Living on a Budget – A New Season in My Life

My income has now been reduced by about 34%, which simply means I need to be a bit more mindful about how I manage my money.

I used to receive my income once a month, but now I will receive payments every two weeks.

Two months each year I will receive three payments, and this year that will likely be April and September.

I’ve lived with very little before, so I’m not too worried. Things usually have a way of working themselves out, and I’m quite good at making the most of what I have.

Life sometimes takes unexpected turns, and this is one of those seasons for me.

My biggest monthly expenses

My biggest expenses are housing and food.

I pay about $1,470 / €1,350 in rent each month, and that includes electricity and internet. The rent is actually reasonable compared to other apartments in my area.

I’m still trying to get a clear overview of how much I spend on food, but it’s probably around $380 / €350 per month.

Clean, protein-rich food has been part of my lifestyle for many years, and because I have IBS I also have to be mindful of what I eat.

I also pay for phone plans for myself and my daughter, who is a student. In addition, I have insurance, a loan I’m paying down, and a few subscriptions such as a gym membership, Netflix, YouTube, Spotify and iCloud.

At some point I will probably try to cancel iCloud and see if I can reduce my loan payments for a while.

Since last autumn I have known that my health situation might lead to a period where I wouldn’t be able to work. Because of that I made the decision to sell my car. I sold it in November and put the money into savings.

It always feels good to have some money set aside in case something unexpected happens.

A closer look at my monthly finances

January

Expenses

Savings: $57 / €52

February

Expenses
Fixed expenses: $1,935 / €1,770
Groceries: $570 / €522

What surprised me the most when looking at these numbers is how much money goes toward food. But food is expensive.

Eating well is important to me, so it’s one of the areas where I try to be careful without cutting too much.

Later this year I will also receive some extra income from last year, around $4,750 / €4,350.

Even though I dream about taking a small trip, most of that money will go into savings.

And I’ll also buy myself a bicycle.

Dreams for the future

My son and I often have the most creative conversations about what we would do if we won the jackpot.

He wants a house with a huge piece of land, big enough for a model airplane runway.

Do you live on a budget too?

I would love to hear your tips — or even your dreams.

I’m not afraid of a period with less money. I don’t see it as something negative, but rather as a positive challenge.

I know that God always takes care of me, and that somehow there will always be “money in my pockets.”

Love,

Fiffibelle 🌼

PS: I’ll share another little update about my finances in a month or two ☺️