After sharing last week some goals in trimming our budget, I had many of you email and ask how it was going. In honor of Frugal Friday, here’s my progress report!
I have to admit, I have felt a little discouraged at times this week. I am trying to stay positive and keep my faith, but this has been a tough week for me.
It all started with my bright idea to pick up a part time job working a few hours a week. I thought one or two days with just a few hours, I could probably bring in a small but helpful income. Boy was I in for a ride!
I was excited to find a cleaning job (I love to clean, I know, I’m weird) that offered great hours and decent pay. I went to work Wednesday with great ambitions. I just didn’t realize that I would be working for a monster. I’m not kidding, this lady is so cruel I didn’t know what to think. I put in my hours, enduring constant insults and getting yelled at, only to find out that I worked for 6 hours (plus 1 hour in travel time) and will only getting paid for 3. It is a long story, but needless to say I left there and cried the whole way home. I can handle being insulted (to a point) but then to find out that I had barely made enough to cover my gas was too much for me. Then I found out I won’t even see that meager amount of money for another two weeks. You can cry with me now. It was really a horrible experience
I am scheduled to go back next week and I am not sure what direction to take. Now that I know the terms, if I work for the next few shifts I will be able to bring in about $100. It is hard to refuse, because we are $200 short on our budget this month. I have another side job (cleaning) for the sweetest elderly man and he pays me very well every other week to clean for him. That is an additional $90 I can bring in this month. Those two combined almost make up the shortage. If I roll some coins, we should be there!
On a happier note, I listed several books on half.com and made $20.00 this week. I switched our phone service over to Vonage, and by going through cashbaq.com, I earned $20.00 in rewards. That’s $40.00 of income! Woo hoo! I love cashbaq and have done quite well with them. They pay monthly after only meeting a $10 payout threshold and I have been paid several times by them.
I had a yard sale a couple of weeks ago and made $60. It isn’t quite full fledged yard sale season here yet, so I didn’t get many people nor did I sell much. I will try again in a few weeks!
I also adjusted our cable and eliminated as much as I could and reduced our bill by $35.00. That would bring my total budget cut totals to $178. We are definitely bare bones now!
My grocery budget is another story. I haven’t cut nearly as much as I would like, but am still persevering. This week I have $55 to do groceries, much lower than my normal budget of $125. Let’s see if I can make it stretch!
So here is the overall picture:
Income earned this month (not including my horrible job) $190.00
Money saved from budget cuts (April +May) = $178.00
Now my goal is to get my grocery budget down, which will save at least another $100/month.
I think our May budget will still be really tight because many of the things I cut will not be effective immediately. June looks much better. I believe we will get through this after all!
So many of you have written that you are in the same position as we are, with income and hours being decreased, or even a loss of a job. I’d love to hear how you are doing! So please if you have any questions, comments, encouragement, share it in the comments or via email titus2teaching [@] gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you!
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Good work on finding ways to cut expenses! I would agree that if we just look, there are always ways to save. Just a matter of looking in the right places and taking action
It sounds as though you’re working through a cleaning service–do you think you might do better by placing an ad in the local paper, etc, and working as an “independent contractor” type housekeeper? That way you can pick and choose your own clients and the money comes directly to you. Put the word out around your church, or see if you can make a flier or two aimed at working-outside-the-home women. When I had an outside job, we had a bulletin board where there were advertisements from people who offered all kinds of sevices, from housecleaning to car detailing, that we “working stiffs” didn’t always have time to do for ourselves.
You are so inspiring!!!!!! We are making budgets cuts (but for different reasons) and you are helping me just by sharing! Thank you. Please keep sharing your stories with us – it means so much!
Hi. Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I’m not sure from your post whether this was a job with a larger cleaning service and the woman was your supervisor, or if this was a homeowner/business owner with a really bad attitude. Since you aren’t being paid for a couple of weeks, my guess is that it’s the former. If that’s the case, I would definitely drop the job. It’s not worth the abuse, and after gas and taxes, probably won’t be worth the money. But it sounds like this area might be your niche–do you think you can find other homeowners like the kind gentleman? You would be able to set the terms–$$ for 4 rooms, or whatever, rather than working by the hour. And those terms include how you are treated. Good luck. It’s tough scrounging up money that doesn’t yet exist!
PS. Found you via Happy to Be At Home.
You are a true inspiration!
I am sure that God will guide you in the direction that you should take regarding the yucky job. (A point to consider – are you really going to bring home $100 after you pay for gas?) I will keep you in my prayers for your situation become easier.
I am inspired by your bare bones challenge! I’m sorry you are having such a bad experience w/ that ugly woman. I used to clean houses and I had one lady that was exactly the same way. I honestly had never been treated that way before. Thankfully she told me to never come back, but it was a very upsetting experience. And a loss of $70 a week. I was used to cleaning homes until I was done, but she wanted me there all day for the same price. Anyway, stay encouraged, you’re doing an AMAZING job. Don’t let the Devil get you discouraged. Discouragement is his greatest tool against Christians.
You are doing so GREAT! Like others before me have said, you are so completley encouraging.
As for the job, hmmm, if it helps this month, do it and pray through the whole thing. But honestly, being belittled and bullied is not a good way to “spend” your time or make money. I too have been in that hard place, and I pushed through for the time that I needed that income.
As always, I am just amazed at what you accomplish.
Concerning the job…Please don’t go back! I don’t want my friend being abused by some crazy woman!
You have such a beautiful spirit! I’m so encouraged by you and the work you do.
Good for you!
Counting my blessings. Thank you for this perspective. You are working so hard, and with such spirit.
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