Not sure where to put this, Baby Steps

[greenmimama]

Since finding MMM and reading stuff that really made sense to me I have been able to cut quite a lot out of our monthly budget.

I just this minute got off of the phone with the cable company and I almost cut it out completely.

I am sure I will get punched for this but notice my title, Baby steps, I cut the bill down from about $121 to $93 I know that is still a lot of money. We live out in the country and our choices of internet are pretty much Charter, so if I cut the cable all together my internet bill would still be $54+tax, so I am paying $30/mo for cable. Their is the explanation, punch away.
These are not excuses, I am just trying to explain why it is the way it is, I feel like in the city you have a lot more choices.

I home school now so I cut out a $115/mo pre school bill
I only go to the Chiro when I need to, so that is Minus $211 for a family plan we were on for 4 of us, DH doesn't go
I am waiting for my YMCA membership to run out and we won't be renewing it.
I also plan on downgrading my phone drastically instead of my verizon iPhone, I will get the Verizon pay as you go, or whatever I.P.Daily is suggesting, we have to have Verizon it's the only one we can get coverage at our house with, trust me we have tried a lot of them. Another time the country gives us less choices

So I think these are good baby steps. I am ready for the beating though.

[S0VERE1GN]

Any Debts to pay off?  including mortgage.

How does heating/cooling on the home look? are you using the "tricks" in the blog?

Has the bicycle become a loved form of transport?

good on you starting there. the hardest step is always the first one.

[greenmimama]

Any Debts to pay off?  including mortgage.

How does heating/cooling on the home look? are you using the "tricks" in the blog?

Has the bicycle become a loved form of transport?

good on you starting there. the hardest step is always the first one.

We have no debt except the mortgage, we plan on selling this summer and then using the equity to purchase a home with cash.

This home is large, but built in 2004 (not by us) and is very well insulated, so once we move, then our bills for heating and cooling will be much better in line, right now even keeping the house at 60 all winter long in the worst months we spent about $800, it's really big and we have propane, so the propane went up and it was a very cold winter, we hope to be out before it gets cold again, and whatever home we move into we will make sure it is very well insulated!

My Dh is a huge love of his bike, but we moved almost 30miles away from his work when we bought this house (it's a slow flip) he would love to bike to work again! He did it on and off for about 8 years.

I am looking forward to getting it all under control. When we were first married we were super tight financially, we were putting my DH through school, working full time, we had no cable, no internet, old cars, he's started biking to work, we had the lowest food budget ever, but admittedly we ate like crap. We had to be very budget conscious, and since then we have just had the lifestyle creep, now we are looking to reign it in and live differently so we can spend more time with our children and enjoy life.

[greenmimama]

Not sure where you're at but we have Charter and pay $30/month for internet (also living in the boonies). Might be worth it to badger them into giving you that rate.

And with Verizon, where we live that's the best option too and DH insisted he stay on their network (I'm with Republic which is Sprint). I.P. Daily recommended PagePlus. It's on Verizon's network and they have a $12 plan that works great for him (250 each minutes & texts and 5 cents per text over the limit). Might be worth looking into their other plans to see if they have a good one for you. And you can bring over your current Verizon phone so you don't have to buy a new one. If you go to Verizon's pay as you go I'm pretty sure you have to buy a different phone, though I think they're pretty cheap

Really? I asked about even getting a lower speed for a cheaper rate, not sure if it's just that their is no competition or what. Thanks, I'll try that though.

Good to know about Verizon, thank you, I will def. check that out first, I would love that price, as of right now my DH's phone is paid for through his work, and they even put me on their plan also, since they get a business deal, so it saves us some, but I want that $12 rate, I really am not on the phone much at all anyways.

[S0VERE1GN]

Any Debts to pay off?  including mortgage.

How does heating/cooling on the home look? are you using the "tricks" in the blog?

Has the bicycle become a loved form of transport?

good on you starting there. the hardest step is always the first one.

Wow. sounds like you're doing really well. keep it up!
We have no debt except the mortgage, we plan on selling this summer and then using the equity to purchase a home with cash.

This home is large, but built in 2004 (not by us) and is very well insulated, so once we move, then our bills for heating and cooling will be much better in line, right now even keeping the house at 60 all winter long in the worst months we spent about $800, it's really big and we have propane, so the propane went up and it was a very cold winter, we hope to be out before it gets cold again, and whatever home we move into we will make sure it is very well insulated!

My Dh is a huge love of his bike, but we moved almost 30miles away from his work when we bought this house (it's a slow flip) he would love to bike to work again! He did it on and off for about 8 years.

I am looking forward to getting it all under control. When we were first married we were super tight financially, we were putting my DH through school, working full time, we had no cable, no internet, old cars, he's started biking to work, we had the lowest food budget ever, but admittedly we ate like crap. We had to be very budget conscious, and since then we have just had the lifestyle creep, now we are looking to reign it in and live differently so we can spend more time with our children and enjoy life.

[greenmimama]

Not sure where you're at but we have Charter and pay $30/month for internet (also living in the boonies). Might be worth it to badger them into giving you that rate.

And with Verizon, where we live that's the best option too and DH insisted he stay on their network (I'm with Republic which is Sprint). I.P. Daily recommended PagePlus. It's on Verizon's network and they have a $12 plan that works great for him (250 each minutes & texts and 5 cents per text over the limit). Might be worth looking into their other plans to see if they have a good one for you. And you can bring over your current Verizon phone so you don't have to buy a new one. If you go to Verizon's pay as you go I'm pretty sure you have to buy a different phone, though I think they're pretty cheap

Really? I asked about even getting a lower speed for a cheaper rate, not sure if it's just that their is no competition or what. Thanks, I'll try that though.

You might have to cancel and restart to get that rate, and maybe in the other spouses name. It's advertised as for new customers only and only if you sign up online. I called them when I set mine up and they wouldn't even talk to me about that price I had to do it online.

Thanks!
 We hope to sell soon, so maybe I can try it then.

[William]

I understand your frustration with life in the city vs. country.  I grew up on a farm and now live in a city so I see the difference.

The country life has limitations for sure.  But the limited ways to save money balance out with the limited opportunities to spend money.

I still give the city the edge on how to get rich but not by a lot.