – which means only 6 paychecks for most of us. Make your holiday budget early and set aside cold hard cash to pay for things like gifts, party supplies, and travel. The  more thorough you are with your planning, the more likely you are to stick to your budget.

2. One of the highlights of the holidays is the (over) abundance of baked goods. If you’re doing the baking this Christmas, remember that bulk ingredients and finished baked goods freeze like a dream. You’ll save money by buying in larger quantities and be able to start your baking earlier knowing that your famous sugar cookies will taste just as good as the day on Christmas day as on the day you baked them.

3. Order your Storkie Christmas cards early (I aim to have mine ready to address by Thanksgiving) so that you can address one or two whenever you have a free minute. They’ll be ready to mail before you know it and your holiday greetings will arrive before the snow melts. Place your order with Strokie now, and you’ll have your customized cards before Halloween. Now that’s planning ahead.

4. You’re bound to stumble across some great sales throughout the year, so stash those purchases in your trunk or the back of your closet. Whether you’re buying gifts, decorations, or supplies for your big holiday gathering, you’ll avoid sticker shock come November if you spread your purchases out throughout the year.

5. If you’re shopping online, be sure to order early to avoid rush shipping charges!

6. Make your holiday dinners pot-luck! Have everyone bring their specialty and you’ll cut your budget and the stress of having to cook every dish at the table. All it takes is a festive email a few weeks in advance and a little ego stroking to get your great aunt to bring her famous egg nog.

7. Personalize your holiday cards with a handwritten message and a family photo. It’s a cheap and easy way to amp up the holiday cheer and show family and friends that you care. Storkie has a great collection of photo Christmas cards to customize for less than the price of a store-bought greeting card. Holy Swirls is my favorite – it’s modern and festive without being too Christmas-y.

8. Do your research. I know most people don’t recommend using credit around the holidays (heck, I recommended using cash only in this very post) but if you have a credit card with a great cash back program or airline mileage rewards and you have the cash on hand to pay the bill in full (that’s the key!) then definitely take advantage of those savings!

9. Decide who you truly want/need to buy gifts for. Buying for everyone and their brother isn’t budget-friendly nor do the gifts mean as much to you or the recipient.

10. Stock up on gift cards – especially if you can get them at a discount by purchasing online or in packs of 3 or more. If you’re anything like me, you’ll mistakenly overlook someone important and gift cards to a great last minute present to have on hand. Who doesn’t like gift cards?

How do you plan ahead for the holiday season? Are you excited to start planning this year?

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Storkie holiday blogging program. I received compensation for my participation. All opinions are 100% mine. Please see my site policy with any questions.